—Kerry Hill, B1Daily

The irony is almost too thick to swallow. Cardi B, a woman who once referred to Black women as “roaches” in a since-deleted tweet, now wants those same women to buy her new haircare line.

The rapper, whose career was built on the backs of Black culture and Black consumers, is launching a product line that claims to cater to Black hair. But let’s be real: this is predatory capitalism at its most shameless.

The Roach Comment That Never Faded

In 2018, Cardi B went on a Twitter rant where she compared Black women who criticized her to “roaches.” The backlash was immediate, but like many celebrities caught in controversy, she simply wiped the tweets and moved on, never issuing a real apology.

Fast-forward to 2024, and she’s suddenly positioning herself as a haircare savior for Black women. The audacity is staggering.

A Pattern of Exploitation

This isn’t Cardi’s first rodeo when it comes to profiting off Black women while disrespecting them. Her music, her image, and even her viral moments rely heavily on Black culture, yet she has repeatedly shown disdain for the very people who elevate her.

Now, she’s cashing in on the natural hair movement, a movement built by Black women who fought for acceptance in beauty spaces that once excluded them.

The Product Itself: Cheap Repackaging?

Early reviews suggest her haircare line offers nothing revolutionary, just overpriced versions of what’s already on the market. Meanwhile, Black-owned haircare brands struggle for shelf space and recognition.

Cardi’s move reeks of opportunism, not innovation.

“A lot of these celebrities are making extremely small units so they can say it sold out.” Said one commentator, “Like artifical scarcity as a marketing tactic.”

The Bigger Problem: Celebrity Grifts

Cardi B isn’t alone in this. From Beyoncé’s overpriced “ethnic” hair products to Rihanna’s Fenty Hair (which also faced criticism for lack of accessibility), celebrity haircare lines often feel like cash grabs disguised as empowerment. But Cardi’s case is uniquely foul because of her history of outright contempt for Black women.

The Bottom Line

If Cardi B really cared about Black women, she’d uplift Black-owned businesses instead of competing with them. She’d acknowledge her past insults instead of pretending they never happened. But this isn’t about care, it’s about cash. And Black women deserve better than to be treated like ATMs by someone who once called them pests.

So before you swipe your card for Cardi’s latest hustle, ask yourself: why support someone who sees you as nothing but a dollar sign?

—Kerry Hill, B1Daily