Dupri, who helped Da Brat reach platinum status with her 1994 debut album Funkdafied, shared his thoughts about the current leading women in hip hop during an interview with People Now on Thursday. The So So Def Recordings founder didn’t seem to be all that entertained by the likes of present female chart-toppers like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B, nor was he impressed with rising star Megan Thee Stallion.
“I can’t really say. I feel like they’re all rapping about the same thing. I don’t think they’re showing us who’s the best rapper. For me, it’s like strippers rapping and as far as rap goes, I’m not getting who’s the best,” the 46-year-old said.
Dupri, who released popular money-themed party anthems like “Money Ain’t a Thang,” “I’ve Got to Have It” and “Welcome to Atlanta” in the late ’90s and early 2000s, went on to suggest in the interview that “at some point” women in the rap industry were going to have to talk about “other things.”
His comments drew the ire of scores of people on social media, including rap sensation Cardi, who was formerly a stripper before landing a role on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop New York and launching her music career in 2015.
The Bronx rapper wasted no time in responding to Dupri, and in a series of Instagram videos, Cardi proceeded to call Dupri out for what she saw as his shortsighted view of music.
“Ok guys, I have seen a lot of people write that nowadays female rappers only talk about their p***y, and now that Jermaine Dupri brought it u I’m going to say something,” Cardi, 26, said.
“First of all, I rap about my py because she’s my best friend and second of all it’s because it seems like that’s what people want to hear. I ain’t even gonna front. When I did ‘Be Careful’ people was talking mad st in the beginning like, ‘What the fk is this? This is not what I was expecting,’” she continued. “It’s like if that’s what people ain’t trying to hear then I’m going to start rapping about my p**y again.”
A post shared by MOSTHATEDCARDI (@iamcardib) on Jul 11, 2019 at 1:48pm PDT
She added: “There’s a lot of female rappers that be rapping they a** off and don’t be talking about they p*y and don’t be talking about getting down and dirty and y’all don’t be supporting them. Y’all don’t be supporting them and they be mad dope. These bloggers don’t support them, they don’t give them the recognition, so don’t blame that st on us when y’all not the ones that’s supporting them.”
In a followup post, Cardi listed the names of a few ladies who have released creative and quality music without the sexual connotations Dupri referred to, including Rapsody, Tierra Whack, Chika and Kamaiyah.
“I feel like we need to put these girls in more magazines and blogs. Radio DJs play these girls,” Cardi said.
“These girls can rap they aes off and they don’t rap about their vaginas and sucking dk,” she continued.
A post shared by MOSTHATEDCARDI (@iamcardib) on Jul 11, 2019 at 2:05pm PDT
Hundreds of music fans shared Cardi’s sentiments and voiced their opinions on Dupri’s comments on social media. Many people on Twitter noted the plethora of men in the rap industry who constantly rap about money, sex and drugs.
Meanwhile, others noted the various times Dupri has been wrong regarding women in the music industry before. For instance, during a 2006 Vibe interview when he suggested Beyoncé’s career wouldn’t reach the same level of popularity as his then-girlfriend Janet Jackson. “I always look and think, ‘Where’s Beyoncé going to be in 20 years?’ It’s hard for me to visualize,” he said at the time.
See a few reactions to Dupri’s comments below.
