In this episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty, rapper Cardi B opens up about her personal journey, from her childhood aspirations to her current life as a public figure. She discusses experiencing depression during the past year, dealing with public criticism, and maintaining authenticity despite the pressures of fame. She also shares insights about her creative process and explains the delays in her music releases.
The conversation covers Cardi B's approach to parenting and her goals for her children, drawing from her own experiences growing up in difficult conditions. She talks about balancing her desire to provide better opportunities for her children while teaching them strong values. The episode also touches on her upcoming album "Am I the Drama?" which explores her experiences with media attention and public conflicts.
Sign up for Shortform to access the whole episode summary along with additional materials like counterarguments and context.
Cardi B reveals that from childhood, she meticulously planned her future, driven by an innate sense of destined greatness. While known for her bold, outspoken personality inherited from her Caribbean family, she also values solitude and self-education, often watching educational YouTube videos and enjoying moments of anonymity despite her fame.
The artist opens up about experiencing her deepest depression during the previous year, preventing her from releasing an album. She describes struggling with public criticism, rejection of her music, and the pressure of fame. Despite these challenges, Cardi B maintains her commitment to authenticity, refusing to conform to celebrity expectations. She acknowledges that while she's grown and changed due to age and life experiences, she remains true to herself.
Cardi B emphasizes her determination to break the cycle of poverty for her children, driven by her own experiences growing up in difficult conditions. She balances providing her children with better opportunities while instilling a strong work ethic. The artist explains her parenting approach combines affection with discipline, setting high expectations while supporting their growth and development.
In discussing her music career, Cardi B addresses criticism about her release pace, explaining that delays stem from her commitment to quality rather than quantity. Her upcoming album "Am I the Drama?" explores her experiences with media attention and public conflicts. The artist reveals that the album will delve into the complexities of fame, including both its highlights and challenges.
1-Page Summary
Cardi B has an internal world as rich as her public persona. Even as a child, she crafted her future with the precision of playing with dolls, imagining scenarios, and building a home in her head. She spent her childhood laying out plans for her future life and always had a sense that she was destined for greatness.
Even though she wasn't the standout singer or actress among her peers, Cardi B’s grandmother instilled in her the belief that she was going to be a superstar. Her strategic thinking and detailed planning since she was a little girl set the stage for her later success. Despite not knowing exactly how she would achieve it, people around her assured her she was destined for something significant.
From her strong-willed parents and family, she inherited her loud, humorous, and direct nature. Influenced by her Caribbean family's tendency to crack jokes and the rough humor of the Bronx, her personality is shaped by bluntness and a lack of "yes men" around.
Cardi B's Personal Journey and Inner World
Cardi B's rise to stardom has been meteoric, but the pressure of fame has had significant impacts on her mental health.
As Cardi B faced immense pressure in her career and personal life, she was unable to release an album last year because of the deepest depression she had ever experienced. She described how the public criticism and rejection of her music and the negative reactions to her work impacted her mental peace and led to everyday crying, feelings of love dying, and loneliness. She went through a "mental breakdown at home," while dealing with pressure from fans, criticism, and peer conflicts.
Cardi B's mental health was further affected by the feelings of being misunderstood and experiencing self-doubt. She shares her thoughts on raising her child without her partner, feeling depressed and lost, and the emotional rollercoaster these challenges brought. Despite personal struggles, including the stress of fan expectations for new music, Cardi B expresses that life remains difficult regardless of having money or not.
She discusses how hard she worked for her success and feels hurt when people suggest she doesn't deserve it. She meticulously planned every step of her rise and crafted her career with determination. Cardi B also expressed her struggle with questioning God and the intense pressure to give up her successes.
Despite the success and associated pressures, Cardi B prioritizes authenticity and refuses to change her genuine self to fit others’ expectations.
Cardi B has strived to perfect her music, marketing, and business craft to be true to herself rather than conforming to celebrity norms. She refuses to apologize for her jokes, insisting that she's actually compassionate despite being labeled as mean. Cardi B also compares her situation to being in the rough part of the ocean, indicative of ongoing stress and challenges.
Her commitment to remaining genuin ...
Cardi B's Rise and Challenges of Success
Cardi B emphasizes the importance of breaking the cycle of poverty and instilling a strong work ethic in her children, while also balancing love and high expectations.
Cardi B explains that her work ethic and focus on the bigger picture have always been driven by her goal to be a mother and provide for her children comfortably. She was determined to find a way to provide a better life for her children—one that was free from the hardships she encountered growing up in the hood.
While she acknowledges the fun aspects of her upbringing, Cardi B is motivated by the desire to avoid exposing her children to the same aggressive behavior, cramped living conditions, and infestations she experienced. She stresses the importance of having her own stability and resources before becoming a parent, influenced by witnessing family members left to raise children on their own without consistent support from partners.
Cardi B recounts how critical it was for her to break out of poverty to ensure she didn't raise her kids in the same conditions she grew up in. To prevent them from experiencing the same difficulties, she worked tirelessly to secure her own success before motherhood. Recognizing the hardships faced by previous generations, Cardi B aspired to give her children a life where they didn't have to struggle and could enjoy extracurricular learning and activities like swimming and dancing.
With her family's history as a backdrop, particularly the hard work her grandmothers put in to provide better opportunities in America, Cardi B aims to instill the same work ethic in her children. She is committed to providing them with opportunities to enhance their skills through tutoring in subjects like piano or sports. Cardi B insists on her children being better than her, striving to make them smarter and more successful without relying on their parents' accomplishments.
Cardi B mixes discipline with affection to guide her children toward success. She shares the rigorous cleanliness standards her mother upheld as well as the daily chores she herself had to do. Her determination to create an independent life ensures her children will not experience disrespect or dependency on welfare, reinforcing the need for self-reliance.
Through ...
Cardi B's Family, Values, and Goals For Children
Cardi B discusses the thoughtful, meticulous approach she takes to her music career, highlighting her emphasis on quality, as well as the influence her personal experiences have on her upcoming album, "Am I the Drama?"
Cardi B addresses criticism regarding the pace of her music releases. She makes it clear that the delays in her music releases are intentional and stem from her commitment to delivering quality work, rather than due to her pregnancies. She speaks about her determination to achieve her dreams and her dedication to meticulously planning her career moves.
Cardi B shares that her dream was to make music and she has always been strategic about her career. Even though she describes her career as more challenging than she anticipated, she is living her dream. This meticulous approach implies many hours in the studio, perfecting every detail of her music to ensure that her output meets not only her high standards but also the expectations of her fans.
Despite the pressures of the music industry, Cardi B emphasizes her focus on quality rather than quantity. She expresses satisfaction in planning and executing projects with her team, and takes pride in the extensive work and time they invest. She feels confident about the timing of her new music release, as she believes there is a need for what she's bringing to the table.
Cardi B's new album, "Am I the Drama?" is a reflection of the personal drama that has followed her, whether or not she initiated it. She discusses how, throughout her life, she has often been blamed for being the source of trouble, which she f ...
Cardi B's Creative Process and Upcoming Album
Download the Shortform Chrome extension for your browser