Cardi B responds to old video where she says she drugged and robbed men: "I'm not proud of it"
#SurvivingCardiB was trending on Twitter Tuesday after the resurfacing of an old video in which she talks about drugging and stealing from men when she was a stripper. Critics are comparing Cardi B other alleged sex offenders, including R. Kelly, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women, allegations that were chronicled in the Lifetime docuseries "Surviving R. Kelly."
The video was a livestream from three years ago, according to Cardi B herself on Twitter and Instagram. In it, the rapper describes all the things she had to do to become successful: She "had to strip," take men to hotels, "drug them up" and rob them, she said. "That's what I used to do. Nothing was [expletive] handed to me," she said before tearing up.
The emotional rant is being shared widely. At first, Cardi defended what she said in the expletive-laden rant. "I never claim to be a angel I always been a street b****," she tweeted on March 23. "Ya be glorifying this street rappers that talk and do that grimmey street [expletive] but they can't stand a street b*****!"
After retweeting a few supportive fans, Cardi announced she would be "off Twitter for a few days." She then responded again Tuesday night to the growing criticism.
"All I can do now is be a better me for myself my family and my future," Cardi tweeted, along with a long typed-out message. She said she talked about things she did in her past "right or wrong" that she felt necessary to make a living. The rapper explained she is a part of a hip hop culture where you can talk about your past and the wrong things you've done to get to where you are.
"There are rappers that are glorifying murder violence drugs and robbing," she writes. "Crimes they feel they had to do to survive." The rapper said she has never glorified drugging and robbing men in her own music because she is "not proud of it" and feels a responsibility not to glorify it. "I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options," she wrote.
"I was blessed to have been able to rise from that but many women have not," Cardi wrote. "Whether or not they were poor choices at the time I did what I had to do to survive." The rapper said the men she spoke about were men she was "involved" with who were conscious, willing and aware. "I have a past that I can't change," she wrote, "we all do."
Some fans defended her on Twitter, while others said there is a double standard and if she were a man, these alleged actions would not be accepted.
However, others pointed out another double standard: Male rappers often glorify past mistakes, crimes and inappropriate treatment of women.
After posting the same long statement on both her Twitter and Instagram on Tuesday, Cardi B has not responded to any of the #SurvivingCardiB chatter online.
