Cardi B Offers Words of Wisdom to the Newly Famous: ‘Just Don’t Do Drugs’

Rachel RaposasFri, August 28, 2026 at 1:50 AM UTC

0

Cardi B for Vogue ArabiaCredit: Szilveszter Makó -

Cardi B opened up about the pressures of fame and its unexpected challenges in Vogue Arabia‘s September issue

“Being a celebrity comes with a lot and sometimes I feel I didn’t apply for this,” she said

The rapper urged others experiencing fame to avoid a certain common vice when coping with the spotlight

Cardi B is opening up about the challenging side effects of fame.

In Vogue Arabia‘s September issue, the 33-year-old rapper, real name Belcalis Almánzar, reflected on the double-edged sword that is fame and success — and why it’s crucial not to lean on a certain vice in response, as so many in the spotlight do.

On one hand, fame is a thrill, Cardi told the magazine, and even a kind of gratifying validation. “I have proven a lot of people wrong over and over and over again. It makes me feel good that I achieved things that nobody else did,” she explained.

Yet, in her lifelong dreams of making it big, Cardi didn’t envision the life she’s leading now, she said. There’s a lot of stress and scrutiny that she failed to anticipate.

“That’s why they say to be careful about what you wish for because you just might get it,” Cardi admitted. “Being a celebrity comes with a lot and sometimes I feel I didn’t apply for this.”

“You can’t really protect yourself,” she added. “You are never gonna be ready for this type of pressure, you know?”

Advertisement

Cardi B for Vogue Arabia.Credit: Szilveszter Makó

Though the weight of being in the public eye is heavy, the rapper shared one line she won’t cross to cope with it, and urged others to follow her lead.

“You just gotta find a mechanism that works for you [to help deal with the fame]. But whatever mechanism you decide on, just don’t turn to drugs, okay?” she warned. “I know it’s hard. I know it really is. Being famous is almost like a mental game but whatever you do, just don’t do drugs.”

— sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Cardi first started gaining online attention on Instagram and Vine, and in 2015, she joined the cast of Love & Hip Hop: New York, a reality series that follows a group of hip-hop musicians building their careers in their city.

Two years later, Cardi broke onto the music scene with “Bodak Yellow,” her debut single that earned her two Grammy nominations. Since then, she’s recorded two studio albums, Invasion of Privacy, which won her the Best Rap Album Grammy in 2019, and 2025’s Am I the Drama?

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”