Cardi B, the enigmatic, authoritative stripper and Instagram star turned rapper, infiltrated the air waves this summer with her aggressive, unavoidable hit “Bodak Yellow.” “Bodak Yellow” illustrates a rags to riches story: from being a stripper to having the song of the summer and wearing red bottomed, “bloody” Louboutin heels. Since this summer of success, Cardi B has been making waves featuring on several hot pop-rap tracks and marrying Atlanta rap superstar and trio Migos member Offset. With the April 6, 2018 release of Invasion of Privacy, Cardi B does not disappoint and explores a part of her eccentric personality that had not been properly explored during her single and feature run.
Invasion of Privacy is a rap album, with its production and instrumentation handled by hip-hop producers J. White, Cassius Jay and Ayo N Keyz. These producers have collaborated with Cardi B in the past for her hit “Bodak Yellow” and are inspired by the style of Zaytoven and other Atlanta trap producers. Cardi B does not soften her delivery on the album; she delivers bar after bar in her authoritative, Bronx-hispanic accent.
In the mumble rap era we are in, the instrumentation and production on a track is more important to the track’s success rather than how the rap artist delivers their verses. While the production features some absolutely banging beats that compliment Cardi B’s style, her charisma, attitude and word play far outshine the production on Invasion of Privacy.
In the album’s first song, “Get Up 10,” Cardi B shares some of her life story, giving the audience, especially female listeners, a pep talk: “Knock me down nine times, but I get up 10.” This song also allowed Cardi B to personally address some of those who have been slandering her after she broke into the mainstream almost overnight with “Bodak Yellow.” Referencing the struggles of her stripper past, she reminds the audience by saying, “I said ‘dance’ not ‘f**k,’ don’t get it confused, had to set the record straight ’cause bitches love to assume.” While calling people out is typical of Cardi B’s image and personality, I remember a great bias against her music on Instagram and other social media outlets due to certain meme accounts dubbing her the biggest “thot.”
The song “Through The Phone” shows a more vulnerable side of Cardi B. In this song, she has gone through the phone of her significant other. Kept awake from what she saw in her significant other’s DMs, she is watching over their body, questioning in what way she should take their life, including one involving a cereal spoonful of bleach. Even at Cardi B’s most insecure and vulnerable, she’s deadly.
Invasion of Privacy proves that Cardi B is no one-hit wonder. This album actually goes above and beyond this goal, expanding Cardi B’s repertoire and delivering a message of independence and self-improvement in the most badass way possible. Cardi B really has achieved the American dream, going from stripping in order to pay for college to social media stardom to eventually becoming a nationally recognized popstar, all through her own hustle and brass, her charismatic personality.