Cardi B on the Moment She Knew Her Marriage Was Over – Transcript

00:00You know, this show is all about getting to know the person behind the music, behind the stardom, behind the fame, getting to know the human behind it. >> Yeah. >> And I feel like your journey, even though you've talked about it, I'd love to dive into some parts that I find fascinating. >> Yeah.

00:14>> And I wanted to ask you, what's a childhood memory that you have that you think defines who you are today? >> Oh. It's it's a lot. Well, it's not really like a childhood memory, but me and my sister we used to go to the same school, right? Even though like she's 3 years younger than me.

00:35And she always be telling me this thing, right? She always be telling me this. She used to She used to always tells me like, "Oh, I used to see you in the cafeteria in the morning by yourself with your head down.

00:50>> [snorts] >> And I used to feel so bad for you." And it's like, "Why?" And she's like, "I don't know cuz you just looked so lonely." And I used to tell her like it's like, "I was not lonely. I just always need time to think and be by myself. Like I'm a person that I have friends, but I don't really like to be around people that much sometimes. I just I'm always in my thoughts. Like there's like a hundred people and I feel like it's been like that since I was 5

01:17years old that talk in my head and plan things out, plan my future, plan my life. It's like I'm playing dollhouse in my head. You know like when you play with your dolls? And you make a scenario, not a scenario or like you build your home and this and your that.

01:34>> Yeah, like a little universe, so well. >> little universe. I'm always planning a universe in my head and it's just Sometimes people say that I have like a interesting look, like like if I'm spaced out. I'm not spaced out. I'm I'm deep in my universe and planning 5 years ahead.

01:51>> Wow. So, you're dreaming, planning, visioning. You do these different workers, different you's in your head of different names or personalities or no, it's just >> No, it's not really no different personalities. It's just straight planning tomorrow, straight planning for 5 years, straight straight imagining what I what I want.

02:12>> Wow. >> And it's crazy because it's like everything that I planned for since I was five and dreamed of I really gotten it. >> Wow. >> Even when I was like younger you don't know when I was like younger, I used to look at my mom and I used to be like, I want to be so pretty and beautiful like her.

02:35And I grew up to be the pretty beautiful woman that she is, but I also wanted like to be very successful. Very I'm not going to say rich, but like very successful. I really hated being poor.

02:54>> Mhm. >> And I used to say like is that I refuse to have kids and raise them in the hood. I have to find a way to never do that, but I always wanted kids and I figured it out. And I Not only that I figured it out, but it's like I always have plan B's, C's and D's.

03:16But I don't have I didn't have to settle for plan B, C and D. I had I settled for my dream. Like this is my dream job and I have it. It's a little bit more difficult than what I saw in my dreams. But I'm living it. It's what I always wanted.

03:30>> Yeah, that's incredible. What as as that little girl who was sitting alone that your sister said she would see you and she'd feel sorry for you, but inside your head you were dreaming. >> Mhm. >> Was it dreaming about music? Was it dreaming about getting out the hood? What were those dreams? What did they look like to that little girl back then?

03:46>> I always felt like I was going to be a superstar. And it's so weird because my grandma, she has like a lot of grandkids, but she always used to tell me that. And it's like, "Why you always used to tell Like, I don't understand why she used to tell me that all the time." Like, I used to be like a little black sheep.

04:10I used to like nag a lot. I have like cousins that they're very pretty. They have beautiful beautiful eyes. They just stand out so much. And it's not that I don't stand out. It's just like out of everybody my grandma used to be like, "You going to be a superstar. You need to practice how to sing because you're going to be a superstar."

04:30And I just knew I was meant to be something. Like, for some reason me and my sister we have like really strong personalities. And I feel like like the things that they used to tell me, they would tell her the same thing, too.

04:44Like, all my teachers, all my friends, they going to be like, "You going to be somebody. You going to be somebody someday." But I always used to wonder like, it's like, "What is my calling?" Cuz I used to like acting in school, but I'm not a good actress. I used to like singing, but I'm not a good sing- I'm not the greatest singer. Like, from the pack, from the school, I'm not the greatest singer. Like, if I would audition for a play, they would pick somebody else because they sing better than me. Or they would pick somebody

05:11else because they act better than me. So, and then it's like, oh, people used to like, "I'm so funny." But it's like I'm not a comedian >> You want to be a stand-up show. >> Like, it's like I am I'm naturally funny, but I I can't see it as my job.

05:25Just just just just my mouth. This is just me being me. So, it's like, "What is my calling?" And [snorts] I always wonder, "What is my calling?" That everybody say that it's like, "I'm going to be somebody." But what am I going to be? I don't know. And and God gave it to me. God showed it to me. And and God really did give it to me.

05:43And here I am. And I just can't believe that millions of [ __ ] people know me. >> You said just a few moments ago that you didn't want to raise kids in the hood. >> Mhm. >> Talk to me about what we don't know about that. Like how hard was it? What what was it that was so bad that you were like, "I could never raise my kids in the place I grew up in."

06:02>> [sighs] >> It's It's just It's just a lot of things. Like sometimes when kids are like bad or they get into trouble, people automatically blame the parents. And you could have the best parents. Like my parents, they are not criminals.

06:16They have never even committed a crime. My grandma used to tell my mom a lot, like it's like, "You're pretty for no reason." And I feel like they used to tell her that because it's like she's so pretty. >> [snorts] >> So it's like, you know, Caribbean folks is like when you're pretty and you're this and that, it's like they always expect you to be with a man that got a lot of money.

06:34And my mom, she was never even that that type of person. She was a very modest and honest, hardworking woman. So, and my dad, he's he's a good man. He's He's a party animal, but he's a good man. He's a good person. He's a good dad.

06:49However, you will end up going in the wrong path or going in the wrong direction because the influence around you. Because certain peer pressure or because you almost have no choice, especially if you're a boy.

07:06You never know if you're going to have a boy or girl, especially if you're a boy. And when you are a girl, it is a little bit difficult. It is a little bit tougher. I feel like people just grow a little bit faster in the hood. >> Mhm. >> Like when I was 11 years old, there was girls in my class in the sixth grade, 11 years old. I have nieces that are 11 years old. They all they want to do is play Roblox nowadays.

07:28But when I was 11 years old, >> Yeah. >> there was girls that were already at 11 in sixth grade. So it's like you will certain paths path of your environment. Like boys too in the hood, they're a little faster. So you know, you will be walking down the block and the typical little bad boy, he will slap your ass out of nowhere.

07:55He will slap your ass out of nowhere. You start arguing with him, he will smack the [ __ ] out of your face. They're That's how boys a lot of boys in the Bronx are. They're very like aggressive. They're aggressive with girls. They're aggressive. They groped out. They they grope you.

08:10You just never know. Like one of the one of the reasons also why I'm so witty with my mouth. People are like, "Why are you so witty? Why are you so thin?" Like going to school, it was like it's almost like like I think that's why I'm always so tough.

08:25Like boys or girls, mostly boys they used to like kind of like make fun of certain things. But not only just me, to everybody. Like they're like you look at your shoes, they're leaning. Look at your hair, your hair is never not done.

08:42So I used to go home and I used to go in the mirror and practice my jokes. And the next day I would be like, "All right, I can't wait till he flame me. I got a joke or two for him." That's why I'm so witty too as well.

08:57So it's like I don't want to raise my kids in that type of environment. I don't want to. And then on top of that, it's like it is fun. I had a lot of fun in the hood, but it's like it's not fun like for me, right?