When it comes to her past, Cardi B is an open book. The rapper has often talked about growing up in the Bronx and how much work she put in before breaking out into mainstream. But one aspect of her life is oftentimes scrutinized due to the misogyny attached to the line of work: stripping. However, Cardi is an expert at shaking off critics who try to discredit her former job. In part, it’s stripping that allowed Cardi to earn enough money to start making moves in her rap career.
Cardi recently sat down for a conversation with Mariah Carey for Interview Magazine where they chatted about music, Cardi’s daily routine, and her past. Speaking about her time stripping, Cardi said the experience made her feel “on top of the world” because she was one of the most-requested dancers:
“The stripper attitude is, ‘I’m not ashamed of being a stripper because a lot of these b*tches don’t have sh*t. A lot of these b*tches don’t have a place to stay, don’t have no car, can’t afford this, can’t afford that. Y’all out here f*cking n****s for free, but y’all shaming me because I’m shaking my ass? Y’all hoes be showing y’all f*cking bodies on social media, and y’all not getting paid.’ That mentality stuck with me. I felt like, ‘You’re judging me, but I’m making more money than you.’ I felt like nobody could shame me for being a stripper. When I started stripping, I was making probably $500 a night. As I got bigger, I was making $2,000, maybe $5,000. When I got really popular on Instagram I was making $7,000 to $10,000 a week. I felt on top of the world. I felt so untouchable and so sexy, because there were rappers that all these girls lust over who would come to the strip club and request me to go to their section. They would request me. If I’m so trash, why are these guys requesting me? I’m getting paid for my looks. Nobody’s going to spend money on you if you’re ugly.”
Elsewhere in the conversation, Cardi said that, although she has a big personality, she still can get quite nervous around other celebrities. “A lot of celebrities invite me to places, but I’m really shy,” she said. “We’re doing this over the phone, but if it was in person, I wouldn’t be able to look you in the eyes. That’s how nervous I get around celebrities.”
Idris Elba is best known for his acting work, but he’s also well-established in the music world. He performed at Coachella in 2019, he co-starred in a Stormzy video later that year, and also in 2019, he dropped a mixtape. In recent times, he’s been working on music and it looks like he has a Megan Thee Stallion collaboration on the way.
In an interview with CapitalFM’s The All-New Capital Weekender (as Billboard notes), Elba revealed he has a track with Meg and Davido on the way: “I’m putting out quite a bit of music, man. I’ve been really focused in coming out of last year into this year, trying to put more music out, so expect more. I’ve got a tune with Frankie Wah coming, I think it’s gonna be good. […] I got a sneaky tune with Meg Thee Stallion and Davido, shout out to the fanatics.”
He also added that he hopes to get on a track with his Cats co-star Taylor Swift, saying, “I’ve known Taylor a few years. People see the album sales, the awards. What they don’t see is the hard work. She is an incredibly hard-working person, she isn’t resting on her achievements. To perform live with her would be fun and hopefully we can make that happen.”
Watch Elba talk about his upcoming projects below.
Last year, Chiiild, the moniker for Montreal-based singer Yonatan Ayal, arrived with his debut project, Synthetic Soul. The seven-track effort was led by the success of “Count Me Out” and “Pirouette,” tracks that helped bring plenty of attention to him. He was eventually named one of the most promising Canadian acts and this year, Chiiild will look to fulfill that with his upcoming debut album, Hope For Sale.
While we’ve yet to receive music or a release for the project, Chiiild’s Yonatan spoke to us about the direction fans can expect him to go in on Hope For Sale. “The intention I think was — to break it down — lyrically, to be more conversational, to reflect the times [more],” he said. “A lot of the artists that I love and I grew up on are just like mirrors of society… it’s beautiful because you see what’s happening, what’s trending in life, not so much just music, and you’re like, ‘Hey this is what I need to reflect, this is my reaction to that trend.’”
Coming off a year like 2020 that was as hectic and overwhelming as any set of 12 months could be, Chiiild insists that as an artist, it’s important for him to reflect the times for listeners of today and tomorrow. “I’m here to translate what has happened in the streets and try to immortalize it on record and say, “Hey you know what? Tomorrow’s going to be better,’” he said.
As he continues to prepare new music for a release at some point this year, we sat down with Chiiild’s Yonatan and asked him for some of the Black artists that influenced him and his sound as he grew up and found his voice, and he gave us these thoughts on the five (but really six) Black artists that inspire his work.
