Cardi B couldn’t let the rest of the female rappers have all the fun, as she decided to put an end to her hiatus and dive in head-first. The Bronx bombshell delivered her first single of 2024 with the hard-hitting “Like What (Freestyle)” on Friday (March 1), which arrived with an accompanying sexy music video featuring Cardi cycling through an array of eccentric outfits and directed by Offset.
Possibly inspired by Lil Kim’s fierce look (a light gray fur coat and matching bikini) in 2003’s “Came Back for You” video, Bardi struts around her futuristic mansion all to herself in a gray and black fur coat and racy black bikini. She later makes an outfit switch to nearly blind viewers with glitzy pants and a matching shiny bra top to go along with her blonde wig and icy bracelet.
Cardi B also pays homage to Missy Elliott in the lavish clip with her diamond-filled eyebrows. But that’s not the only salute to Missy, either, as “Like What” samples the Virginia legend’s “She’s a Bitch” from 1999’s Da Real World.
“Baby, here we go again/ P–sy real fat, probably got a double chin/ First, that b—h hate me, then this b—h hate me/ And somehow, they link up and they become friends, like, how,” she raps while calling out the side-switching drama in hip-hop.
After confirming their split last year, things might be OK between Cardi B and husband Offset as well, since the Grammy-winning rapper tapped the father of her two children to use his vision and direct the music video for “Like What (Freestyle).”
The Migos rapper urged Cardi to drop her anticipated sophomore album in a social media post earlier this month.
The “Like What (Freestyle)” marks Cardi’s first solo record since 2021’s “Up,” which earned the MC her fifth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit. “Up” also nabbed a 2022 Grammy nomination for best rap performance.
This may only be the start of what could be another banner year for Cardi B as the end credits of the music video teased more to come: “This is just the beginning… Stay Tuned.”
Watch the video below.
