Despite shutting down speculation that they're back together, Cardi B's estranged husband directed her latest video.
The wait is over and Cardi B is putting her foot on the gas. On Friday, the rapper dropped her first solo single in three years, "Like What (Freestyle)," along with a music video that warns both fans and foes alike that this is just the beginning.
The freestyle samples Missy Elliot's iconic track "She's A B**ch," with a visual that perfectly encapsulates Cardi's brazenly lavish style. The GRAMMY winner unleashes on those with one-sided beef against her as she reminds them, "I ain't even got dressed, any L that I took come after YS, oh man!"
"Classy and a c*nt / Blocks and money gettin' spunt / Like what? / Like a Coach bag, baby, this ain't what you want / If I ask for it, all I wanna hear is, 'Yes' / B*tch said she wanna be my opp, God bless / Look, I ain't even got dressed / Any L that I took, come after YS," she raps on the song's chorus.
As fans have come to expect from the mother of two, the video features Cardi in an assortment of designer looks that flaunt her curves as she eats sushi out of a YSL bag by a pool.
The end credits reveal that the video was directed by the rapper's estranged husband, Offset, and that more music is on the way.
"This is just the beginning...stay tuned," reads a screen at the end of the visual.
Watch the music video for "Like What (Freestyle)" below.
"Like What (Freestyle)" marks Cardi's first solo record since 2021's "Up," which earned her fifth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.
Cardi surprised her fans, formally known as the Bardi Gang, when she teased the new track's release on her Instagram page earlier this week. She shared a snippet of the track via her Instagram Story a week after Offset took to his own Story to encourage the "WAP" rapper to drop her new music.
In the since-expired and muted video, the former Migos group member is seen bobbing his head to the unheard audio with a satisfied face. He wrote on the slide, "Stop being scary and drop the album sh- goes crazy," with a line of fire emojis.
On Wednesday, Cardi shared the album artwork for the single, announcing that it would be dropping Friday with the caption "YA FOUND ME." Although she hasn't revealed if the new song is a standalone release or part of a full-length project, the drop has been fueling speculation that she may release her sophomore album soon.
"Like What (Freestyle)" serves as a follow-up to Cardi's 2023 collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, "Bongos," which was the most recent of her back-to-back collabs last year. The rapper scored a summer hit with Latto on "Put It On Da Floor Again," joined FendiDa Rappa on "Point Me 2," and featured on Offset's one-off single, "Jealousy."
The rapper never revealed if "Bongos" will end up on her upcoming album, but she did give fans an update on the long-awaited release in an interview with Vogue México y Latinoamérica last year.
"I'm not going to release any more collaborations, I'm going to put out my next solo single," she told the outlet in August, adding that she was "working on the cover art and ideas for the next record" at the time.
The new album -- still untitled -- doesn't have an official release date but will mark the first solo full-length project from Cardi since her breakout debut, Invasion of Privacy, dropped in 2018.
The rapper also spoke about her sophomore album during a September 2023 interview with Ebro Darden, saying she planned to drop it "very soon."
"You know what? I was indecisive but I was like, you know what? I should already start talking about the album because I'm going to be putting it out very soon," she said. "But it's like I have to watch it because I always feel like somebody watching me -- it's going to come out when it's going to come out... I can say that it's not going to come out this year... For this album, I'm just holding it because I feel like I'm missing a couple of things. Then on top of that, everything just has to be like perfect from everything because I feel like people are expecting so much."
Chatting with SiriusXM's DJ Whoo Kid for his show, Whoo's House, around the same time, Cardi reiterated that the album doesn't have a title, but shared that she has a date in mind. But fans shouldn't get excited!
"I have a day. It's not coming around my birthday," the rapper said to quell any theories. "It's not coming around my birthday. It's not. Imma let y'all know -- matter of fact, I don't want nothing coming out in the month of October. October is my month."
What fans can count on is another collaboration. Shakira recently revealed the complete tracklist for her upcoming album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which features Cardi on the album's opening track, "Puntería."
The reveal confirms months-long rumors of an imminent collaboration between the pair of hitmakers. Fans can check out "Puntería" when Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran drops on March 22.
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