Gigi
She’s an Ethiopian singer. She put out this self-titled album when I was a kid, or at some point a long time ago. It was just played on rides from Montreal to Toronto every few months when I went to visit family. It was so peaceful, so moody, [and] it still had so much of our culture in it. As an artist, you’re a sponge so it just seeped into me early. I would say she’s definitely my first inspiration. If you listen to the record, she has this version of her album, it’s called “The Illuminated Audio Version,” and it is so meditative, so peaceful, it just transports you to another place. When you think about the music that we’re making, that’s a big part. There is a sense of escapism, I do want you to put your headphones on, or turn it up real loud, and just get lost in it, build a ritual around the record and I feel like that’s what that album taught me to do. The best way for me to describe it, I’m not sure what it’s called by word, but it’s that moment where something that’s not sad makes you wanna cry. That’s the feeling where you’re on the brink [of tears] and you’re like I don’t know why I just feel this way and it’s overwhelming. That’s the goal, that’s the destination [with escapism]. I know it sounds dramatic, but I’m pretty dramatic.
Massive Attack
[They’re] kind of a Black and a White artist in one. To be fair, I don’t really see color in the same way partially because of that same experience we talked about earlier. I would say that music is probably the closest attempt at blending R&B, punk, reggae, dub, [and] industrial. It’s what they created as a world their own… I feel like the attempt is to create a world of our own as well, I want to be best in class, in my space with my tribe and my people, and build that one-on-one relationship. When I listen to Massive Attack, I’m just like, this is something that doesn’t get classified as Black music, but is Black music to me. That’s something that I love. Other things in life made me tap into who I am instead of trying to fit, being an Ethiopian Canadian, it’s like how much representation do we have in the world or in media until The Weeknd, that’s like yesterday. It’s not that long ago, I would say I was encouraged to just be myself because that’s the only way that I was able to radiate the way I’m supposed to. There’s a quote that I’m going to misquote that I heard that I think kind of sums it up the best: “Great strength is shown in restraint.” Being able to restrain from doing all those things and just focusing on my values and what I want to put in the world is my greatest strength and where I find my strength. It took a really long time to get to a place where I’m just like, “This is me, this is who I am, whatever take it or leave it.’ It takes everyone a lifetime to really get fully acclimated with themselves. At the same time, that’s what this is about, that’s really why I’m doing this. I’m doing it to represent myself and people like me and people will find it.
Sam Cooke
Because of how “Count Me Out” was conceived. “Count Me Out” really came from me watching an episode of Being Mary Jane and Sam Cooke’s “(Somebody) Ease My Troublin’ Mind” was playing. I was just immediately taken back by it, went and bought every CD I could find, or vinyl, but I essentially collected them all within that year and studied it, studied it, studied it and I was like, “I want this.” I want to do something like this that feels like this but that is a reflection of all my inspirations. When you think of “Count Me Out” and how starts in that string intro and how it’s in 6/8 and just the way it’s composed. You can tell that as an artist you’re a sponge, I’ve been listening to Sam Cooke for the whole year, “Count Me Out” happens, it’s just the natural process. I’m not sure anything that I’m doing other than trying to be my own being is on purpose. I think as artists we recognize things that are beautiful, interesting forms and that stuff happens in your everyday life. You go out the house and you see a strange car and you’re like, “Oh, this is really interesting, there’s something really attractive about it.” With music, you go into the studio and press a bunch of buttons and do all kinds of things and when something really special happens, as a great artist you recognize it, that’s all you’re doing. Like yeah, you did press the buttons, and yeah, you make it sound, but the point is you recognized it, that’s the difference.
Bob Marley
I’m kind of going back in time, so it’s like that’s also part of my DNA growing up. If you’re in an Ethiopian household, you understand the impact of Bob Marley but what’s impressive and with Bob Marley is his ability to represent everybody. Every shade of Black was represented with Bob Marley and that’s one man, it’s unbelievable. He did his thing and I really truly respect that and aspire to radiate one-fifth of his energy. I think some things are popular because they’re popular and some things are popular because they’re good and I think Exodus is popular because it’s both good and popular. It’s just incredible, that’s probably the album I listen to the most. I love “Buffalo Soldier,” I love the storytelling element, “No Woman No Cry” [as well]. It’s a journey, you turn on that album and from top to bottom it just feels incredibly homogenous. He’s telling his story, but at no point do you feel attacked or threatened by what he’s saying, and I think that’s a big superpower of him and his collaborators. He can be revolutionary without making you defensive. That’s magic, I don’t know how you do that. You just sing along to it whether you’re the perpetrator or the victim. You’re just like, “I’m with you.” That needs to be studied if it hasn’t already been studied it’s just the way that his messaging is just second to none.
