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The rap world is abuzz with speculation as JT, one-half of the acclaimed hip-hop duo City Girls, seemingly reignited her long-standing beef with Cardi B through her highly anticipated debut solo mixtape, ‘City Cinderella.’ Released on Friday, the project’s opening track, “Intro (Hope),” contains lyrics that appear to be thinly veiled disses aimed at the Bronx-born rapper.
According to the lyrics interpretation platform Genius, JT’s opening salvo on “Intro (Hope)” references a persistent rumor from Cardi B’s past as a stripper. The controversial line in question reads:
“Non-rapping bitch, who the fuck you talking to?/I was off in Saks, Gucci alligator bags/While you was laying on your back and stuffing bottles up your ass.”
This lyrical barb seemingly alludes to a viral video that surfaced in 2018, purportedly depicting Cardi B using a bottle as a sex toy during a onstage performance. However, the “Invasion of Privacy” artist vehemently denied the rumor at the time, taking to Twitter to set the record straight:
“For months ya been sharing a video of a woman putting a Bottle up her vagina. Ya claiming that it was me back then when i was a stripper and ITS NOT. Stop commenting under my shit ‘U UsE tO PuT BoTtLeS Up Ur PuSsY’ cause that ain’t cardi. I don’t judge anyways.”
This latest round of alleged disses is merely the latest chapter in JT and Cardi B’s ongoing feud, which first erupted in 2018 over ghostwriting allegations. At the time, Cardi B accused the City Girls of employing ghostwriters for their music, a claim that JT vehemently denied.
The tensions between the two artists resurfaced earlier this year when fans speculated that JT took a jab at Cardi B’s veneers on the ‘City Cinderella’ lead single “Okay.” The offending lyric in question reads:
“She ate crab legs, now her whole tooth missin’/Cheap ass veneers, you stay talkin’ shit/Put a marker to this bitch, she’s so counterfeit.”
However, JT also found herself embroiled in a separate lyrical dispute with rapper Sukihana over the same track.
The alleged disses don’t stop there, as JT appears to take aim at Cardi B’s fashion sense on the ‘City Cinderella’ track “Servin’.” The two artists have previously clashed online, with Cardi B accusing JT of copying her past looks. On “Servin’,” JT raps:
“I got on sht you can’t pronounce, wait, let me spell it out / L-O-E-W-E and I don’t care ’bout the amount / These btches into fashion mad ’cause I’m into fashion / Mad I got that sht on and they sht was in the past tense / Talkin’ ’bout you had that sht on in 2017, btch, it’s 2024 / And you ain’t got that sht no more, hoe / You ain’t got that sht no more, hoe / I’m that btch, I’m that btch, and you can’t stand it, ho.”
These latest lyrical salvos suggest that the long-simmering tensions between JT and Cardi B are far from resolved, setting the stage for a potential escalation of their high-profile feud.
JT’s reference to Cardi B’s alleged use of a bottle as a sex toy while stripping is a particularly incendiary accusation, given the latter’s efforts to distance herself from that rumor. By resurfacing this controversial claim, JT appears to be attempting to undermine Cardi B’s credibility and professionalism.
The ghostwriting allegations that initially sparked the feud between JT and Cardi B strike at the core of an artist’s authenticity and creative integrity. By reigniting these accusations, even obliquely, JT is challenging Cardi B’s status as a legitimate rapper and raising questions about the ownership of her artistic output.
The alleged jab at Cardi B’s veneers can be interpreted as a personal attack on her appearance and a critique of her perceived inauthenticity or superficiality. By targeting her physical appearance, JT is venturing into territory that could be perceived as body-shaming or perpetuating harmful stereotypes.
The ongoing fashion feud between JT and Cardi B speaks to a deeper rivalry over style, influence, and cultural cachet. By asserting her dominance in the fashion realm, JT is staking a claim to a different form of cultural capital and challenging Cardi B’s status as a trendsetter.
Beyond the personal animosity between the two artists, this feud carries broader implications for the music industry and the representation of women in hip-hop:
The accusations of ghostwriting and inauthenticity strike at the heart of what it means to be a legitimate artist in the hip-hop genre. This feud raises questions about the boundaries between collaboration and appropriation, and the extent to which an artist’s credibility is tied to their ability to craft their own lyrics and narratives.
As two prominent female voices in the male-dominated world of hip-hop, JT and Cardi B’s feud also has the potential to shape narratives around women’s representation and empowerment in the industry. Their public clash could be seen as a setback for female solidarity or, conversely, as a testament to the growing influence and visibility of women in the genre.
Beyond the music itself, the feud between JT and Cardi B speaks to their respective cultural influence and legacy. Their ability to shape trends, set narratives, and inspire (or alienate) fans could have far-reaching implications for their long-term impact on the industry and their place in hip-hop history.
As the dust settles on JT’s debut solo release, the music world waits with bated breath to see how Cardi B will respond to these perceived disses. Will she choose to address them directly, fueling the feud further? Or will she take the high road and let her music speak for itself?
Regardless of the outcome, one thing is clear: the tensions between these two powerhouse artists are far from resolved, and their ongoing feud promises to be a captivating and consequential chapter in the ever-evolving narrative of hip-hop.
