Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B is firing back at critics who have questioned her use of the “light-skinned” label to describe herself.
In a series of heated exchanges on social media platform X, Cardi defended her Dominican heritage, explaining the diversity of skin tones within the Dominican community.
“Dominicans are so diverse when it comes to skin color—dark, brown, tan, light, white,” Cardi tweeted on Wednesday (Sept. 4), as reported by Complex. “So what am I supposed to say when I’m describing my complexion…I’m Dominican skin?”
The discussion escalated when a user challenged her stance, leading Cardi to deliver a pointed response:
“Whites is a color and a race. Dominicans are a nationality with people that are different colors and shades, not a race,” she wrote, dismissing the fan’s critique.
Cardi further supported her argument by sharing the dictionary definition of “light-skinned” in a now-deleted tweet.
“The term light skin is an adjective to describe skin complexion… it is not exclusive to a single race,” she said.
She also referenced other nationalities with similar diversity in skin tones, like Jamaicans and Haitians, to make her case.
The rapper’s complexion has been a hot topic of discussion lately, particularly after fans speculated that she had undergone skin bleaching. Cardi quickly shut down the rumors, attributing her paler appearance to her current pregnancy.
“Bleaching while pregnant?” Cardi sarcastically responded. “I’m slightly anemic, this baby sucking all the energy out of me, to the point I’m pale.”
In the midst of the controversy, Cardi remains focused on her music.
She’s been in the studio working on her highly anticipated sophomore album, which will follow her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy.
The album, which topped the Billboard 200 and earned platinum certifications for every track, has set high expectations for her next release.
Cardi, however, has been playfully teasing fans about the recording process, even jokingly referring to her studio sessions as “Atlantic Records Correctional Facilities.”
