Cardi B found herself on the defensive Tuesday after a video clip surfaced in which she admitted to drugging and robbing men.
“Oh my God , Cardi B is the female version of Bill Cosby!,” read one tweet, which included the hashtag “#SurvivingCardiB.”
The Instagram Live clip, recorded as her rap career was starting to take off, was in response to someone who told her she didn’t work for her success.
“I had to go strip, I had to go, ‘Oh yeah, you want to f**k me? Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s go back to this hotel,’ and I drugged n****s up, and I robbed them. That’s what I used to do,” she said.
On Tuesday, Cardi posted a message on Instagram addressing the negative reactions on social media.
“I talked about things I had to do in my past right or wrong that I felt I needed to do to make a living,” she explained. “I never claim to be perfect or come from a perfect world wit a perfect past. I always speak my truth I always own my s**t.”
The superstar, who has 8-month-old daughter Kulture with rapper Offset, said part of hip hop culture is talking about where you came from.
“There are rappers that glorify murder violence drugs an[d] robbing. Crimes they feel they had to do to survive,” Cardi explained. “I never glorified the things I brought up in that live I never even put those things in my music because I’m not proud of it and feel a responsibility not to glorify it.
“I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options.”
Cardi said the men she talked about were ones she dated and they were “conscious, willing and aware.”
While Cardi is taking heat from many people, others have her back.
“People offended that Cardi B drugged and robbed men when she worked as a stripper had no problem supporting male rappers who shot people when they worked as pimps and drug dealers,” tweeted actor Sam Kalidi.
Here’s a sampling of reactions on Twitter:
The indication that you HAD to drug and rob men to survive is an example of the sympathy you use to manipulate public perception. You continuously use the hood as a reasoning for your wrongs instead of taking accountability for them. #SurvivingCardiB https://t.co/WUiHDhDDHD
— Ara_salis (@Dannity1O1) March 26, 2019
Cardi B leaving the hotel room after drugging and robbing guys like... pic.twitter.com/PFeVGuiprR
— Sam Kalidi (@samkalidi) March 27, 2019
Bill Cosby and Cardi B are both criminals in my eyes. Only difference, one is female and popular in the media right now. She deserves the same treatment and punishment as him.
— Ratchet Saturn Boy✨ (@AmbitiousHaedyn) March 25, 2019
Millions of single moms survive every day without committing Class B felonies. #SurvivingCardiB
— Luxe Bella Virgin Hair (@VirginBella) March 27, 2019
If ya ain’t gonna lock up @iamcardib for drugging sexing and robbing men in the past.. then let my Uncle @BillCosby out#SurvivingCardiB #FreeBill
— Wavo (@d_yates_wavo) March 26, 2019
why isn’t anyone talking about #CardiB and her drugging men then robbing them… like if this were a man for example… this would be a different story. waiting for #survivingcardib
— rebecca (@rebecca01146617) March 24, 2019
Correct me if I’m wrong but Didn’t #Reebok drop rick Ross for his lyrics “Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it
— regin (@regin93Xo) March 25, 2019
I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it ” Oh okay I expect for them to show her the same treatment. #survivingcardib
I’m done with my @iamcardib commentary. I’ve been saying this since she came out she represents the worst in popular culture is a horrible example for girls and women and should not be put up on a pedestal. #survivingCardiB
— Kwesi (@thejollofking) March 26, 2019
Cardi B is canceled she admitted that she use to lure men to hotels, drug, and Rob them.
— LelaVictoria✊ (@LelaV89) March 26, 2019
We canceled Rick Ross and he loss endorsements when he rapped about putting molly in a girl’s drink and taking her home to enjoy her while she didn’t even know it. #SurvivingCardiB
#SurvivingCardiB but The thing that gets me is if a guy admitted to this publically, they'd be bashed left and right, so why is it ok in the reverse situation?
— DJ Duncan (@big__3rd) March 26, 2019
Cardi B ......... cancelled #SurvivingCardiB
— 2019 Predictions (@2019_predicts) March 24, 2019