Cardi B Says Colorism Is Real, but Not the Whole Story of Her Success

Cardi B has answered claims that her lighter skin helped her career, writing on X that colorism is real but that her skin tone is not the only reason she succeeded. Her post, dated Nov. 2, responded to comments made by Damona "Mona" Love, of Don't Call Me White Girl, on The Joe Budden Podcast on Oct. 31.

Colorism is prejudice or advantage based on how light or dark a person's skin is. Love said Cardi B's lighter complexion and Dominican heritage had given her an edge in the entertainment business, particularly when it came to brand deals, the paid partnerships in which a star promotes a company's products. She said dark-skinned artists did not get the same offers for that reason, and that an equally talented dark-skinned artist would not have gone as far. "Colorism is real, racism is real," Love said, according to AllHipHop.

Cardi B said she never denied that colorism exists. She said she was not the traditional beauty standard that record labels were looking for, and that her skin tone alone was not enough to convince anyone she was a star. She pointed to her chart record. Her 2017 song "Bodak Yellow" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the weekly chart that ranks songs by sales, radio play and streams.

Her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the main chart for albums. It later won the Grammy for best rap album, the music industry's top honour in that category.

The exchange has drawn attention on social media, where Cardi B's reply followed Love's remarks by two days. Love's comments, and Cardi B's response, are personal views each woman has stated publicly. Neither has announced any further step in the discussion.

For readers following the wider debate, the core question is how much a performer's appearance affects the opportunities she gets. Cardi B's post separates two points. She accepts that colorism exists. She rejects the idea that it explains her career on its own.