Cardi B grew up in the Bronx, so she knows the rhythms of New York City better than most. Now, she’s teaming up with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to help the rest of the city get on track. The rapper has recorded a series of public service announcements that will play across subway and train station platforms.
In one clip, Cardi delivers her signature edge: “We’re walking here,” she says firmly. The MTA also released a behind-the-scenes video showing her at the mic, bringing her Bronx attitude into the messages. “Steps are for stepping, not sitting,” she commands in another. Then she adds, “Move it, bucko!”
It’s easy to imagine Cardi as a no-nonsense motivator. “These trains don’t move without you,” she reminds riders. “So make sure you pay that fare and keep it real.” Of course, she knows her city well enough to understand the truth: plenty of New Yorkers have skipped a fare or two along the way.
Her announcements also call out the dangers of subway surfing, the reckless act of riding on top of train cars. The New York Times reported that six people lost their lives doing it in 2023. “Stop subway surfing,” Cardi warns in her PSA. “Ride safe, keep it cute, and keep it moving.”
This partnership with the MTA arrives not long after Cardi dropped her long-awaited second studio album, Am I the Drama?
“On Am I the Drama?, Cardi makes up for lost time with a massive comeback triumph, standing tall in her bloodier-than-ever shoes,” Rolling Stone wrote in its review of the project. “She’s got a long list of scores to settle, enemies to crush, crowns to claim. As always, she brings so much larger-than-life personality to the party that she could coast on charisma if she wanted. But Cardi’s been in the news lately for everything except her music, so it’s a trip to hear her finally get to cut loose and have fun. She’s out to remind everyone she’s looser, wilder, less predictable, just plain funnier than anyone else in the game.”
