Cardi B Responds to Critic Who Says She Has ‘Zero Real Talent’ and Uses Hip-Hop As A ‘Quick Hustle’

Cardi B is responding to a critic who says her music career is akin to “a quick hustle, not an art form.”

The comment was made by an X user on Monday (Sept. 22), who said that the rapper “doesn’t have passion or love for hip-hop — she treats it like a quick hustle, not an art form.”

Screenshot of a social media post criticizing Cardi B's impact on hip-hop, suggesting a lack of passion and talent.

They continued, “The truth is, she has zero real talent and can’t rap. A lot of these young female rappers saw how someone untalented like Cardi could rise, and they thought, ‘If she can do it, so can l.’ That’s why the game feels watered down now. Too many of them don’t rap with soul, heart, or lyrical depth. It’s not about skill, storytelling, or pushing the culture forward anymore — it’s just clout chasing and copying a formula.”

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Tweet by Cardi B responding to criticism, discussing music career, album releases, and personal preferences in music and lifestyle.

iamcardib / X

In response, Cardi defended her artistry and work ethic in a since-deleted tweet, writing, “It’s funny to say this cause …when I drop a album I get a multi million advance ,l charge around 1.5 to 2.5 million a show …so if I treat it as a hustle I would drop about ten songs a year call it a album get my advance ,festivals and tour and do about 50 million just of MUSIC ALONE in a year! THAT WOULD BE SO EASY!

“I took my time with this album ..there’s fun …yet pain ,anger and just music that I LIKE not a&rs not labels what I LIKE ! I love good clothes, good food, good visuals so my music that I feed gotta be good too.”

The response comes on the heels of her new album Am I the Drama?, which arrived seven years after her Grammy-winning debut Invasion of Privacy.

Cardi’s long-awaited album also includes disses at aimed at fellow rappers JT on “Magnet” and Bia on “Pretty and Petty.”

After Joe Budden questioned whether she wrote the scathing disses herself on his podcast, Cardi fired back on X writing, “Whoever wrote it?? Nah that’s CARDI.. this is my process… I’m a natural roaster and you already know im quick with the mouth so I’ll be coming up with lines and l’ll record myself then lay it later.. Don’t give me backhanded 10’s cuz l’ll always be able to prove my shit.”

Just days before the album dropped, Cardi made headlines again during an interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings by announcing she’s pregnant with her fourth child, her first with boyfriend Stefon Diggs.

Despite the pregnancy, she’s already planning ahead, revealing on the Joe & Jada podcast with Fat Joe and Jadakiss that she intends to stay active with gym sessions and dance classes during her pregnancy to prepare her body for her Little Miss Drama Tour, which is set to kick off in February 2026 with arena dates in major cities.

“Next week, that’s when I finish the whole album run. Album run was doing magazine covers, doing interviews, doing music videos, doing all of that. That’s done,” she said on the podcast. “Now I’m going to the gym, I’m taking dance classes so my body could be nice and loose. When I give birth, now it’s straight [to] rehearsal. Straight rehearsal with the dancers. Then in February, I’m ready to fucking bust a move. My thing [is], ‘ain’t no stopping.’”