By Burtland Dixon
Copyright clutchpoints
Cardi B is finally shutting down one of the longest-running rumors attached to her career: the Nicki Minaj replacement, TMZ reports.
For years, whispers about the Bronx rapper being an “industry plant” meant to replace Nicki Minaj have lingered in hip hop circles. The chatter gained new fuel in 2023 when leaked footage from an unreleased Kanye West documentary surfaced. In the clip, Ye claimed Cardi didn’t write her raps, called her a pawn for larger forces, and insisted she was put in place to overtake Nicki’s reign.
That narrative caught fire online, even though Kanye later praised Cardi in a 2022 Jason Lee interview and collaborated with her on the single Hot Shit alongside Lil Durk. Still, the original comments created an echo that Cardi couldn’t fully escape.
Cardi sets the record straight
Now, Cardi B is making her stance clear. Appearing on the latest episode of Call Her Daddy, she pushed back on the industry plant narrative and emphasized that her rise came from grit, not some hidden agenda. “I was destined to be here,” she explained, noting that nobody signed her to knock someone else off their pedestal.
She avoided saying Nicki Minaj’s name directly, but the context was obvious. Ever since Kanye’s leaked comments suggested she was “planted by the Illuminati” to take over Nicki’s spot, speculation has fueled unnecessary drama. Cardi admitted she has clashed with others in the business, but added, “sometimes people just don’t get along,” stressing that conflict doesn’t mean she exists to end another artist’s career.
Of course, her tense history with Nicki remains well documented. Their infamous confrontation at New York Fashion Week in 2018, when Cardi hurled a shoe, cemented the perception of an ongoing rivalry. Fans have been comparing them ever since, often framing Cardi’s rise as Nicki’s downfall.
By directly confronting the rumor, Cardi is drawing a line. She wants the story to be about her accomplishments, not conspiracy theories. Whether the gossip finally fades is another question, but one thing is certain, Cardi B has no interest in being defined by someone else’s shadow.
