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Cardi B is setting the record straight after finding herself at the center of a conversation about colorism, privilege and success in the entertainment industry after Mona Love, from“Don’t Call Me White Girl” (DCMWG) sparked controversy in a TikTok video.
Mona revisited Cardi B’s comments from a 2024 livestream and argued that Cardi’s lighter complexion and Dominican heritage may have helped her secure opportunities, including brand deals, that darker-skinned women with similar talent might struggle to obtain.
Mona also acknowledged that she herself may have benefited from colorism. She reportedly made clear that she was a fan of Cardi and respected her accomplishments.
“Colorism is real, racism is real,” Mona said while questioning why people continued to dispute these issues in 20
In a lengthy statement shared on X, formerly Twitter, the Grammy-winning rapper addressed criticism surrounding a resurfaced 13-second clip from a 15-minute Instagram Live she did in 2024. According to Cardi, the short clip failed to capture the full context of her original comments, leading to renewed backlash.
“The reason why im giving this statement is because ya like to clip my lives… So ima give ya this and go,” she began.
Cardi made it clear that she has never denied the existence of colorism or the advantages lighter-skinned women may experience. In fact, she pointed to her own experiences working as a stripper, where she witnessed differences in how men treated her compared to darker-skinned women.
“I know that colorism is real I never denied that I seen it for myself,” she wrote, adding that she would never dismiss the effects of colorism on darker-skinned women and men, including in the workplace and justice system.
However, the rapper pushed back against the suggestion that her complexion was the primary reason for her success.
“My skin tone wasnt enough to convince anyone I was a star. Everybody said no!!” Cardi stated.
She recalled facing criticism over her appearance during the early stages of her career, including her teeth, acne, braids and background as a stripper. According to Cardi, she was far from the conventional beauty standard that record labels or industry executives were eager to invest in.
The rapper emphasized that she had to continuously prove herself, not only to secure opportunities but also to maintain her position in the industry.
Cardi also acknowledged that lighter-skinned women may have an easier time getting through certain doors. Still, she argued that long-term success requires much more than appearance.
“What keeps you in the room is the work… the strategy… the consistency AND the talent,” she wrote.
The statement then took a more personal turn as Cardi addressed Mona, whom she accused of discussing the resurfaced clip publicly without first reaching out to her for clarification.
“Am i upset with Mona?? Yes!!” Cardi wrote.
According to the rapper, Mona had privately contacted her over the years seeking advice about surgery, career opportunities, pitching herself and securing brand deals. Cardi questioned why Mona did not approach her directly about the old video, especially given their previous conversations.
Cardi accused Mona of using the controversy to shift attention away from backlash involving Tia Kemp.
She alleged that Mona had criticized Kemp, another Black woman, over her comedy career and ticket sales, and suggested that the renewed discussion surrounding Cardi’s complexion was being used as a distraction.
“You used me as shield because you was under fire for the backlash you was getting for talking about Tia Kemp another black woman all because she was selling more tickets than you!” Cardi claimed.
The rapper further argued that reducing her achievements to her skin tone dismisses the years of work she has put into building her career.
“Whats that if its not colorism?” she questioned.
Despite the heated response, Cardi maintained that recognizing systemic prejudice and celebrating individual accomplishments should not be treated as mutually exclusive.
“I will never not acknowledge the prejudice in our system… we can acknowledge that reality without diminishing my accomplishments or my experience,” she concluded.
Her statement highlights an ongoing debate in entertainment about colorism, privilege and the extent to which appearance influences opportunities. While Cardi acknowledges that lighter skin can provide certain advantages, she remains firm that her career cannot be explained by complexion alone.
Cardi B’s Full Statement
Below is the rapper’s statement in its entirety, reproduced as provided, without changes to her wording.
The reason why im giving this statement is because ya like to clip my lives… So ima give ya this and go. If we going to talk about what I said lets talk about everything that I said in the 15 minute live from 2024 that got cut down to 13 seconds. I know that colorism is real I never denied that I seen it for myself. When I worked in the strip club, I seen how men treated me and how they treated dark skin women… I can never dismiss how colorism affects dark skin women and men in general. Not just in the work place but in the justice system as well. And I have stood up for it plenty of times . But what Im always going to stand up for is that my skin tone is not solely the reason for my success. Maybe some of ya missed a chapter but let me tell ya a little bit about my come up… and I have the right to talk about it because it was my experience. When i was coming up people saw my skin last. They saw my teeth first.. the acne on my forehead.. my dusty braids and they called me a dirty stripper. I wasnt the traditional beauty standard that made a man or a label want to invest in me. My skin tone wasnt enough to convince anyone I was a star. Everybody said no!! they said it wasn’t gonna happen for me because i wasn’t the kinda woman people wanted to see. I had to work my ass off to get where I am ..I had to prove and I still gotta prove over and over again that im more than the way i speak.. more than the way i look.. and more than the color of my skin. This is the exact reason why I was defending myself then and im defending myself now. There are other light skinned women in this industry who got the same access as me but haven’t gotten the same deals or opportunities as me and I addressed this on that live. and thats where it comes down to your true marketing value. I take pride in studying my audience learning the consumer and being reliable. Yes it may be easier for a light skin woman to get her foot in the door compared to a darker skin woman and ive never denied that.. but what keeps you in the room is the work… the strategy… the consistency AND the talent. I work hard to get in these rooms and I work harder to stay there… and I also work hard for ya cuz low key I work for you. The fans are the boss 😘
Am i upset with Mona?? Yes!! You been in my DMs for years asking me about personal advice… surgery advice.. and career advice. If my success is because of my light skin why you asking me how to pitch yourself and how to get brand deals?? We have talked about so many different things and out of all the things we talked about why you couldnt ask me about a 13 second clip you saw from a 15 minute live in 2024 where i addressed everything that you bringing up? You went out your way to make a video with no context when this wasnt even a topic on no blogs and no platforms.. literally nobody was talking about this. Why would you go on your platform to talk about something you were misinformed about instead of doing your due diligence or at least hitting me up like you do about anything else? I know why … because you decided to use me and a sensitive topic as a scapegoat. a topic I havent talked about in years that you randomly brought up. And now im getting dragged for it. You used me as shield because you was under fire for the backlash you was getting for talking about Tia Kemp another black woman all because she was selling more tickets than you! Because according to you… Tia Kemp dont do stand up comedy to your taste. Why do you think youre more deserving than her? Because you light skinned with a fat ass??? Then you claim you were bigging me up.. same way you fake gave Tia some props and then tore her down… but what you was really doin was taking my success away and saying its all because of my skin tone. Whats that if its not colorism? I will never not acknowledge the prejudice in our system… we can acknowledge that reality without diminishing my accomplishments or my experience.
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