Cardi B Reveals She Desperately Wanted This Celebrity To Appear In Her ‘WAP’ Video
When Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion unleashed “WAP” to the masses, it was an immediate monster hit and gleefully invited controversy. The track has since broke numerous records while being lauded as a cultural moment for women in rap.
While Megan takes center stage as the main feature in the song and video, Cardi spotlighted several up-and-coming artists in the music video even though they didn’t have verses in the song. Mulatto, Rubi Rose, Sukihana, as well as singers Normani and Rosalía were briefly featured in the visual, with Normani’s part going viral on social media for once again showcasing her effortless talent. Kylie Jenner also made an appearance, albeit with some controversy.
However, Cardi shared there was one more star she had pursued relentlessly to make a cameo, but the stars weren’t aligned. In a recent interview with Hot 97, the Bronx rapper revealed that she was really hoping for Lizzo to appear in the video, but their schedules did not sync up. The “Truth Hurts” songstress was out of town at the time they were filming.
"I’m cool with Lizzo and everything. Like, we’ve been sending DMs to each other and all that. But she was on vacation and she wasn’t in town,” Cardi said. “I’m like. ‘Oh my gosh’ because I had a whole vision of how I wanted to see Lizzo and everything.”
She also let it slip that there would’ve been another extra scene included in the music video for “WAP” if it wasn’t for the coronavirus pandemic, which made filming the video costly. In a separate interview with PAPER magazine, the “Bodak Yellow” rap star shared she spent more than $100,000 on COVID-19 testing for the production.
Nonetheless, the record exceeded her wildest expectations. “Everybody thinks I’m crazy but I do feel relieved,” she admits. “I do feel happy but then it’s like I gotta think of my next record [and] what am I gonna do for my next video. When I pick songs, I make like 10 different people hear it. I just be making sure people like it [and] people vibe to it.”
Cardi added, “it was so important to me to include different women that are different races and come from different backgrounds but are so powerful and influential.”
Released Aug. 7, “WAP” had the most first-week streams for any song in 2020, pulling in a monstrous 93 million streams, according to Billboard. A week after its release, the mega-hit was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Furthermore, Cardi broke her previous record for the most No. 1 hits by a female rapper, with Ayo & Keyz-produced single netting her fourth chart-topper.
Hear what else she had to say about balancing motherhood with superstardom and “WAP.”
