When Madonna came for Cardi B last month, she immediately got put in her place by the rapper. The 64-year-old legend paid homage to the thirty-year anniversary of her controversial “Sex” book by stating:
“I spent the next few years being interviewed by narrow-minded people who tried to shame me for empowering myself as a woman. I was called a whore, a witch, a heretic and the devil. Now Cardi B can sing about her WAP. Kim Kardashian can grace the cover of any magazine with her a** and Miley Cyrus can come in like a wrecking ball. You’re welcome b**ches.......”
Cardi quickly defended herself by replying: “...SAY WAT YOU WANT TO SAY BUT DONT INSULT ME THE FUCK …nobody gonna lil girl me (specially a white woman).” The tweet has since been deleted, with the emcee later insisting that the pair made up.
But how did Madonna show that bygones were bygones?
By lip syncing Cardi B’s verse on GloRilla’s “Tomorrow 2,” which truly disturbed my spirit. During their brief quarrel, many people pointed out Madonna’s hypocrisy. Yes, she was criticized for being an overtly sexual and controversial pop star in the 80s and 90s. However, it was Black people who created pop music in the first place.
It was also Black and Latino gay men as well as trans women who pioneered voguing and ballroom culture. Madonna shamelessly exploited both movements for years and made a fortune, while never acknowledging or appreciating where it came from.
Madonna tried to take credit for the modern-day success of a Black woman and is now using rap music to flagrantly garner attention. Her reciting Cardi’s “Tomorrow 2" verse on TikTok wasn’t about forgiveness, it was about centering herself in the creative works of Black people—an art she has perfected for decades.
The “Like a Virgin” songstress did it again while lip syncing Baby Keem’s “Vent.” Madonna also creepily gyrated in a bra and wagged her tongue to Luclover (who is of Moroccan descent) and his song “L$D.” It’s also worth noting that when she made another TikTok attempting to throw her underwear into a trash can to reveal if she was gay (?????), the background music was Mobb Deep’s infamous “Quiet Storm” beat.
There is nothing wrong with white folks enjoying rap music. But when it’s someone who has a long history of cultural appropriation and is clearly using the genre for clout, it becomes a problem. Black folks see through your antics, Madonna—and we want nothing to do with them.