When Cardi B released her monstrous single “Bodak Yellow” last June, the former Love & Hip-Hop star had no idea her record would balloon into the No. 2 song on the Billboard Hot 100. Her braggadocious delivery and attitude stumped her critics and has quickly landed her in the upper echelon of hip-hop.
With memorable performances at Made in America and the VMAs, Cardi’s flavorful club banger has undeniably taken the crown as hip-hop’s song of the late summer. With a handful of remixes coming out, including her robust remake with original inspiration Kodak Black, it’s unlikely we’ll see “Bodak Yellow” fizzle out anytime soon.
“I named it “Bodak Yellow” because the flow of the song. It will remind you of a song that Kodak Black did called ‘No Flockin’,” Cardi said in a past interview with MTV. In regards to the title, she added: “‘Bodak,’ my name starts with a B and ‘yellow,’ because I’m a yellow bitch.”
In case you’ve ever pondered about what the lyrics to Cardi’s biggest song actually meant, take a look below, as Billboard decoded her infectious tune.
CHROUS
“Said, “Lil bitch, you can’t fuck with me if you wanted to”
These expensive, these is red bottoms, these is bloody shoes
Hit the store, I can get ’em both, I don’t wanna choose
And I’m quick, cut a nigga off, so don’t get comfortable, look
I don’t dance now, I make money moves
Say I don’t gotta dance, I make money move
If I see you and I don’t speak, that means I don’t fuck with you
I’m a boss, you a worker, bitch, I make bloody moves”
“Said, “Lil bitch, you can’t fuck with me if you wanted to”
These expensive, these is red bottoms, these is bloody shoes.”
For Cardi, she’s denouncing all of her competitors and is more confident than ever. No matter who you are, you can’t handle the wrath of this Latina firecracker. As for the red bottoms? Cardi is referencing the popular shoe brand, Christian Louboutin, whose’s notoriously known for their signature red soles.
“I don’t dance now, I make money moves
Say I don’t gotta dance, I make money move”
Before Cardi began slaying her adversaries on the lyrical front, she was a famously known stripper in New York City. Because she’s now a formidable name on the hip-hop circuit, she no longer needs to rely on her dance moves to watch her bank account flourish.
“I’m a boss, you a worker, bitch, I make bloody moves”
Once again, Cardi is taunting her enemies and boasting about her power moves. “I make bloody moves,” stems from her gang affiliation. In previous songs, most notably “Red Barz,” Cardi unabashedly reps her blood gang and decries those against her set.
First Verse
“Now she say she gon’ do what to who? Let’s find out and see
Cardi B, you know where I’m at, you know where I be
You in the club just to party, I’m there, I get paid a fee
I be in and out them banks so much, I know they’re tired of me”
Cardi is all too familiar with the club scene. For her, its her home away from home. So instead of joyously venturing to the club for laughs and giggles, now she’s heading to the club strictly for profit. With club appearances, comes more capital. Because she’s seeing an incredible amount of money now, she’s constantly heading to the banks to make deposits. Talk about money moves.
“Honestly, don’t give a fuck ’bout who ain’t fond of me
Dropped two mixtapes in six months, what bitch working as hard as me?
I don’t bother with these hoes, don’t let these hoes bother me
They see pictures, they say, “Goals,” bitch, I’m who they tryna be.”
Cardi’s rapid ascension into stardom stems from her tireless work ethic. To jump-start her rap career, she released her debut mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 on March 2016. Six months later, she returned with KSR Group to release their compilation project Underestimated: The Album.
Unfazed by the horde of detractors coming her way, Cardi continues to plow her way through the sea of hate. Due to her success, she believes she’s the the ideal woman for everyone to emulate, hence why she’s “Goals.”
“Look, I might just chill in some BAPE, I might just chill with your boo
I might just feel on your babe, my pussy feel like a lake
He wanna swim with his face, I’m like, “Okay”
I’ll let him get what he want, he buy me Yves Saint Laurent.”
Bape stands for Bathing Ape and is a famous Japanese hoodie. Later, Cardi brags about her sexual prowess and how she can dupe your boyfriend into doing whatever she wants in the bedroom. Because he’s so enamored by her sultriness, he’ll even go far enough to buy her name brand items like Yves Saint Laurent.
“And the new whip, when I go fast as a horse, I got the trunk in the front
I’m the hottest in the street, know you prolly heard of me
Got a bag and fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain’t cheap
And I pay my mama bills, I ain’t got no time to chill
Think these hoes be mad at me, their baby father run a bill.”
Here Cardi is gushing about the Ferrari, whose logo is actually a horse. In addition, the truck is in the front of the luxurious vehicle. Her “bag” signifies her new-found wealth and with that, she was able to fix her teeth. As for her family, the affable MC is all about making sure that their bills are accounted for.
SECOND VERSE
“If you a pussy, you get popped, you a groupie, you a opp
Don’t you come around my way, you can’t hang around my block
And I just checked my accounts, turns out, I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich
I put my hand above my hip, I bet you dip, he dip, she dip.”
The first line finds Cardi saying that if you’re a weak person, you’ll get shot. An “opp” means opposition. So anyone that’s against Cardi, is strictly considered an “opp.” Once again, Cardi relishes the fact that she’s making a lot of money now and can consider herself rich.
“I say I get the money and go, this shit is hot like a stove
My pussy glitter as gold, tell that lil bitch play her role
I just a-rove in a Rolls, I just came up in a Wraith
I need to fill up the tank, no, I need to fill up the safe.”
Many rappers have mentioned a “Wraith” in their lyrics, most notably Meek Mill. A “Wraith” falls in line with the Rolls Royce family and the starting price for the vehicle is around the $300,000 mark.
I need to let all these hoes know that none of their niggas is safe
I go to dinner and steak, only the real can relate
I used to live in the P’s, now it’s a crib with a gate
Rollie got charms, look like Frosted Flakes
Had to let these bitches know, just in case these hoes forgot
I just run and check the mail, another check from Mona Scott
Cardi’s rags to riches story is something to marvel at. Cardi grew up in the South Bronx, a very rough neighborhood in New York and now because of her stardom, has been able to move into a safer area. Her “Rollie” is her Rolex. The glittery watch is embedded with luminous diamonds. As for Mona Scott, she’s the creator of VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop, a show that Cardi B was recently on for two seasons.