Cardi B and Mariah Carey's Interview: 7 Takeaways From the Chat

Cardi Didn't Always Feel Beautiful as a Child

"Well, I'm from New York, right? And New York is a melting pot, especially where I grew up in the Bronx. I'm Trini and I'm Dominican, and there's a lot of Dominicans that look a certain type of way. They have soft, pretty, curly hair. Growing up, guys would ask me weird questions like, 'If you're Dominican, why is your hair so nappy?' I used to dye my hair, and people used to be like, 'Oh, your hair's so crunchy.' And it would make me feel so weird. I was also really skinny when I was younger, and in the Bronx, it's about being thick and having an a––, so young boys would be like, 'Look at your flat a––. You ain't got no t––.' And it would make me feel so ugly and undeveloped."

The New Album is Coming

She admits she's been pressured to push out her next project, but she doesn't feel as if it's the right time. "People always have crazy expectations, especially when it comes to female rap. It's not like it's a competition, but people are always comparing and comparing and comparing. It's almost like they want to see you fail. I hate the feeling when I don't do something really good. So I want my s–– to be good because my last album did so well, and if this one doesn't do well, I'm going to feel really sad," she shared.

She Didn't Always Believe She'd Be a Rap Star

It's hard to believe it by looking at her now, but Cardi B claims once she was hit with a harsh reality, she left her dreams behind. "I went to a high school for performing arts. I used to sing, I used to rap, I used to act, all that shit. Once I started having troubles at home and got kicked out, I saw everything I did in high school as a silly dream. It wasn't reality anymore. So when I started stripping, after a while, I just wanted to make $20,000. 'If I make $20,000,' I thought, 'I'll open a f––ing business and I won't have to strip anymore,'" she said. "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."

Her Family Doesn't Care About Her Raunchy Lyrics

"I'm grown now. When I told my mom I was a stripper that really bothered her for a minute. But now when she hears me saying grown s––, I don't think she gives a f–– anymore. I think she didn't want me to grow up so fast, because the kids around my neighborhood grew up fast," she explained.

She Feels the Pressure and Encouragement From Her Fans

After taking a break from releasing music, Cardi B says she felt like the internet moved on without her as the Queen Bee of the Twitter. "Last year, because I hadn't put out music for a long time, social media was saying, 'She's over. I told you she was only going to last this and that amount. She's so mediocre.' So I used to ask some of my fans, 'You think it's really over for me?' They gave me encouragement, like, 'I don't think you really understand who you are.' I get a lot of hate on social media, so if I feel the pressure, I know my fans feel the pressure of constantly defending my a––. I feel a close connection to them because my team doesn't always know what's going on, my husband doesn't really understand social media, but my fans understand. That's their world."

She Still Gets Shy Around Celebrities

"A lot of celebrities invite me to places, but I'm really shy. 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. And sometimes my head starts talking, like, "Oh my gosh, I look stupid, I feel stupid, I'm dumb," she told the pop star.

She Says She's Been Shorted By Companies Before

Mariah Carey asked the star if she felt the industry had an inherent racist quality to it. To which she responded, "I don't know if I would use the word 'racism,' because everything is so technical right now. I have felt prejudice. I have been involved in endorsement deals, and then I found out that certain white people got more money for their deals from the same company. I do my research. I know how much money I made that company. My fans buy my s––. So it's like, 'When you're not paying me what you're paying these other people, why is that?'"

She continued, "It's kind of insulting. And then when it comes to fashion, hip-hop is a big influence. And yet, Black artists have the hardest time getting pulls from designers and the hardest time getting seats at their fashion shows, and barely get endorsed by big fashion brands that we literally make trend."