Photographer Lea Colombo
Of all the roles Cardi B plays in her life, motherhood is the most heartrending at the moment. “It’s been very stressful,” she says, sighing. Her four-year-old daughter, Kulture Kiari, and soon-to-be one-year-old son, Wave Set, have taken turns falling sick in the last week and have been in and out of hospital. “I’ve been up all night and all day with my baby for the past two days—but what can you do, you know?”
Our interview was pushed back 24 hours as Wave had to be rushed to the emergency room the day before. “I’m exhausted. I’ve been overwhelmed and scared,” she continues, her voice breaking. “I started to think about how my mum had to go through this a lot because my sister and I used to always fall sick at the same time. I’ve never appreciated my mum more—having kids helps you see things a little bit different.”
That sets the tone for our chat on a late weeknight—midday in New York City, where she is based. Cardi is genuine in her replies and is eager to offer colourful slices of her life story. We could veer off onto another tangent and talk about her career or ponder her future, but it always came back to the children. Perhaps, for both of us as mothers of two young children, that’s where the heart of life is for now.
“There weren’t a lot of artists out there who had babies at the beginning of their career”
Cardi had envisioned motherhood unlike what she embraces on a regular basis. Before she had Kulture, everyone warned her about how difficult it was going to be. Seasoned mothers see it as their onus—and pastime—to dispense wise nuggets of information to all mothers-to-be, but it often falls on deaf ears until the recipient of that advice becomes a mother themselves. They told her she wouldn’t understand. They were right.
“There weren’t a lot of artists out there who had babies at the beginning of their career. I didn’t have an album out when I found out I was pregnant,” she explains. “Everybody was so nervous for my career and future, but I kept telling them, ‘It’s easy. Trust me, I’m going to have a nanny and she’s going to travel up and down with me. It’s not even going to be a hassle’.”
Our cameras were not on during the call, but I could almost see Cardi shaking her head in disbelief. She let out a short snort. “When the baby got here, I couldn’t even think about getting a nanny because I was afraid of anybody being around her besides my family. I’ve never had a nanny for Kulture,” she says with an inward chuckle. Cardi is blessed with a great support network, which includes Offset, her hands-on husband, and extended family. Cardi’s mother is one of the rapper’s trusted caregivers, but she is quick to add that it is selfish to drop her kids off 24/7 with their grandparents. “Your parents have already lived their life and raised their kids. They are older and don’t have the same energy as someone in their 20s. I’m never far from my kids because that’s my responsibility as a mother.”
Photographer Lea Colombo
Fashion Director Desmond Lim
Fashion editor: Law Roach
Hair Tokyo Stylez/Chris Aaron Management
Make-up Erika Roman
Creative Producer Vanessa Caitlin
Casting Director Jill Demling
Set Designer Lauren Nikrooz
Production Creative Exchange Agency
On-set Producer Cassandra Tannenbaum
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