Cardi B Addresses Kanye West ‘Illuminati Plant’ Comment

Cardi B has responded in a resurfaced clip from 2018 where Kanye West called the Bronx rapper an "industry plant" by the "Illuminati." The "Illuminati" refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, a secret society that lasted for a decade (1776 to 1785). In the modern day, the term is often used in the media industry where some people believe that artists sell themselves to this "secret society" in order to be successful.

"Cardi B is a plant by the Illuminati," Ye said in the clip. "She don't write her raps. She just there to sound as ignorant as possible and then make songs like, 'f--- them and get some money.' She has literally replaced Nicki Minaj, purposely that they put her there, and now she doesn't know what to do, and she has no idea what the f--- is going on. She thinks it's just a blessing from the universe. It ain't no blessing from the universe."

When the footage began to surface on X (formerly known as Twitter), Cardi shared a clip of a 2022 interview that the Donda rapper did with Jason Lee where he praised her artistry. The tweet has been since deleted.

"I’ve always believed in her since she was on the show," said Ye, referring to the "Up" rapper's time on Love & Hip Hop: New York.

It's not a shock that Cardi gave Ye a pleasant response since the two ended up working together shortly after Ye's interview with Lee aired. Cardi enlisted Ye and Lil Durk for her 2022 song "Hot S---."

However, Cardi is not the only person Ye targeted on those resurfaced clips. The Chicago native took shots at Teyana Taylor, Nas, and Pusha T while on the phone with Scooter Braun.

"The f--- I'm doing giving 'Wanna Love You' to f---ing Teyana? What the f--- am I doing giving that Daytona album to Pusha? What the f--- I'm doing bro?," said Kanye. "That s--- was three Dark Fantasies that I gave away. 'Cops Shot the Kid,' Nas rapping all god damned offbeat on it and don't even want to shoot a video. Then shoot the video and don't even tell me."

He continued, "These muthaf---ers don't appreciate me. These muthaf---ers are trying to use me. I'm the greatest muthaf---ing artist living, and I can do everything."

Hip-Hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. While the genre is one of the youngest, it is not short on its impact on the culture.

The genre originated in the early '70s in New York in African-American communities in the Bronx. There are several aspects to hip-hop in regard to music making, such as rap, djing, and freestyling. Those created other avenues in the art form, such as breakdancing and graffiti art.

Hip-hop has been in the mainstream in ways that were never thought possible by its early adopters of the craft.

"When we started on this journey decades ago, we were often told, 'No'. No, you won't be able to leave New Jersey. No, if you rap, you can't sing. No, singers can't become actresses. No, actors can't also produce," Queen Latifah said to Entertainment Weekly in a statement as she is set to become the first female rap artist to be celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors.

"To now be recognized amongst so many multi-hyphenates feels unbelievable, not for just me and my team, but for our community. The work the Kennedy Center does is immeasurable so I'm beyond grateful for this recognition."

Throughout this year, hip-hop has been celebrated in performances by some of the greats. At the 2023 BET Awards, there were performances by MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, The Sugarhill Gang, D-Nice, Warren G, Yo-Yo, Trick Daddy, Trina, Uncle Luke, Redman, Erick Sermon, and Keith Murray -- also known as "Def Squad," and more highlighted rap on Culture's Biggest Night.

Earlier this year, Questlove curated a hip-hop tribute at the 2023 Grammy Awards where Missy Elliott, Run DMC, Salt n Pepa, Public Enemy, Grandmaster Flash, Ice-T, Queen Latifah, Busta Rhymes with Spliff Star, Nelly, GloRilla, Lil Baby, and more took to the stage.

If you have been a fan since the beginning or you've just begun listening, you'll learn more from these projects. Take a look at five documentaries on these hip-hop artists:

Biggie and Tupac is a full-length documentary on the lives and tragedies of the hip-hop greats. Besides footage of Biggie and Tupac, you will also see appearances from Snoop Dogg, Lil Cease, and more. You can stream Biggie and Tupac on Amazon Prime Video.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14867972/

Jay-Z is regarded as one of the best rappers to have touched a mic. The New York native's 2020 documentary titled The Story of Jay-Z shows fans how he got to where he is now. You can stream The Story of Jay-Z on Amazon Prime Video.

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy takes us back to where it all began for Kanye West: The Southside of Chicago. Kanye West's artistry has impacted hip-hop like no other as his diverse skills in producing and designing put him in a league of his own. You can stream Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy on Netflix.

Nas: Time Is Illmatic takes a deep dive into Nas' iconic debut album Illmatic. In the New York native's documentary you will also hear accounts from Alicia Keys, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and Pharrell. You can stream Nas: Time Is Illmatic on Peacock.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt24514002/

Eminem has had quite a career in hip-hop and this documentary takes a look at many of his accolades. In 2022 he performed at the Super Bowl alongside Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. He was also inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year for his contributions to hip-hop. You can stream Eminem: Count Me In on Amazon Prime Video.