Cardi B is opening up about how becoming a mom has changed her.

The rapper, 32, spoke with Billboard for their new cover story and was asked how becoming a mother of three has shaped her over the years. Cardi, who shares daughters Kulture, 7, and Blossom, 11 months, and son Wave, 3, with estranged husband Offset, said that her kids “ground” her, even though motherhood can be a lot of work.

“It turned me into a real woman. I was like, ‘What makes a woman? Her body? Her cooking?’ It’s her maturity and her thinking,” Cardi told the outlet. “If I didn’t have kids, I wouldn’t sacrifice so much.”

“This summer, I haven’t even put my feet in a pool. I do everything for my kids. I’m the only provider and you know what? Ain’t no complaining about it,” she continued. “I love them so much and they ground me.”

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Although she admitted she can sometimes be “exhausted” from caring for her kids, it’s all worth it in the end.

“If you think when you get rich you’re going to stop working, you’re never going to stop working. My mom used to be a freakin’ cashier and she used to work every single day,” said Cardi. “To this day, I still talk about how hard my mom worked. I had a very rough childhood, but my mom always made sure we ain’t go to no shelter.”

“I want my kids to be like, ‘My mom made sure I had everything that I wanted,’” she added.

Cardi married Offset in 2017 before filing for divorce three years later. The pair eventually reconciled, until she filed for divorce again in July 2024.

This past summer, Cardi recapped her daughter Kulture’s 7th birthday festivities, which included a Hello Kitty-themed party and a trip to Disney. In July carousel on Instagram, the proud mom shared several solo shots of her daughter posed both in front of her custom cake and at Disney.

In the post, the Am I the Drama? artist also included an adorable snap with her and her three kids. “Sooo kind ,beautiful and thoughtful….I love you soo much,” Cardi began her heartfelt post. “My baby doll baby i loved soo much when I was a little girl came to life 🎀💝🩰.”

In the comments, Cardi’s sister Hennessy Carolina showed her love for her niece through emojis, writing “😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🥹🥹🥹🥹💕💕💕😘😘😘😘😘🥳🥳🥳🥳.”

The pop rap and R&B crossover resonated pretty instantly with listeners, but it really began its reign this year. It broke a longstanding record for hip-hop songs after spending 13 consecutive weeks on top of the Hot 100.

Additionally, they became the first duet comprised of a solo male and female artist to last 11 or more weeks on top of the chart. Due to all of that success, Kendrick Lamar and SZA are enjoying some additional shout-outs from the publication.

Since 1958, Billboard has constructed a list of the top 10 summer songs. This year, pop and country have dominated, although it’s been a relatively slow year for sun-soaked jams in 2025. Nonetheless, Kendrick Lamar and SZA were able to squeeze in and actually place quite high.

Their effort reached number five, placing behind Alex Warren’s TikTok hit “Ordinary,” “What I Want” by Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae, as well as “Just In Case” and “I’m The Problem” by Wallen, too.

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