Jimi Hendrix/The Weeknd
I would say Jimi Hendrix for his incredible gift, his talent, and ability to just communicate through his instrument, that’s something that we all as musicians want to be able to do. The other one would be The Weeknd more recently. Representation alone, the fact that he just keeps pushing the bar for artists like us, like I said, growing up there was no one that looked like me on TV and for him to go and continue to push the bar it’s incredibly inspiring and challenging at the same time. I’m in constant awe. That’s kind of the bar that keeps moving, if that makes sense. I’m grateful that we have somebody like that.
It was reported yesterday that after spending six years behind bars, Bobby Shmurda (real name Ackquille Pollard) would get out of prison on a conditional release today. Sure enough, this morning, the rapper was released from Clinton Correctional Facility.
A spokesperson from the New York State Department Of Corrections told Vulture, “At approximately 8:30 this morning, Ackquille Pollard was conditionally released from Clinton Correctional Facility. Mr. Pollard will be under community supervision in Kings County until he completes his sentence on February 23, 2026.”
Shmurda preemptively celebrated his then-upcoming release last night with an Instagram post. He shared a 5-minute clip from the movie King Of New York, in which Christopher Walken’s character gets out of prison and then celebrates his freedom. Shmurda wrote alongside his post, “How the fuc y’all forget about me.”
Quavo recently vowed to be the one to pick Shmurda up from prison, saying, “I’m going to get my guy. I’m personally gonna go pick up Bobby Shmurda. I’m ’bout to go get him. I’m gonna let him show you how I’m gonna pick him up. It’s gonna be big.” Yesterday, Shmurda’s mother indicated that once the rapper is free, he plans to spend most of his time making music.
Last week, Meek Mill found himself in some hot water after some unreleased lyrics of his surfaced, in which he makes a joke about Kobe Bryant’s death, which came as the result of a helicopter crash. On the track, he raps, “And if I ever lack, I’m going out with my choppa, it be another Kobe.” The backlash was quick and plentiful, and now Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s wife, has publicly expressed her discontent.
In an Instagram Story last night, Bryant addressed Mill directly, writing, “Dear @meekmill, I find this line to be extremely insensitive and disrespectful. Period. I am not familiar with any of your music, but I believe you can do better than this. If you are a fan, fine, there’s a better way to show your admiration for my husband. This lacks respect and tact.” Bryant also shared a post from Candace Parker, who wrote, “Dear @vanessabryant I’m sorry YOU and your GIRLS have to continually deal with SH*T like this. It’s not fair it’s not right! We love you and I continually am in awe in your ability to take the high rode. So I will follow suit and say to everyone #dountoothersasyouwouldhavethemdountoyou.”
Following Bryant’s posts, Mill shared what seemed to be a reaction to the situation, writing on Twitter, “I don’t think we on the same signal y’all .. I don’t see what y’all see… I be looking at the net laughing like I did whet. I say random sh*t all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that sh*t ima beast literally.” He then more directly addressed Bryant’s posts, writing, “I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public…Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!”
I don’t think we on the same signal y’all .. I don’t see what y’all see… I be looking at the net laughing like I did whet I say random shit all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that shit ima beast literally
I apologized to her in private earlier today not to the public…Nothing I say on my page directed to a internet viral moment or the family of a grieving woman! If you care about someone grieving change the subject!
The UCLA gymnastics team has earned a reputation for their stellar floor routines in recent years, and junior Margzetta Frazier has been in the center of the spotlight. In year’s past, the athlete graced headlines after some of her routines included both voguing and soul-inspired dance moves. More recently, Frazier competed with a routine to Janet Jackson’s music — and the singer loved it so much that she personally thanked the gymnast.
After a video went viral of Frazier nailing a floor routine to a medley of Jackson’s music, the singer was able to get in contact with the gymnast. During their FaceTime call, captured by TMZ, Jackson gushed over Frazier’s skills and even asked to be her student:
“I would one day love to tumble. And if I do, I would for you to teach me. I did it once in the video ‘The Pleasure Principle’ and the way it was shot, people didn’t think that it was me, but it was me doing the back flip. I would love for you to teach me. Hopefully I won’t break anything. But I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for sharing your talent, it was so beautiful to see you tumble, it was really inspiring. It just inspired me to want to do more, do better, and be stronger. I loved it, absolutely loved it. […] I would love to meet you next time I’m in LA and just sit down and chat, I really would.”
Jackson’s words apparently inspired Frazier to “do more, do better, and be stronger” because after their call, Frazier headed straight to a meet and performed her best. Per TMZ’s report, Frazier recorded personal bests both on the beam and on the vault.
It looks like new music is on the way from Roddy Ricch, whose breakout track “The Box” dominated charts this summer. But unfortunately for the rapper and his crew, shots rang out on set at a video shoot Sunday. Several hours after the news broke, Ricch has now taken to social media to let fans know he was unharmed.
