Cardi B brought her signature drip to the VMAs.
The “Bodak Yellow” rapper, 30, decided to wear her glam on her sleeves (literally) to the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday night, taking the red carpet in a custom floor-length gown and arm cuffs by Dilara Findikoglu that appeared to be covered in silver hair pins as well as pearls. She also wore hair in a pin-straight waist-length style.
Cardi B is no stranger to elaborate looks — she is, after all, a performer who knows what she wants.
“I’m a creative. I have to be creative with everything, with my clothes, with my pictures, everything. My visions have got to come to life,” she told MTV ahead of the ceremony.
On the 2023 Grammys red carpet, she wore a complex structured gown that was fresh off of the Paris Fashion Week runway. A Met Gala must-see, she wore not one but three unique, show-stopping gowns at this year’s event — and a stunning afterparty look to boot.
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Later in the evening, Cardi will take the VMAs stage by storm with Megan Thee Stallion — who she called a “beautiful person” in speaking with MTV — where the Grammy-winning rappers will perform their new collaboration “Bongos,” which was released on Sept. 8, for the first time.
The performance will be the duo’s first since they took the stage at the 2021 Grammy Awards to rap their hit song “WAP,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
At the 2021 VMAs, Cardi and Megan, 28, received five nominations for “WAP” — song of the summer, song of the year, best collaboration and best hip-hop, plus the highly coveted video of the year.
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While speaking with MTV, Cardi B opened up about her connection to the genre as a proud Bronx, New York, native.
“Hip-hop was made to talk about our struggles, to talk about our pain, to talk about things that happen in the Bronx. Hip-hop was made in the Bronx, by the way. My life, my culture, the Bronx where I’m from. So, it just means everything to me and of course without hip-hop I wouldn’t be here.”
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The rappers are also nominated for VMAs separately this year.
Cardi is nominated for best hip-hop for “Tomorrow 2,” a collaboration with GloRilla. Megan is up for best direction, best choreography and best art direction for her song “Her.”
The “Bongos” and “WAP” collaborators will join an array of other musicians confirmed to perform this year at the VMAs, including Demi Lovato, Doja Cat, Karol G, Kelsea Ballerini, Lil Wayne, Måneskin, Olivia Rodrigo, Anitta, Stray Kids and host Nicki Minaj.
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Both Sean “Diddy” Combs and Shakira, who are being honored with the global icon award and video vanguard award, respectively, will also take the VMAs stage to perform tonight.
If Cardi and Megan’s VMAs performance is anything like their “Bongos” music video, it will be colorful and beachy.
In the video, which alternates between the beach and an extravagant pool, each rapper wears a series of flashy outfits — including matching red swimsuits at the end — as they rap the song.
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The 2023 MTV VMAs are airing live from The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
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