Cardi B has responded to criticism from Carole Baskin over her use of big cats in the music video for new song “WAP”.
Released last Friday (7 August), “WAP”, which features Megan Thee Stallion, quickly made headlines as it was condemned by conservative politicians and cultural critics for its explicitly sexual lyrics and music video.
However, for Tiger King star Baskin, it was the shots of Cardi and Megan dancing by tigers and cheetahs, with the use of CGI, that made the video so “lurid”.
The animal rights activist speculated that the video had probably used “one of the big cat pimps, who makes a living from beating, shocking and starving cats to make them stand on cue in front of a green screen in a studio”, adding: “That’s never good for the cat.”
On Thursday (13 August), Cardi responded, telling i-D: “I’m not gonna engage with Carole Baskin on that.”
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper then took aim at Baskin, referencing the allegations that were made against her on Netflix docuseries Tiger King by zoo owner Joe Exotic.
“Like, that’s just ridiculous you know? Oh, Lord. Like, girl you killed your goddamn husband,” she said.
Baskin’s second husband, Don Lewis, went missing in 1997, with the seriesdelving into claims that Baskin killed him and fed him to the tigers at their sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue.
This week, Lewis’s family offered $100,000 (£80,000) for information that could help solve his disappearance.
Baskin has repeatedly denied any involvement in his disappearance, for which she has never been charged.