Per a report from WSB-TV Atlanta, Ricch and his collaborator 42 Dugg were filming at a scrap yard in south Atlanta when shots were fired. 42 Dugg took to his Instagram Stories to clarify that he did not get shot and thanked his followers for their concern. Now, Ricch has similarly marked himself safe in a tweet. “aint nobody shoot at me. we all good,” he wrote following the incident. “im juss tryna feed the streets.”
aint nobody shoot at me. we all good. im juss tryna feed the streets
Two members of the film crew, Antoine Blake, and Vernon Moulder, were hit by the bullets but were able to take themselves to a nearby hospital. Another attendee of the video shoot, Peter Cook, was injured by debris resulting from the chaos. Teresa Lakes, a medic who was on set to assist with COVID screening, described the scene, “Everyone started running, trying to get out or take cover; lot of places to take cover in there,” she said. “Anyone that was injured, I laid hands on ’em to make sure they were OK. Just glad it wasn’t a lot worse than it could have been… could have been worse.”
Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last summer the internet went into a tizzy following the release of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s NSFW song “WAP,” which debuted at No. 1 and welcomed some harsh criticism by conservative thinkers. But unlike other politicians, California congresswoman Maxine Waters actually enjoyed it.
Rep. Waters and Megan sat down for a conversation for Harper’s Bazaar where they talked about education, the importance of standing up for yourself, and, of course, “WAP.” Waters revealed that some of the younger people in her life had played her the song, and she was impressed by Megan’s candor:
“I listen to the young people around me and they may tell me something maybe you ought to pay attention to. But then they told me to look at, was it WAP? Don’t worry, don’t worry, don’t worry. I said, ‘Now that’s audacity. That is audacity.’ And that is the ability for women to take charge of what they want to say. I had paid attention to the young gangster rap time, when men were in charge. They said whatever they wanted to say about women, what have you. But women didn’t say, for a long time, what they could say or wanted to say or dared to say. And so I thought ‘that’s audacity.’”
While this was the first time Waters and Megan had chatted in person, it was not their first correspondence. After Megan penned her powerful New York Times op-ed about the importance of speaking up for Black women, Waters responded with her own open letter. “I write all this to say that I’m so incredibly proud of you and how you have used your voice to uplift Black women,” Waters wrote. “I know that Black women and girls everywhere thank you for the way you so fiercely have their back. I want you to know that I have your back, too.”
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
With lockdowns being lifted in various cities across the country, businesses are beginning to open back up — including casinos. Young Thug traveled to Las Vegas over the weekend to indulge in the now-open casinos, much to the disappointment of his wallet. After a weekend of gambling, Thugger said he was out over $800,000.
The rapper took to social media to reveal how much money he lost in Las Vegas. “Man, Vegas just won $800,000 from me, man,” Thugger said in a selfie video posted to his Instagram Stories. “Man I threw liquor everywhere in the motherf*cker.”
While the rapper managed to lose the equivalent of a luxury home in just one night, Thugger estimated that he was losing much more than that at the beginning of the pandemic. At the time the live music industry shut down, Thugger was bringing home hundreds of thousands of dollars per show. “The money that I get for the shows — let’s just say I get 500,000 — if I don’t do these ten shows, that’s 5 M’s,” he said in an April interview with Big Boy. “Then I don’t make five million til June, and then I might spend a million, I might spend two million just on this quarantine sh*t.”
See Thugger address his losses above.
Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Back in January, Saweetie tapped Doja Cat for the joint single “Best Friend,” a sizzling celebration of every woman’s irreplaceable partner-in-crime. Now to future promote their track, Saweetie and Doja Cat have partnered with Telsa to gift a Model S car to a few lucky fans in a giveaway contest.
Announcing the official “Bestie In A Tessie” giveaway in a video posted to Instagram, Saweetie shared the news. “I am doing a huge giveaway. I’m not only giving away one, but two brand-new Teslas,” she said. “They’re sleek, they’re sexy, and they’re hella spacious.”
Speaking about her decision to hold the giveaway, Saweetie said: “My Icy family has shown so much love towards the ‘Best Friend’ track and I’m hyped to return the love to two lucky fans with these two Teslas.”
While Saweetie’s most recent collaboration was with Doja Cat, it seems as though the rapper may be collaborating with another groundbreaking hip-hop artist. Earlier this month, Cardi B’s sister Hennessy spilled some news about a possible joint track with Saweetie. According to Hennessy, Cardi and Saweetie’s managers are in talks about a mysterious project that the two are working on, meaning that a new single could be on the way.
See Saweetie’s official announcement above.
The contest winners will be announced 4/16. Enter the giveaway here.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
I say random shit all day on social … it becomes a trend to hate on me every once in a while but I feed off that shit ima beast literally 
