Cardi B Responds To Payola Claims After 'Up' Hits No. 1
Cardi B earned her fifth No. 1 single as “Up” topped the Billboard Hot 100. She extends her record for most Hot 100 No. 1s among female rappers, and is the first female rapper with two Hot 100 No. 1s with no accompanying artists.
But not everyone was happy for her success. Some critics tried to discredit her by claiming she and her label used payola, the illegal practice of bribing a radio station to boost airplay.
“It’s sad that when I win people gotta scramble with lies for my success .Like they ain’t saw everybody, people coming out Amazon trucks and ambulances dancing my shit,” said Cardi, who shared a compilation video featuring celebrities and social media personalities dancing to “Up.”
She noted that radio airplay was not the driving force behind “Up’s” success, showing a chart breaking down the song’s numbers by streaming, sales, and airplay.