Cardi B continues to be unstoppable. The “Bodak Yellow” rapper, 25, sat down with GQ for a wide-ranging interview about everything from her past as a stripper to her newly released album, Invasion of Privacy.
Here are five things we learned about Cardi (who is expecting her first child with fiancé Offset) from the magazine’s profile, which was published on Monday, April 9.
1. She Has Extensive Knowledge of U.S. Presidents
The MC began the interview by expressing her fascination with history and politics. “I love government. I’m obsessed with presidents. I’m obsessed to know how the system works,” she said before raving about Franklin D. Roosevelt. “First of all, he helped us get over the Depression, all while he was in a wheelchair. Like, this man was suffering from polio at the time of his presidency, and yet all he was worried about was trying to make America great. … And his wife [Eleanor Roosevelt]? I would say she was almost like Michelle Obama. She was such a good humanitarian, and we both got the same birthday, October 11th.”
2. She and Offset Had Trust Issues at First
Before the Migos member, 26, proposed to Cardi on stage in October, they “didn’t really trust in each other,” she admitted, alluding to his alleged infidelity. “I always felt like he could get any girl he wants — what makes me think he’s gonna want me? I think he felt the same way.” Eventually, Cardi told Offset, “Let’s stop playing. We really love each other. I’m scared to lose you, and you scared to lose me.”
3. She Still Reps the Bloods
Rumors about the “Be Careful” rapper’s affiliation with the Brims, a subset of the Bloods gang, have swirled for years. “I never really wanted to talk about that, because I always wanted a music deal. I always want to keep my endorsements,” she told GQ. “When I was 16 years old, I used to hang out with a lot of Bloods. … Stripping changed my life. When I was a stripper, I didn’t give a f–k about gangs because I was so focused on making money. … I wouldn’t want a young person, a young girl, to think it’s OK to join it.” Still, she added, “I rep it, because I been repping it for such a long time.”
4. She Got Butt Injections in a Basement Apartment for $800
Cardi decided to get injections at the age of 21 for two reasons: Her boyfriend at the time cheated on her with a woman who had what she described as a “fat, big ass,” and she noticed that her stripper friends with bigger derrières made more money. She described the risky operation as “the craziest pain ever, adding, “I felt a little dizzy. And it leaks for, like, five days.” Cardi also said the woman who performed the back-alley procedure is now in jail for allegedly killing someone on her operating table.
5. She’s Insecure About Her Accent
The entertainer, who was raised speaking English and Spanish, realized while recording her album that she “don’t got the best English in the world.” She would often turn to others to make sure her lyrics made sense. “I be trying to pronounce words properly and without an accent [in the studio],” she told the publication. “Each and every song from my album, I most likely did it over five times because I’m really insecure about my accent when it comes to music. In person, I don’t care.”
