Cardi B felt 'afraid' of an online backlash
Cardi B has revealed why she decided against submitting her hit record for a Grammy nomination.
Cardi B felt "afraid" of winning a Grammy for 'WAP'.
The 30-year-old rap star released the chart-topping single in 2020, but Cardi ultimately decided against submitting the track for the Grammy nominations because she feared an online backlash.
Cardi - who recorded the x-rated song with Megan Thee Stallion - explained on Jason Lee's 'REVOLT' show: "You know what? This is something that ... it's like, I need to stop letting the internet control my life. Because I didn't want to submit 'WAP' because I was afraid that if I win or if I … You know what's so crazy? The internet got me even afraid of winning. That is insane."
The hit single was widely criticized for its explicit lyrics and its eye-catching music video.
Cardi addressed the controversy in 2021, when she suggested that conservative pundits and politicians were simply "trying to figure a way out to pick on [her]" after she voiced her support for two Democrat candidates.
She said at the time: "When 'WAP' came out, the people that were criticising it the most, they were like, 'This is so nasty, this is so freaky' - I don't even think it was religious people, it was really a lot of Republicans."
Cardi felt that the issue totally spiralled out of control at one point in time.
She shared: "I used to endorse Bernie [Sanders] and then Joe Biden, so they were just trying to figure a way out to pick on me. Like, 'Oh Joe Bide,n is this the girl you were doing that interview with? The girl that's talking about 'WAP'? That's what you want America to be influenced by?' And it's like, 'Bro, c'mon now'."