The award-winning rapper says criticism about her release schedule has the opposite effect fans might expect as she takes some time to enjoy the summer
Credit: Gilbert Flores/Billboard via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
- Cardi B says fan complaints about her music release schedule make her less motivated to create new content
- The rapper recently released her sophomore album Am I the Drama? and completed a 35-date arena tour
- Cardi plans to take the summer off to relax with her family and celebrate her career milestones privately
Cardi B is ready to take a break — and she wants her fans to know that complaining about her music isn’t exactly going to make her work harder.
During a Tuesday, Aug. 11 X Spaces conversation, the Bronx rapper addressed listeners who have criticized her release schedule and questioned why some songs get music videos and more promotion than others.
Rather than motivating her to get back into the studio, Cardi, 33, said the complaints can have the opposite effect. If fans are expecting their criticism to push her to release more music, they may want to rethink that strategy.
“When y’all complain, it doesn’t make me want to sit down. No, it makes me want to say, ‘I ain’t doing s—,’” she said. “How about that? That’s the type of person I am.”
Credit: Paras Griffin/Getty for BET
Cardi also explained that she isn’t interested in giving every song the exact same treatment, particularly when it comes to music videos, visuals and aesthetics.
“Not everything is going to have the same aesthetic as the other ones,” she said, referencing her past releases. “I know I have not been in the studio. I have not been doing all that s— right now.”
For Cardi, the answer isn’t to respond to the pressure by working even harder. It’s to log off, get in bed and enjoy some time with her family.
The rapper admitted that when fans are “complaining and talking s—,” her instinct is to “stay in bed” and spend time with her children. Cardi is a mother of four, sharing three of her kids — Kulture, Wave and Blossom — with estranged husband Offset and a son with NFL player Stefon Diggs.
Credit: Bennett Raglin/Getty
The downtime comes after a particularly busy stretch for the rapper. Born Belcalis Almánzar, Cardi broke through with “Bodak Yellow” in 2017, turning the song into her first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy, cemented her status as one of rap’s biggest stars and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Cardi the first solo female artist to win the category.
Since then, Cardi has become one of the most decorated artists in hip-hop, picking up awards from the Grammys, Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, BET Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. Most recently, she won Best Female Hip Hop Artist at the 2026 BET Awards after leading the ceremony’s nominations with six nods.
And while Cardi may be ready for some rest, she hasn’t exactly been sitting around doing nothing.
Her long-awaited sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, arrived in September 2025, seven years after Invasion of Privacy. The 23-track album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 200,000 equivalent album units in its first week, giving Cardi her second chart-topping album.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The album included songs such as “Outside,” “ErrTime,” “Enough (Miami)” and “Like What (Freestyle),” along with collaborations featuring artists including Janet Jackson, Lizzo, Selena Gomez and Megan Thee Stallion.
Cardi then took the album on the road for her first full headline arena tour, the Little Miss Drama Tour. The 35-date North American run kicked off Feb. 11 in Palm Desert, California, and wrapped April 18 in Atlanta, giving the rapper plenty of reason to want a little downtime now.
But Cardi hasn’t completely disappeared from the music world. On July 31, she released “AH HA,” a new solo single that finds her taking aim at her critics. “AH HA” also gave Cardi her 30th career top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Songs chart, extending her run of landing at least one top 10 on the chart in each of the last 10 years.
So while fans may be eager for another Cardi B song, video or album, the rapper isn’t interested in being rushed — especially not by people complaining that she’s taking too long.
“I told myself I’d take the summer off,” she said. “I’m going to live my best life. I’m all the way outside.”
And Cardi seems to be taking that promise seriously.
On Aug. 3, she said she was planning a private party in New York to celebrate the success of some of her biggest songs. During an Instagram Live, she joked about the guest list, saying, “I think I’m going to throw a party this week in New York,” before adding, “Me and my homegirl is planning it, but it’s going to be more of a private party. Like, I want the n—– with the money and I need the bad bitches.”
Read the full article here
