Of all the roles Cardi B plays in her life, motherhood is the most heartrending at the moment. “It’s been very stressful,” she says, sighing. Her four-year-old daughter, Kulture Kiari, and soon-to-be one-year-old son, Wave Set, have taken turns falling sick in the last week and have been in and out of hospital. “I’ve been up all night and all day with my baby for the past two days—but what can you do, you know?”
Our interview was pushed back 24 hours as Wave had to be rushed to the emergency room the day before. “I’m exhausted. I’ve been overwhelmed and scared,” she continues, her voice breaking. “I started to think about how my mum had to go through this a lot because my sister and I used to always fall sick at the same time. I’ve never appreciated my mum more—having kids helps you see things a little bit different.”
That sets the tone for our chat on a late weeknight—midday in New York City, where she is based. Cardi is genuine in her replies and is eager to offer colourful slices of her life story. We could veer off onto another
