Cardi B slams racist reactions to her Birkin bag collection
Cardi B is sounding off on racist comments about her collection of Hermès Birkin bags, calling out a social media post that claimed the purses are “supposed to be exclusive” but have “literally lost their value” now that black female rappers carry them.
“I’ve been seeing this tweet that had me and it had other female rappers on it,” the “WAP” rapper, 28, said in an Instagram video on Monday. “They were talking about if we could get Birkins from the Hermès store and it was also saying how we depreciate the value of a Hermès Birkin bag.”
Birkins typically start at around $10,000, but can retail for upwards of $200,000 depending on color and materials.
Continued Cardi, “I find that really interesting, right? Because first thing first, I definitely could get a bag. Actually, I got four bags today from the Hermès store. I don’t wanna brag but it’s like, don’t even try it.”
The Grammy winner took particular issue with the poster’s racial bias. “Why is it that y’all asking female rappers if they could get a bag from the Hermès store? Y’all don’t do this to these white celebrities,” she said. “So why is it that y’all gotta be asking us?”
Cardi went on to point out that rather than depreciating the value of luxury goods, rappers often send sales for designer items soaring. “We add value, because in hip-hop, when we mention brands in hip-hop, that s—t go up,” she explained.
The superstar pointed out how her hit single “Bodak Yellow” generated a massive search and sales spike for Christian Louboutin’s “bloody shoes,” while her mention of Balenciaga in “I Like It” had a similar effect — and even landed Cardi her own campaign for the fashion house.
“Hip-hop, we start trends. When y’all say that we devalue s—t, no we actually add value,” she asserted.
Cardi also condemned those who would doubt a Birkin’s authenticity based on its owner. “Why when a black girl, why when a Hispanic girl [has] a bag, y’all have to question it?” she asked.
“There’s a lot of boss-ass bitches out here. There’s a lot of boss-ass bitches that own their company. There’s realtors, there’s PRs, there’s A&Rs, there’s doctors, there’s dentists and the list goes f—king on … There’s bitches that’s getting money out here.”
But fans shouldn’t feel bad if they can’t afford Hermès, Cardi said. “If you’re a regular girl, you don’t gotta break your neck to have a Birkin. A Birkin don’t make you,” she added.
“Don’t ever feel like you gotta compare yourself. Don’t compare yourself to nobody [on] the internet. This internet s—t is fake. You still a bad f—king bitch. Period.”
Cardi’s husband, Offset, defended her points and shared a similar message on Instagram as well, posting a photo of his wife and a few of her many Hermès bags.
“Stop letting people on the internet tell ya’ll who can get a Birkin at the store, and how many Birkins you can get,” the 28-year-old Migos rapper wrote. “Black people having access to luxury shouldn’t be a debate…by the way hip hop starts the trends !”
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