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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Isobel Lewis

Cardi B says female rappers are put under ‘mad pressure’ from music fans: ‘I feel like it’s not fair’

Photograph: El incidente ocurrió en un club de striptease en Queens, Nueva York

Cardi B has discussed the “mad pressure” placed on female rappers to be constantly producing music.

The rapper recently smashed records across the world with her single “WAP”, which topped the charts in the UK and US for multiple weeks.

However, Cardi, who collaborated with fellow female performer Megan Thee Stallion on the explicit track, claimed that unfair demands are placed on women in the rap industry.

“Female rappers, y’all, they are always in mad pressure,” she told SiriusXM. “If you don’t have a super crazy smash, it’s like, ‘Oh, you flop, flop, flop.’ The song could be like two-times platinum and it’s still flop, flop, flop. You’re always under pressure, and I feel like it’s not fair.

“I feel like there’s male artists who go two years without putting a f***ing song out and they don’t go, ‘Oh, you’re irrelevant. It’s over for you.’”

‘You’re always under pressure, and I feel like it’s not fair' (Rex Features)

Comparing her own break between the release of “Press” in 2019 and “WAP”, she continued: “Me, I didn’t put out songs for nine months and it’s like, ‘Oh, she’s irrelevant. She’s over. She’s a flop. We told you that.’”

Despite “WAP” reaching commercial success with, the song was widely criticised by conservative pundits, leading to Cardi to respond that the song was “for adults”.

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