Cardi B Calls Being Paid Less Than Her White Peers In The Music And Fashion Industries "Insulting"
"I don't know if I would use the word 'racism' because everything is so technical right now. I have felt prejudice," the rapper told Interview magazine.
Photo: Getty
During an interview with fellow music star Mariah Carey for Interview magazine, Cardi B revealed that white peers in both the music and fashion industries have been paid more money than her for similar brand deals and partnerships. The "Up" rapper has partnered with the likes of Steve Madden, Balenciaga, Amazon, Pepsi, and Reebok in recent years.
"I don't know if I would use the word 'racism' because everything is so technical right now. I have felt prejudice," Cardi said. "I have been involved in endorsement deals, and then I found out that certain white people got more money for their deals from the same company. I do my research. I know how much money I made that company. My fans buy my shit. So it's like, 'When you're not paying me what you're paying these other people, why is that?' It's kind of insulting."
Related article: We Might See Regé-Jean Page As A Sexy Dragon Slayer In His New Film
Cardi also stressed that many Black hip-hop artists influence these industries, especially in the fashion space, and that too often they aren't given proper credit for creating trends that ultimately make brands big money.
"Hip-hop is a big influence [on the industry]," continued the rapper. "And yet, Black artists have the hardest time getting pulls from designers and the hardest time getting seats at their fashion shows, and barely get endorsed by big fashion brands that we literally make trend."
Related article: Michael B. Jordan Is Developing A Muhammad Ali Series For Amazon
Carey echoed Cardi's sentiment, expressing that she feels similarly and that the rapper deserves to receive dues for her success.
"I'm just asking because I feel the same way. And I have it a different way because people don't know how to categorise me sometimes, and that sucks," said Carey. "But I think people should listen to the words you say, because you're saying it from firsthand experience. You've gotten less than other artists who are not artists of colour, and yet your influence has been way broader. So let's fix that.".
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US.