by Cardi B has become one of the biggest names in hip hop since bursting onto the scene in 2017. Known for her brash personality and unfiltered lyrics, Cardi B raps about topics like sexuality, wealth, and street life. On the surface, her music may not seem like the most obvious place to look for discussions of family values. However, upon closer examination, there are ways Cardi B’s work portrays the importance of family and community. While her music is certainly blunt and explicit at times, she touches on themes of loyalty, protecting loved ones, and the influence of her own upbringing.
Importance of Female Friendships
One way family values come through in Cardi B’s music is in her celebration of strong female bonds and friendships. Throughout her career, Cardi B has frequently collaborated with other prominent female rappers like Megan Thee Stallion, City Girls, Lizzo, and more. Many of these collaborations highlight the close relationships between the women and portray them as a tight-knit group.
For example, on “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion, the two trade raunchy verses back and forth while also emphasizing their friendship. Lines like “I tell him where to put it, never tell him where I’m ’bout to be” highlight the level of trust between them. The music video further drives this home by showing Cardi B and Megan in various intimate positions together, underscoring their close bond.
On “Up” with City Girls, Cardi B name drops JT and Yung Miami of City Girls throughout, making it clear she considers them close friends. She raps lines like “JT, she be on some fly shit / Yung Miami, she be on some fly shit too.” The song portrays the four women as a unified squad celebrating their success together.
Collaborations like these allow Cardi B to portray chosen families and strong female friendships. In an industry still dominated by men, these collaborations take on added significance by showing solidarity between prominent women in hip hop. The close bonds displayed could be seen as a modern interpretation of traditional family values through chosen kinship.
Loyalty and Protecting Loved Ones
Beyond friendships, some of Cardi B’s songs touch on protecting those close to her, which relates to family values of loyalty. On “Be Careful” featuring Lil Durk, Cardi B warns potential threats while also reassuring her loved ones.
In the opening verse, she raps:
“I put my trust in these streets, they put me on/ I’ma ride for my niggas, they gone ride for me too/ If a nigga try me, he gon’ have to kill me/ I’ma put a hole in his head for my brother, that’s family.”
This establishes Cardi B’s loyalty to those in her circle. She portrays a willingness to defend them at all costs through violent means if necessary. Later, she acknowledges the risks of the streets but promises to “be careful” for the sake of those who care about her wellbeing.
The song presents themes of protecting one’s own through any means while also not wanting to cause undue worry. It taps into core concepts of family – having each other’s backs unconditionally and trying to avoid hurting loved ones through reckless behavior. While the language is graphic, themes of loyalty shine through.
Her Upbringing
To better understand how Cardi B’s upbringing influences her music, it’s important to examine her background. Born Belcalis Almanzar in New York, Cardi B grew up in the Bronx neighborhood of Washington Heights. She has spoken at length about her early life facing poverty and hardship.
In interviews, Cardi B has credited her family for helping shape her ambitious personality from a young age. Though money was tight, her family supported her dreams. She has said things like “My parents, they always wanted me to be something. They always wanted me to be independent.”
Cardi B’s upbringing in a low-income neighborhood also taught her street smarts from an early age out of necessity. She has acknowledged how these experiences contributed to her blunt, no-nonsense personality.
At times in her music, Cardi B references her family upbringing and background. On “I Do” featuring SZA, she raps:
“I’m from the Bronx, bitch, watch me flex/ I came from the streets, I ain’t forget where I’m from yet.”
Moments like this acknowledge the influence of her roots and upbringing on who she became. They show pride in overcoming hardship through grind and ambition instilled from a young age. While the language is explicit, the sentiment points to traditional values of working hard and appreciating one’s origins.
Overall Impact
While Cardi B’s music focuses primarily on topics like sexuality, wealth, and street life, examining it more closely reveals ways she portrays elements of family and community. Through celebrating strong female bonds, stressing loyalty to loved ones, and acknowledging her own upbringing, Cardi B’s work touches on concepts relatable to traditional family values.
It’s important to note that due to her blunt lyricism and use of graphic language, Cardi B’s music would likely not be the top choice for parents looking to explicitly promote wholesome family messages. However, for hip hop fans willing to analyze her work on a deeper level, threads of discussion around chosen families, protection, and roots can be uncovered amidst more provocative subject matter.
In an era where female hip hop artists still face scrutiny and double standards, Cardi B’s unfiltered approach and willingness to rap about taboo topics should not overshadow more nuanced messages woven into some of her songs. While family values may not be her primary focus, examining her portrayal of relationships reveals meaningful discussions beyond just sexuality and wealth alone. Ultimately, a balanced view recognizes both the explicit and implicit in Cardi B’s exploration of community and kinship through her controversial yet impactful music career.
