Since the release of "Bodak Yellow" last June, Cardi B's climb to the top of the charts and into entertainment hearts has been fruitful — and one of the most unlikely stories in rap in recent years: a former stripper turned reality star turned chart-topping rapper with a strong Bronx accent and an even stronger New York attitude. Though her album became one of the most anticipated releases of the past year, it would take pregnancy rumours — which she confirmed this past weekend on Saturday Night Live — for the rap starlet to release her debut album, Invasion of Privacy.
Sitting at 13 singles, including the already released "Bodak Yellow," "Bartier Cardi" and "Drip," Cardi has already established herself as being the "Trap Selena," but it's her softer singles that add a new dimension to her artistry. While Cardi B's own relationship with Migos's Offset has been thrown into the spotlight, Invasion of Privacy feels like her Lemonade moment, one that magnifies her insecurities for public consumption.
Sampling Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor," but building on the skeleton of Eve's domestic violence-themed "Love Is Blind," Cardi B reveals her fears of infidelity on "Be Careful," while the Kehlani-featured "Ring" and "Thru Your Phone" speaks of heartbreak and jealousy.
By contrast, "Bickenhead" speaks to sexual liberation, while serving as a response to Project Pat's "Chickenhead." Like yin and yang, Cardi B's ability to move from heartache to sex, and then again to the gospel-inspired "Best Life," highlights myriad emotions that most young adults have — and more importantly, can relate to.
Though Cardi B doesn't hide her come-up story (which she raps unapologetically on "Get Up 10"), she uses Invasion of Privacy to remind us that instead of being a statistic, she empowers herself (and others) by reclaiming any negativity thrown her way.
(Atlantic/KSR)Sitting at 13 singles, including the already released "Bodak Yellow," "Bartier Cardi" and "Drip," Cardi has already established herself as being the "Trap Selena," but it's her softer singles that add a new dimension to her artistry. While Cardi B's own relationship with Migos's Offset has been thrown into the spotlight, Invasion of Privacy feels like her Lemonade moment, one that magnifies her insecurities for public consumption.
Sampling Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor," but building on the skeleton of Eve's domestic violence-themed "Love Is Blind," Cardi B reveals her fears of infidelity on "Be Careful," while the Kehlani-featured "Ring" and "Thru Your Phone" speaks of heartbreak and jealousy.
By contrast, "Bickenhead" speaks to sexual liberation, while serving as a response to Project Pat's "Chickenhead." Like yin and yang, Cardi B's ability to move from heartache to sex, and then again to the gospel-inspired "Best Life," highlights myriad emotions that most young adults have — and more importantly, can relate to.
Though Cardi B doesn't hide her come-up story (which she raps unapologetically on "Get Up 10"), she uses Invasion of Privacy to remind us that instead of being a statistic, she empowers herself (and others) by reclaiming any negativity thrown her way.
