Cardi B and Joe Budden. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Cardi has once again had it up to here with male podcasters dissecting every syllable that comes out of her mouth. And social media detectives swear she’s aiming her venom directly at Joe Budden. I didn’t actually hear her call Joe’s name in the rant but somebody could have recorded late. It sounded more like she was coming for the whole fraternity of men with microphones who can’t stop talking about her life, body, and every move. But, according to the masses, it’s Joe who caught the subliminal.
Cardi’s rage isn’t new, though, it’s part of her cycle. Every few months she unloads on somebody, fans rally around her and the rumor mill spins even faster. Cardi’s been in the spotlight long enough to know that celebrity gossip is oxygen for fame. It is THE GAME. And when you’re a super mega star like Cardi, your name will forever be headline currency. We’re in the attention economy and she’s one of its biggest commodities. Like it or not.
The Bronx bomber insisted in her tirade that she works harder than people give her credit for, remains loyal to her fanbase and owes everything to God for her success. That’s nice. But here’s the irony: she doesn’t realize that the nonstop chatter is part of what keeps her relevant. Fans, haters, bloggers, and yes, podcasters, all contribute to the Cardi ecosystem. Without that chatter, the shine dims. That’s the cruel joke.
She’s clearly in album mode, ready to shift the conversation to music instead of drama, but she keeps giving people more reasons to talk about the drama. That’s the paradox. Cardi wants peace, but peace doesn’t trend. Controversy does. If she wants people to focus on the art, she may have to lean into the noise differently…because the noise isn’t going away.