Just because Cardi B is best known as one of the biggest entertainers in the world, doesn’t mean that’s how she sees herself. In fact, the “Money” rapper, 27, places her role as a mother above all else. So much so, that leaving her daughter, Kulture Kiari Cephus, has gotten more and more challenging since giving birth in July 2018.

“Flying is hard on Kulture, so if I go to a place and I’m not going to stay more than five days, I’m not bringing her,” Cardi told Vogue magazine in an article published on Monday, December 9. “But now that’s getting harder, because she’s sleeping on my chest and she doesn’t want to let me go, or she sees you on FaceTime and she’s crying. It’s kind of like a friendship now, and it’s hard to leave your little friend.”

Even if traveling without Kulture, 16 months, is difficult for the Hustlers star, she’s thankful to be a parent. “Being a mom — how can I say it? Things are a little bit harder to balance, but it’s good for the mental,” Cardi expressed. “Like, if I’m playing with my daughter, I forget about the issues.”

By “issues,” Cardi is referring to the constant hate she gets on social media for a number of reasons. Earlier this year, the Bronx native received a lot of backlash after getting back together with her husband, Offset. “When me and my husband got into our issues — you know, he cheated and everything — and I decided to stay with him and work together with him. A lot of people were so mad at me, a lot of women felt disappointed in me,” Cardi recalled.

Cardi B and Husband Offset at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards
Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

“But it’s real-life s–t. If you love somebody and you stop being with them, and you’re depressed and social media is telling you not to talk to that person because he cheated, you’re not really happy on the inside until you have the conversation. Then, if you get back with them, it’s like, ‘How could you? You let all of us down,’” she continued. “People that be in marriages for years, when they say till death do us part, they not talking about little arguments like if you leave the fridge open. That’s including everything.”

Beyond being judged over her marriage, Cardi also dealt with criticism regarding Offset’s other children. “When I was pregnant with Kulture, a lot of people was like, ‘Oh, he has three kids already. Why would you have a kid with somebody that [has] three kids?’ And it’s like, how is that such a bad thing?” she reasoned. 

“My dad has eight kids, and we all get along, and it feels better, fuller. And with Offset, I feel like his kids just bring a pop of fun to life when they’re in his house,” Cardi gushed. “I actually love it. It brings out a different side of him that I like to see, and I love to see my baby interacting with her siblings. The more the merrier.”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why Cardi is such a fantastic mother.

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