Cardi B deleted her Instagram account and set her Twitter profile to private Saturday after setting the record straight in a post to Azealia Banks. It's the latest in the unfolding beef between the two rappers.
Cardi B, whose legal name is Belcalis Almanzar, called out Banks for saying Cardi is "a caricature of a black woman” during a recent interview on New York radio show "The Breakfast Club."
"A woman who constantly finds joy in belittling black women (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Skai Jackson, Remy Ma), can't try and stand for them because it's convenient!" the Bronx rapper wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday that she later deleted. "The difference between me and you, I've never pretended to be or represent someone I'm not! I've made it where I am for being myself and staying true to that. I'm not trying to represent nobody but myself. You busy trying to be a voice of reason and a representative of women of color when you can't even reason with yourself."
The drama began when Banks brought up the Bronx rapper during her "Breakfast Club" interview, implying Cardi B's rise in popularity has changed the formerly empowering conversations around black women.
“Two years ago, the conversation surrounding black women’s culture was really reaching an all-time high, and we were really like discussing our power amongst ourselves, and, you know, Beyoncé came out with 'Lemonade,'" Banks said Friday. "There was just this really, really, really intelligent conversation going on nationally and then everything just kind of changed and then it was like Cardi B."
According to Banks, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper has only achieved success because of her light skin. Banks claimed that a darker skinned woman could never behave and speak the way Cardi does and still have a viable career in rap.
“I’m just talking about this caricature of a black woman that black women themselves would never be able to get away with," she said. "Like, if my spelling and grammar was that bad, I’d be canceled. If Nicki Minaj spelled like that, we would be ragging on her all day.”
In the hour-long interview, Banks did not let up.
“I didn’t think… expect the bar to be lowered that low for a female rapper,” she said of Cardi.
Azealia Banks speaks and questions Cardi Bs quick unexpected rise to female rap mainstream success.
“I didn’t think/expect the bar to be lowered that low for a female rapper” pic.twitter.com/tdT7xR22tZ
— ???? ????????????????????????????????????•???????????? (@WORLDWIDENM) May 11, 2018
Cardi B took notice of the criticism and fired back Friday before deleting her Instagram account. Screenshots from one of the now-deleted post pointed out how Banks flip-flops when it comes to her attacks.
"Beyoncé? Wasn't Beyoncé the same woman she was talking shit about and dragging all over the media?" Cardi wrote in the post. "I'm from the hood, I speak how I speak, I am how I am. I did not choose to be famous, people choose me! This is coming from a woman that bleached her skin but want to advocate. GOODBYE. I'm not apologizing or killing myself because of who I am."
As per usual, Twitter is in love with the messiness.
Azealia Banks spoke nothing but fucking facts!!! Cardi B is getting by being fraudulent & That's no shade just tea. Let nicki minaj do half of the shit cardio have done, She would've been dragged for filth & canceled.
— JUNE 15TH (@giveemhellsis) May 11, 2018
Azealia Banks won pic.twitter.com/WgsUEeR3DZ
— sadhoeflo (@sadhoeflo) May 12, 2018
User @consuelabetz and media maven Karen Civil noticed that Banks did praise Cardi early on in her career, but now she doesn't.
Karen w the receipts ???? RT @KarenCivil: Flashback to Azealia Banks interview with XXL magazine praising @iamcardib .. pic.twitter.com/yMoU0CvWIv
— wigmonger (@consuelabetz) September 27, 2017
However, Cardi had the last word, for now, Saturday writing that she knows who she is and where she comes from, a proud Hispanic and Caribbean background. She went on to break down the definition of illiterate before adding that she will pray for Banks.
"You think because someone uses a lot of big words and long sentences that makes them smart!? How smart are you if you don't know that the meaning of illiterate means to not know how to read or write," she wrote.
"I can do both, and speak two languages fluently. Just because I mix a few words up, forget to use commas, or misspell a few words doesn't make me illiterate and doesn't make me stupid. And because I laugh a little harder or talk a little louder doesn't make me a caricature! You think you're advocating for women and you're doing the opposite! I pray you find peace in your own heart and reason in your own mind! Pray for your own success before you pray for the downfall of others!"
