by Cardi B’s Connection to “The Message” Shows the Power of Music
In a recent interview, rap superstar Cardi B shared a touching story about how the classic early hip hop track “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five deeply resonated with her as a child growing up in the Bronx. “The Message,” released in 1982, was groundbreaking for bringing socially conscious lyrics about inner city life to hip hop music. For Cardi B, hearing this song at a young age opened her eyes to the power of music to speak honestly about real issues affecting real people.
Cardi B recalled that it was her mother and grandmother who first played “The Message” for her when she was around 9 or 10 years old. Coming of age in the Highbridge neighborhood of the South Bronx, Cardi B was surrounded by many of the harsh realities depicted in “The Message” – poverty, crime, drugs, community neglect. The song put into poetic words and percussive beats the struggles that she witnessed daily in her community.
The part of “The Message” that resonated most with her was the second verse:
“A child is born with no state of mind/Blind to the ways of mankind/God is smiling on you but he’s frowning too/Because only God knows what you’ll go through.”
These lines spoke to the innocence of youth being shaped by difficult environments. The song expressed the complex emotional reality of trying to maintain hope and self-worth in the face of surrounding social ills. Cardi B said hearing the song at that age opened her mind to the purpose that music could serve – to validate real stories and provide solace and understanding.
Beyond just the lyrics, the sound and aesthetic of “The Message” also drew in young Cardi B. The heavy 808 bass and rhythmic percussion provided the sonic backbone while Grandmaster Flash’s frenzied scratches added urgency and edge. The futuristic computer voices proclaiming “It’s like a jungle sometimes, it makes me wonder how I keep from going under” sounded like something from another planet, transporting listeners out of their daily struggles.
Even though it was released in the early 80s, long before Cardi B was born, she could instantly identify with “The Message” because many of the same problems continued to plague her community decades later. The crack epidemic of the 80s ravaged inner city neighborhoods like the Bronx, leaving devastation that lingered through the 90s and 2000s as she grew up.
During this time period, violent crime rates in New York City hit all-time highs. Funding for critical social programs and resources in lower income communities continued to be cut. Urban neighborhoods like Cardi B’s became trapped in cycles of poverty, broken homes, underfunded schools, incarceration, and hopelessness. “The Message” gave voice to these issues in a raw, unfiltered way that resonated across generations.
Beyond just the hard-hitting lyrics, Cardi B also credited her mother and grandmother for instilling in her an appreciation for the technical artistry of a track like “The Message.” She admired how Grandmaster Flash manipulated the turntables like an instrument and orchestrated elaborate breaks and transitions that dropped out and rebuilt the beat. This exposed her to the possibilities of hip hop music as not just a vehicle for messages but an artform in itself.
The innovative use of futuristic sounding record scratches and synthesizers combined with dobro guitar riffs and extended percussive breaks showcased Grandmaster Flash’s skills as an early hip hop genius, building off influences like James Brown to create an entirely new style of street music. When Cardi B first heard “The Message,” she didn’t just hear a song relatable to her life, she heard the future direction of the culture she would eventually become a star of.
Beyond resonating with the lyrics and sound, “The Message” also represented generations of cultural legacy and family tradition for Cardi B. Her mother and grandmother grew up in the same neighborhoods of the Bronx decades prior, facing many of the same struggles. When they played Grandmaster Flash for little Cardi B, it created a bridge, passing down the music that inspired and sustained them through difficult times.
Her grandma and mom wanted Cardi B to know through the music that she came from a lineage of strong, resilient women. Even when faced with poverty, racism, violence, and lack of opportunity, her family and community persevered with their dignity, values, and sense of cultural pride. “The Message” reminded Cardi B that she carried this torch from previous generations.
So while “The Message” connected with Cardi B because of its honest sociopolitical themes, it also represented family, tradition, and ancestry. The love of music bonded generations, with timeless songs providing a sense of history and continuity in her family. Beyond just listening to popular radio hits, Cardi B’s mom and grandma instilled in her an reverence for music and musical history.
Many children who grow up in poverty listen to music casually or just hear whatever is playing on the radio. But Cardi B described listening to music more actively as a child. She studied the lyrics, absorbs the classic albums her family played, and learned about different artists that laid the foundations for hip hop. She credits this deeper musical education from her mother and grandmother for helping spark her eventual career.
Even though she is now a global superstar herself, Cardi B still remembers fondly those early days listening to iconic songs like “The Message” with her family. It shaped not only her love of music but her inner strength, resilience, and cultural pride growing up in the Bronx. The song inspired her with both its powerful content and its boundary-pushing musicality.
When she first began rapping herself, Cardi B said she was drawn to how hip hop allowed her to be outspoken about her own struggles with poverty, violence, racism, and sexism. She realized that her life and experiences had value and were worthy of being the subject of powerful art, just as Grandmaster Flash had done with “The Message.” This realization fueled Cardi B’s determination to make it as an artist.
