Cardi B defended her spot among Hip-Hop’s elite women and took aim at her critics, making it clear she sees herself rightfully seated next to Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion in rap’s “Big Three.”
The Grammy winner explained why she believes she belongs in that top-tier conversation in a Billboard cover story published Wednesday (September 3).
“Because I do my job well and I take my time with my music — clearly you can see that,” she said. “But it’s something you’d have to ask the fans. So many [rappers] come and go, and I’m still here. You can downplay my accent, but I put a lot of thought into my work. I don’t half-ass anything I do.”
The Bronx rapper also pointed to the demand for her music as proof of her staying power.
Cardi B’s response when asked about Female Rap’s “Big Three” with Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion for BILLBOARD pic.twitter.com/Np8bxuHXCj
— ✯🐦⬛ (@SAINTBELCALIS) September 3, 2025
“I’m really one of those artists that people ask for their albums the most every year,” she added. “I wouldn’t be confident if nobody asked me for my s###. Imagine nobody asking for an album of yours? Imagine nobody asking for your music? That’s why I’m so confident.”
Cardi B Calls Out Jealousy From Female Rap Peers
In a separate interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe last month, Cardi discussed the tension she feels from other women in rap, suggesting envy plays a role in the friction.
“For some reason, it’s something about me that these b###### can’t stand,” she said. “They can’t f### with me. Some b######… they’re sophomores, and I’m a senior.”
Cardi’s remarks come ahead of her highly anticipated sophomore album, Am I the Drama?
The 23-track project follows her Grammy-winning debut Invasion of Privacy (2018) and includes hits like “WAP,” “Up,” and the viral singles “Outside” and “Imaginary Playerz.”
With Am I the Drama? arriving September 19, Cardi made it clear she isn’t just chasing charts—she wants to cement her legacy with an album that fans and critics alike will call undeniably great.
She told Billboard, “Success for me will be people saying, ‘She put out a great album.’”