Cardi B: Juggling Motherhood, Music, and a Budding Empire
In a Los Angeles rehearsal studio in late January, Cardi B observed a group of dancers rehearsing for her ongoing ‘Little Miss Drama’ tour, a two-month, 35-show spectacle. Dressed comfortably in an oversized silk bonnet and Uggs, Cardi marked the moves while her dancers performed with full energy, their cropped tops and durags glistening with sweat.
She attempted a challenging move, being spotted by two dancers as she leaned back, but struggled to maintain her balance, tumbling to the ground. (A similar incident occurred during her Vegas show, which she playfully attributed to government interference.) Looking at her dancers, she quipped, “You’re in your 20s, ain’t you?”
Despite the occasional stumble, at 33, Cardi B seems to have it all: a groundbreaking rap career, a largely sold-out tour, and a new venture – Grow-Good, her haircare line launching in April. She’s also a mother of four, a fact surprisingly understated by her appearance. However, reminders of the demands on her time creep in. While rapping along to “Thru Your Phone” from her 2018 album Invasion of Privacy, she momentarily lost her place, groaning into the microphone. Her dancers practiced an interlude without her, a built-in break, and Cardi listened intently, grimacing at the suggestive sounds in the soundtrack. “That’s too much moaning,” she complained, seeking a renewed energy, a reminder that she is both a working mother and a force to be reckoned with.
The Power of the Right Shoes
Suddenly, she realized the source of her discomfort. “That’s why I’m not feeling myself, because of these fucking Uggs,” she declared, heading back to her dressing room. A minute later, she returned in glittering fuchsia heeled boots, channeling “The Wizard of the Bronx.” “Okay, Doroth-eisha!” her long-time creative director, Patience Foster, exclaimed. “I just want to do everything now. I told myself I needed two years of being uncomfortable so I could be comfortable.”
And it worked. Back on the floor, she twirled with her choreographer, Sean Bankhead, strutting in front of the mirror, blowing kisses to an imaginary crowd. Seven years after her last tour, she’s determined to deliver an unforgettable experience. “I want to give my fans a good moment and have been pulling strings to make this shit happen, and it’s turning out beautiful.”
The Hustle is Real
This ambition comes with relentless work. Her only breaks during ‘Little Miss Drama’ will be during travel. Currently, her days are packed with rehearsals, “100 gazillion meetings,” and doctor’s appointments. Recently, a physician advised her to slow down due to high hormone levels. When asked if she had time to rest, her response was resolute: “No, I can’t. Not this year.”
Throughout our conversation, Cardi seemed hesitant to voice her anxieties, not about the anxieties themselves, but about their sheer volume. She’s been studying the performances of Madonna and Beyoncé, recognizing her own strengths and weaknesses. “That was way crazy,” she said of Beyoncé’s show. “That’s way removed from what I could do,” and what her fans expect – a genuinely good vibe. This realization added to the stress of rehearsals, forcing her to confront her least favorite aspect of performing: dancing.
“I hate choreography; it’s like math to me,” she admitted, makeup-free and with bare nails. “I don’t have much of a rhythm like that. I could rap all day. But dancing is like, ugh.” Despite this, she remains the Cardi B we know and love: wickedly funny, quick to laugh, and self-deprecating. “I got a lot of shit on my mind, so I’m just fucking talking. Like, my life has been a fucking movie right now.”
From Star to Cultural Icon
Reflecting on the past, Cardi remembers our first meeting, years ago, before the release of Invasion of Privacy, which would become the highest-certified female rap album of the century and earn her a Grammy. She was hungry and grumpy at lunch in Manhattan. Shortly after, she announced her first pregnancy. Since then, she’s evolved from a star to a cultural phenomenon, a sought-after collaborator, and, most notably, a mother of four.
Her children are constantly on her mind. (During a break, she was heard responding to her eldest, Kulture, over FaceTime: “Did you call me bro?!”) Balancing motherhood with her career is a constant challenge. Kulture is now in school, with strict attendance policies, and her son, Wave, is dedicated to his extracurricular sports. “So I just be like, How the fuck am I gonna make this shit fucking work?”
A Legacy of Hard Work and Authenticity
Ultimately, her children are her motivation. She wants to secure her legacy, provide for her family, and make them proud. “I want to be the grandma that everybody come to the crib, and it’s like, ‘Yeah, my grandma was that bitch.’”
Cardi B exemplifies monetizing your strengths. Before her rap stardom, she gained fame on Instagram, sharing stories from her past and offering relatable takes on life. She even went viral with a DIY hair mask recipe: avocado, eggs, and mayonnaise. Her natural approach resonated with audiences, especially given her long, healthy hair, a result of years of dedicated care after past mishaps (self-bleached streaks and a disastrous haircut).
Grow-Good: Rooted in Experience
Even now, she champions the benefits of natural ingredients, passionately advocating for the power of onions for hair health. “Onions!” she exclaims. “Do not! Make! Your! Hair! Stink!” However, she cautions against garlic. “Do not put garlic in your hair.”
Grow-Good incorporates these same household staples – avocado, coconut, and rosemary oils – that Cardi has always used. The line caters to different hair types, reflecting her understanding of her own hair, her mother’s, and now, her daughter’s. As an entrepreneur, she understands her reputation is on the line. “People are gonna buy my shit just off my name, but are you gonna come back?” she asks. “It’s about coming back.” She emphasizes the serious consequences of damaging someone’s hair with a faulty product. “A bad song is not gonna fuck up your life…[But] imagine you put some sh*t into your hair, and you damage it, and I’m responsible?!”
The most significant transformation in her life, she agrees, has been becoming a mother. Despite her success, she remains grounded, a “regular-degular girl from the Bronx.” She still gets nervous performing on live TV, finding comfort in the energy of her fans. She’s also shy around other celebrities. “Something changes in you, and that’s all moms,” she says. “Even a fucking dog will change as soon as they become a mom. They don’t got to learn it. Just…” she looks at her phone screen, her kids in the background. “A new you is born.”
Family, however, is complex. Recent breakup rumors with Stefon Diggs surfaced shortly after our conversation, mirroring past relationship challenges with Offset. But Cardi has grown, becoming more confident and less tolerant of negativity. Her latest album, Am I the Drama?, embodies her signature confidence and swagger. The chorus from “Principal,” featuring Janet Jackson, resonates: “If you ain’t on the same shit, watch me lane switch; I’m too sexy to be lonely and too grown to be played with.”
As she prepares for a commercial shoot, surrounded by friends and her team, the atmosphere is relaxed and familiar. Tokyo Stylez styles her hair, Erika la’ pearl applies her makeup, and Cardi controls the music. They’ve weathered many storms together, forming a unique bond. “It’s a cunty language that we speak,” Cardi explains, referring to the shared understanding between her and her team, both trans women. “Sometimes, I have a little jokey joke, and only the cunts get it.”
These relationships are what keep her grounded. When asked if she would change anything, she reflects, “There’s a lot of business moves that I wish I was a little bit wiser, but I feel like I’m doing everything at the right time,” she says, cheesing big. “Well, maybe I should have put out my album a little bit before. But you know what? Everything is great.”