It’s a full circle moment now 40 years later to see Cardi B herself become one of the reigning queens of hip hop, inspiring a new generation of young girls with her rags-to-riches story. Much like Grandmaster Flash and Furious Five rose from humble beginnings in the Bronx to make history, Cardi B followed a similar path from stripper to global phenomenon.
“The Message” planted an early seed showing Cardi B the strength and purpose music could hold. Even though she grew up decades later in the same South Bronx streets, Cardi B found herself relating intensely to a song made years before she was born. This reveals the timeless power of “The Message” and the ability of profoundly impactful music to transcend eras.
Cardi B’s story also demonstrates the importance of family and community in passing down music and culture. By her mother and grandmother exposing her to iconic songs like “The Message,” it provided a sense of heritage and identity for Cardi B growing up. This allowed her to feel connected to a long line of strong women in her family who came before her.
Beyond her personal story, Cardi B speaking publicly about the influence of “The Message” serves as a reminder of hip hop’s ability to shine light on harsh urban realities. Even today, many inner city communities face some of the same struggles portrayed in the song – poverty, crime, incarceration, addiction, lack of opportunity. Young people coming up today in those environments can identify with “The Message” just as much as Cardi B did back in the 90s.
Four decades later after its release, “The Message” remains painfully relevant. The systemic cycle of marginalization continues in many of America’s urban centers. So as long as those social ills persist, songs like “The Message” will continue to resonate and remain emblematic of hip hop’s power as a social platform.
This is the mark of a truly timeless, impactful recording – how it maintains relevance across completely different eras. “The Message” spoke profoundly to inner city youth when it dropped in 1982. Today it still speaks directly to the experience of young people growing up in those same types of neighborhoods.
As an artist now herself, Cardi B understands firsthand the power a song like that holds. It goes beyond just catchy lyrics or sounds. It provides marginalized people a voice. It unites generations through cultural experience and heritage. It offers hope and understanding to those struggling, knowing others have faced similar obstacles.
In today’s modern hip hop industry of flashy excess and materialism, it’s easy to lose sight of the foundations built by songs like “The Message.” Many of today’s current rap stars grew up idolizing artists like Grandmaster Flash and relating to the realness in their lyrics. The beta they laid down was rooted in conveying truth, not fabricating fantasy lifestyles.
So Cardi B telling her story of connecting profoundly with “The Message” as a young girl helps preserve the cultural memory of hip hop as an artform born from struggle to uplift and empower the oppressed. Even amidst her wild popularity and success, she stays grounded in those roots and foundations.
This allows the music to maintain its authenticity and original mission over time, rather than morphing into empty corporate shilling. When icons like Cardi B uphold and revere pivotal tracks like “The Message” decades later, it ensures new generations of fans can learn that musical history.
Hopefully Cardi B sharing her formative connection with “The Message” inspires younger hip hop fans today to go re-listen to that Grandmaster Flash classic. Understanding the origins and evolution of hip hop as a genre allows fans to appreciate how artists like Cardi B herself later built off those foundations.
The beautiful full circle nature of Cardi B’s personal story with “The Message” demonstrates the power of music to inspire across generations. What spoke to someone coming of age in the Bronx in the 80s still translates to a youth coming of age in that same borough 30 years later. Certain songs transcend eras because they authentically convey universal human experiences.
Now when Cardi B records music herself that uplifts women, celebrates her culture and heritage, and brazenly speaks truth to power, it comes from a lineage embodied by songs like “The Message.” That raw, unfiltered Bronx spirit lives on through Cardi B’s music today, reminding people that realness and truth will always resonate.
So Cardi B coming full circle to global stardom after being inspired as a young girl by one of hip hop’s most important anthems is beautifully symbolic. It shows that exceptional artists who channel struggle into greatness can emerge from anywhere, even the poorest inner city streets. Amazing music can be made with just a voice, a beat, and a message.
Cardi B’s story also sends a powerful reminder to the music industry that hip hop can never detach completely from its origins. The genre was born from youth of color expressing themselves amidst oppression. Songs like “The Message” carry on that spirit and lived experience in their DNA.
So while hip hop has now been massively commercialized and gone corporate, Cardi B’s connection shows that the roots still matter. Music that comes from the authentic heart will always resonate across generations. As long as young people can see themselves represented honestly in songs by artists who understand that struggle, hip hop will continue to thrive.
Cardi B’s affinity for this classic track should inspire current artists to not forget the blueprint laid down by legends like Grandmaster Flash. Music that tells real stories from real lives will always find an audience. Even with all the technology and production today, hip hop at its core still just needs beats, rhymes, and truth.
So as Cardi B continues blazing trails as one of music’s hugest new stars, let’s hope she remembers her roots represented by songs like “The Message.” And hopefully the next generation of inner city youth can find their own anthems that speak to their realities, inspire their talents, and let them know their voices have value. If even one future Cardi B finds power in music that uplifts and speaks truth because of this story, then the legacy of classics like “The Message” lives on.
