A Quick Breakdown of Cardi B & BIA’s Beef

Cardi B’s sophomore album, Am I the Drama? is finally out. With the new album came new diss tracks by the Dominican-American rapper, including “Pretty and Petty,” which throws direct shots at Puerto Rican-Italian-American singer BIA.

Internet sleuths know that BIA was once a Cardi fan. But after collaborating with Nicki Minaj on a remix for BIA’s viral hit “Whole Lotta Money” in 2021, things took a turn. Since then, Cardi and BIA have been indirectly dissing each other on social media lives. Things heated up in 2023, when BIA dropped a song called “I’M THAT (Expletive),” where she sampled Missy Elliot’s hit “She’s a (Expletive).” Then, Cardi released “Like What (Freestyle),” sampling the same song. However, Cardi said that it was already recorded before BIA’s song was released.

Coincidence or not, things started to become more direct after BIA released her “B*tch Duh” remix, where she says, “I hear b*tches poppin’ shit and that’s so funny to me / How you say you runnin’ down but you can’t walk on the beat?” Rolling Stone speculates that this was a possible response to Cardi turning down a remix to Ice Spice’s “Munch” because Cardi said she couldn’t “catch the beat for sh*t.” So what does Cardi do after? In 2024, she allegedly replies to BIA with “Wanna Be,” rapping, “She did what? Had no idea (idea), thought she was on the shelf, Ikea (Ikea) / Hope she talk like that when I see her (woo), b*tch, please, don’t nobody wanna be ya [BIA].” 

And that’s when BIA makes the beef even more direct and personal. She releases “SUE MEEE?” where she name-drops Cardi’s children Kulture and Wave in a verse: “Thought your ass was for the culture, you just tryin’ to ride the wave / You should be home with your kids ’cause b*tch, you speak like second grade.”

And if there’s one thing about La Cardi, it’s that she doesn’t play when it comes to her kids. 

Cue in: Am I the Drama? ‘s “Pretty and Petty” where the Dominican-American artist directly disses the Puerto Rican-Italian-American singer. She raps verses like: “Name five BIA songs, gun pointin’ to your head (Head) / Baow, I’m dead (Grr),” and “You wanna beef with me, are you sure? (Are you sure?) / Do she even got a BET award? / Huh, sweat me ’cause you bored / Just a big lap dog, BIA, be a Labrador,” making it clear who she’s talking about. 

Moreover, in a recent interview with The Breakfast Club (Sept. 19), Cardi confirms that the diss track is about BIA and the reasons behind it. When a host asked why she “reignited” the drama, Cardi said it was because BIA mentioned her children. “Because you [BIA] mentioned my kids, trying to be cute… There’s going to be times that people throw shots at you, or there’s going to be times, you know, like when she did her little diss, and it was trash. It could’ve been trash, people dragged you, and I could leave it at that,” she said. “But everything on social media is gonna to be seen.”

She continued: “So when my kids grow up one day and they see that you mentioned them and they’re going to ask me, ‘So what you said? What you did?’ I’m not going to tell my kids, ‘You know I felt like she took the high road ’cause she lost ’cause people wasn’t on her side.’ Nah I’m not saying that to my kids. I’m like, ‘You see how I violated?'”