The apex of critical praise and commercial success is a metric achieved by a select few. In 2020, Cardi B became synonymous with "record breaking" as her debut album Invasion of Privacy went five times platinum and became the longest charting record by a female rapper in history. From streaming and charting to views, likes, retweets, and shares, Cardi dominates. Cardi B's ascension to stardom is pure 21st century: from welfare kid to unapologetic stripper; reality TV persona, to social media maven, to a household name delivering one of the consummately executed albums in rap history, it's easy to imagine future critics noting popular music as before and after the rise of Cardi B.
This in-depth look at Invasion of Privacy explores the sexual politics of hip hop through a track-by-track breakdown of the album. It addresses questions like: How does the wage gap impact pop music? Has Cardi destigmatized sex work for artists? What would hip hop look like as a matriarchy? Each chapter explores the musicality and social constructs that shape the album and a new movement in femme rap.

Ma'Chell Duma's writing has long centered on sex-positive, intersectional feminism and pop culture. Her work has included columns on style, brunch, and cannabis. Her first love is long form music writing. Duma's childhood goals were to live in New York City, become a music scribe, and marry slash.
She has, so far, accomplished two of the three.

1. Get Up Ten: Has Cardi Destigmatized Sex Work for Artists?
2. Drip: The Sociology of High Fashion & Hip-Hop
3. Bickenhead: Pussy in Popular Music
4. Bodak Yellow: Astrology and the Phenomenon of "Bodak Yellow"
5. Be Careful: A Brief History of Cheating in Popular Music
6. Best Life: 2014-2018 The Rise of Black Girl Magic
7. I Like it: The Latino Influence on Hip-Hop Culture
8. Ring: The Power of Femme Duets
9. Money Bag: Out of Necessity, Good Taste, and Disrespect, Aretha Franklin invents the "Money Bag"
10. Bartier Cardi: Explorations of the Femme Gaze in Pop
11. She Bad: BBLs and Hyper Femininity in Hip-Hop
12. Thru Your Phone: The Parallel Line Between Telephone Tech and Music Fandom
13. I Do: What Does a Femme Hip-Hop Matriarchy Look Like?