Cardi B Has Given Big in Times of Crisis. What Might We Expect From Her Future Philanthropy?

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, or Cardi B, as she’s more commonly known, is one of the most popular rappers today. Born in the same Washington Heights, Manhattan, neighborhood as Lin Manuel Miranda, the 29-year-old Cardi B is one of several “glitzy givers” we’ve been tracking in the hip hop industry.

For example, a while back, I dug into the philanthropy of legendary rapper Eminem, whose Marshall Mathers Foundation focuses on his hometown of Detroit and backs causes like education and health. With an estimated net worth of $230 million, Eminem is a good example of the serious money that top hip hop artists can rake in. Kanye West ranks among the highest-paid musicians in the world (as you might guess, it’s almost all men), as does Jay Z, who was named the first billionaire rapper as of 2019.

Not bad for a genre of music that was dubbed a passing fad by detractors when it first emerged in the 1970s and 1980s.

Cardi B is worth an estimated $40 million, powered by a slew of hits like “Bodak Yellow,” “I Like It,” “Up,” and many others that might end up on my editor’s cutting-room floor. And besides music, she’s waded into other ventures, including her own Tom Ford lipstick and the series Cardi Tries on Facebook Messenger and Instagram.

Not even 30, Cardi B does not yet appear to have a foundation or other formal philanthropic vehicle. But she’s still building quite a track record of giving. She’s grabbed headlines repeatedly by announcing big gifts for communities in need, mainly in response to disasters or other urgent problems. Getting a handle on her interests now is useful in understanding how she might give later down the line.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of Cardi B’s giving so far:

Relief efforts after the Bronx fire

In early January, a major fire in an apartment building in the Bronx left more than 60 people injured and 17 people dead. The culprit was a space heater in one apartment unit, but in the aftermath, many have also called out the deeper systemic and institutional problems—including the need for space heaters in the first place, a record of tenant complaints, and safety doors that failed to close, sending plumes of smoke throughout the complex.

In January, Cardi B committed to covering the funeral costs of the victims of the blaze, along with repatriation expenses for victims who will be buried in Gambia, West Africa. Many of the residents of the apartment building were West African immigrants. The rapper was actually raised across from Washington Heights in the Highbridge section of the Bronx, just a few neighborhoods away from the location of the fire.

Cardi B said in a statement to CNN: “I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still. So, when I heard about the fire and all of the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help.”

Pandemic-era donations

Count Cardi B as yet another celebrity who stepped up during the coronavirus pandemic, which is often the case when it comes to global crises. Think all the way back to Live Aid, the legendary mid-1980s concert broadcast around the globe to a viewing audience of 1.9 billion.

In March 2020, a line from one of Cardi B’s Instagram videos became the chorus to the early-pandemic anthem “Coronavirus,” and she and the DJ behind the track committed to donate all proceeds. Then in April, Cardi B teamed up with a national retailer to give away $1,000 each hour to individuals hurt by the pandemic until they had donated a total of $1 million. She also reportedly donated 20,000 meal supplement drinks to medical staff in the New York City area.

Finally, at the end of the year, when a Twitter user called into question the rapper’s generosity, Cardi B turned the spat into a teachable moment, encouraging her fans to give alongside her, and offering to match their donations. In another tweet, she claimed she had donated $2 million total in 2020 and had more in store for 2021.

What’s next?

Cardi B is also engaged politically, criticizing former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and supporting Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, ultimately backing Joe Biden when he secured the nomination. In multiple instances, she’s voiced support for Colin Kaepernick’s protests against police brutality. She’s also spoken out about feminism and gender equity—all of which may come into play in her future philanthropy. She is married to Georgia rapper Offset, who teamed up with Young Thug, Rich the Kid and SAINt JHN as part of a livestream fundraiser for the Atlanta Community Food Bank. He’s also fundraised for the American Cancer Society.

So looking forward, we can almost certainly expect more local support from Cardi B in her hometown of the Bronx, and New York in general, particularly if future acute threats put families in harm’s way. Other safe bets would be support for immigrant communities, women and girls, and don’t be surprised if she continues to be a presence in electoral politics.

Featured