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Cardi B is one of the most prominent American Rappers in the world today. She reveals the struggles of female rappers in financial deals through her various interviews. Born as Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar in Manhattan in 1992, Cardi was brought up in the Bronx, New York City. Her father is Dominican, and her mother is Trinidadian, but she gets her exclusive accent from her paternal grandparents with whom she spent most of her childhood.
The Bronx in New York City has a population that is 51 percent of the Hispanic. Cardi B does an excellent job in representing women of color's identity politics, but life was not rosy for her when she was a child. Like many others Cardi had been victim to domestic violence and emotional harassment.
Cardi was one with dreams of making it big in the world, and she knew she could not let her life be ruined. At 18 years of age, she decided to move out and be independent. She had to take up a job as an exotic dancer to be able to support herself.
Thus, Cardi B had been closely familiar with struggles related to financial means from a tender age. Today she is a famous American rapper, actress, and songwriter with an outstanding net worth. According to Cardi, here are some of the struggles of women in the rap music industry regarding financial deals.
Financial Complications in the Life of a Female Rapper
Cardi B says in an interview that companies may pay only a meager amount of the profits they make out of a music album. If they keep hiring an artist for consecutive contracts, they make hundreds of millions out of that deal while paying a small amount to the singer.
Cardi believes that she often has to go with the flow of new companies offering her more money to ensure she gets to go up the economic ladder. More importantly, she is consistently motivated by her spouse to get what she deserves out of the deal. Cardi exclaims that she might not be an expert in money matters, but her husband is a tremendous support.
He helps her decide if she is earning enough out of a deal concerning the high-quality art she is producing. Cardi is immensely thankful to her partner to support her selflessly because, as she mentions, he does it for free. She thinks it is a blessing to have somebody close by your side as female rappers can face many struggles regarding these deals, especially when a star is earning millions.
Gender Discrimination in the Rap Industry
Another factor that plagues the career of female rappers is gender discrimination. Historically, rap music had been a masculine field of art and expression. Female rappers' contribution is understated while reclaiming the sexist space and turning it into a weapon of women empowerment. Cardi B is one such rap artist who has dedicated her life to bringing up different social discrepancies through her music and provocative lyrics.
Female rappers also face struggles regarding finances as part of being victims of gender discrimination. They are often paid less for their art than men. Cardi B discusses the constant and tremendous pressure on female rappers to produce the best. She thinks this is not fair that male artists do not always face such pressure from the industry.
A petty strategy often employed by the industry or the press to make the female rappers go against each other in unhealthy competition. Cardi B observes that this kind of negativity is adverse to the process of producing art. She prides herself to be called a female rapper and believes that she is standing up for every woman of color trying to make it big in the music industry.
Cardi B believes in staying away from the unhealthy cold war that is often instigated between female rap stars. She believes in moving at her own pace and being comfortable in her career and that there is a time for everything, and any kind of rush is harmful to candid and aesthetic articulation.
The Blows of Racial Prejudice
Cardi B also talks about racial discrimination against women of color in the rap music industry. They are paid less compared to not only male rappers but also white female rappers. When it comes to brand endorsements, women of color are underrepresented.
Some brands often justify this kind of discrimination by stating that they won't make enough profits if their brand's face is not very popular. Cardi also demystifies the lie behind such claims by stating the example of brands experiencing major booms in sales after getting featured in her song albums. She gives Balenciaga as an example, that got featured in her famous song, 'I Like It', and how their sales increased.
Cardi B has released several hits in rap music simultaneously, including Press and WAP. In 2021, the net worth of the 28-year-old female rap star is an impressive $30 million.
Source: E! Online , NBC News, Billboard, Complex
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