There are only 3 ways to get money: Blood, inheritance, or hustle. I bet a lot of you do not know who Cardi B is. She is a rapper. She is a former stripper. And allegedly, was not opposed to exchanging a few favors for money way back in the day. Now now, get your foot out of that stirrup as you think about jumping on to your high horse. Any woman who has ever demanded that a guy:
- Have money
- Pay for dates or gifts
- Give money or material things
in order for her to date, marry, or have sex with him – has engaged in at least a mild form of the same exchange. So darlings, that’s right, set the horse free, because most of us shall not be mounting him, like ever.
Cardi B got her big break recently as a member of the cast of Love and Hip Hop New York. She was that fight-loving, shit-talking, funny character which made you look even if you didn’t want to. I have never watched the show, but I caught a clip or two of her while scanning YouTube. I found myself saying things like “I don’t know her but I feel like I want to.” She was hilarious! Then I heard her rap and just like that, I couldn’t ignore her talent, nor did I want to.
In recent months Cardi B has become an official rapper to contend with, a massive entertainment sensation performing at industry events, releasing music and making legitimate money, as she so eloquently put it in her latest song Bodak Yellow “I don’t dance now, I make money moves”.
So who’s mad at Cardi B?
The short answer is, a lot of people. For sure insecure dudes who can no longer buy any favors from her. But women too. Women like me who went to school and busted our tails to get educated, just to graduate buried underneath a crippling student loan, beg some self-important dude or chick for a job for the luxury of showing up by 9 a.m. and warming the office seat until at least 5 p.m., except that in my industry anyway that would only be considered half-day – to do the shitty corporate grind for years, never quite making “I can retire big willie style right now” money, always having to negotiate time off for vacation, sickness, or to have a darn baby. Of course we’re mad. Because this former stripper is now swimming in money. Fuck her.
On the other hand…
I love her. Her story is as real as life gets, so pay attention. Cardi B grew up in the ghetto. Let’s remember, ghettos are political creations, so being born there or living there is not a reflection of the resident but instead luck of the draw, the sacrificial lambs of our society. It is a place to be escaped, and the motto is: Get out! There is only one way out – money. There are many ways to make that money, such as sports, stripping, prostitution, the music industry, or education, but you have to be freaking great. Let’s keep it real, you gotta get in where you fit in. Cardi could shake her ass and probably knew early on that law school was not for her, so she hit the strip club.
She saw how the men responded to her as she inflated various body parts, so she stayed the course and kept up the hustle and grind. All the while writing rhymes. Then came the reality show Love and Hip Hop. Once the masses got a taste of Cardi her star was unstoppable.
Cardi B is a hustler. She hustled her talents in the arenas where they would be seen and appreciated. She too put up with the bullshit of abuse and disrespect from the people paying her. She too had to work long hours and do things she did not want to do, because she had bills to pay. But she stayed focused.
Cardi B – What every woman should learn
Whatever your talents are, you must exploit them to the fullest extent. Never limit yourself, use them all. Position yourself to be seen and heard so that you can earn from your skill-set. Ignore the haters, and stay focused. If you are a lawyer and not eating the way you want to, get out! If you are a stripper and not eating the way you want to, get out! Ladies, do I need to state the obvious? As women, we are uniquely situated to never have to starve. Get smart before it’s too late babe, and get out!
Cardi’s money is not from blood, as is the case with every wealthy family in the world. Her money is not from daddy. Her money is from that wicked hustle, that unshakable conviction that there has got to be more to life than bowing down to assholes and begging to eat, and that blinders on focus that from where she started, there was only one thing to do: Get out! The Rockafellers and Rothchilds got money their way, and Cardi B got it hers.
Now who the hell is mad? Sister Cardi, we salute you.