Cardi B, Like What (Freestyle) | Song Review 🎵

On her brief single, “Like What (Freestyle),” Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B throws shade at a ‘particular female rap adversary’ with so-so results.  

In 2024, female rap beef is at an all-time high.  Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B gets into the action with her brief single, “Like What (Freestyle)”.  True hip-hop heads will instantly recognize the late 1990s songs she samples: “She’s a Bitch” by Missy Elliott.  Although the iconic instrumental fuels the fire, “Like What” still features four producers: DJ SwanQo, Sean Island, OctaneThisThatGass, and Lateef. Does Cardi B eat? Well…

The rhymes by Cardi B are unapologetic, as to be expected. She appears to diss a certain arch nemesis, Nicki Minaj, primarily. “First that bitch hate me, then this bitch hate me / And somehow, they link up and they become friends,” she spits in the first verse.  It seems that JT might also be addressed in that particular shot.  However, lines like “Everything you got, I had five years before” (verse one) and  “Her life so trash, think I put a hex on it” (verse two) are aimed at Nicki.  Beyond select intriguing bars, the chorus is gives no fucks through and through: “Classy and a c🤬nt (And a c🤬nt) / Blocks and money gettin’ spunt (Gettin’ spunt) / Like (like), like what? (Like what?) / Like a Coach bag, baby, this ain’t what you want…” It’s worth noting that Cardi B exhibits a compelling cadence and flow with plenty of attitude.  Is “Like What (Freestyle)” an elite track though? No. It’s okay, but not game changing in the least.

Cardi B // Like What (Freestyle) // Atlantic // 3.1.24

[📷: Brent Faulkner/The Musical Hype; Atlantic; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Królestwo Nauki, OpenClipart-Vectors, Pete Linforth, Tumisu from Pixabay]