Okay, Here’s Proof That You Need To Know Cardi B.’s Name

There are multiple sides to the national treasure that is Cardi B.: there’s the "regular-degular" girl from the Bronx, the hilarious Instagram personality full of hoe tips, the firecracker reality star ready to pop off at a moment’s notice, the raunchy rapstress, the passionate commentator on feminism and social issues, the constant victim of hoe-shaming and sexism. These sides aren’t selectively performed personas. They’re very real and always intersecting with one another in everything Cardi does. It’s what I love about her. And it’s the reason I love her interviews. Promoting her new album, Gbmv2 (Gangsta Bitch Music Volume 2, where she is flexing her best lyrical abilities to date), Cardi appeared on The Breakfast Club radio show, where she was once again fully human and completely honest about it. She talked about everything from breaking up with her mysterious, incarcerated boyfriend to upgrading from McDonald’s to Starbucks for breakfast. She did the whole thing in a white lacy bra and a slicked back ponytail that my 14-year-old self is seriously envious of. But my favorite moment was when she spoke about her own insecurities as she moves up in the entertainment industry. Even with her music making the charts, receiving accolades from Rolling Stone, snagging acting roles, and casually hanging out with Chris Rock, Cardi admits that sometimes she still doesn’t feel like she’s “enough.” Performance anxiety is real. At some point or another in many of our careers, we start to feel like we’re not good enough and that we should be doing more. Cardi admitted that she could just be one of the people who “never feel satisfied” with their work. But she has a solid idea of what she’s fighting for in her career. “I want a certain type of respect,” she told the hosts. “I really be busting my ass and I feel like people think it’s kind of easy for me,” she insisted. “I work.” Even though it should be obvious that Cardi is hustling, when you’re a woman of color + former stripper many people assume that you’ve slept your way to the top. (See “constant victim of hoe-shaming and sexism” above.) That Cardi is so comfortable simultaneously sitting with these vulnerabilities, embracing her humble beginnings, and still claiming her spot as an amazing performer is a true testament to her character. It’s not an easy act to juggle by any means. Being true to oneself in an industry where fantasy makes the money is Cardi’s true talent.