On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Episode: CARDI B: Overcoming Depression, Blocking Out the Hate & Owning Your Power
Guest: Cardi B
Date: October 6, 2025

Episode Overview

Jay Shetty sits down with Cardi B for a rare, intimate interview that goes far beyond the headlines. They dive into Cardi’s journey from a self-described “black sheep” of her childhood to global superstardom, focusing on her battles with depression, her approach to hate and criticism, and how she’s fought to claim her own power—in music, motherhood, and life. Cardi shares her vulnerabilities, mental health journey, and unwavering ambition, offering inspiration and candid wisdom to anyone struggling to feel seen or strong.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins, Family, and Early Ambitions

• Bookish Childhood & Inner Universe:
  – Cardi recounts preferring history books to video games as a child, often immersing herself in reading and learning facts.
  – "When I'm spaced out, I'm not spaced out. I'm deep in my universe and planning five years ahead." (07:17, Cardi B)

• Solitude & Dreaming:
  – She describes being seen as lonely by her sister but clarifies she enjoyed planning her future in her head, creating little universes with grand goals from a young age.

• Determination to Succeed:
  – Cardi was intent on breaking the cycle of poverty:
  “I refuse to have kids and raise them in the hood. I have to find a way to never do that.” (08:46, Cardi B)
  – She always had backup plans but fought hard for her “dream job” in music.

• Influence of Family & the Bronx:
  – Cardi discusses her parents’ strong personalities, her mom's work ethic, and the challenging yet formative elements of her upbringing in the Bronx. – Navigating the tough environment gave her resilience and a sharp wit, often practicing jokes at home to deflect teasing at school (16:00–18:00).

Fame, Success, and Staying Grounded

• Navigating Fame and Anonymity:
  – She’s learned to move relatively anonymously with hoodies, sunglasses, and, during COVID, masks.

• Never Feeling Fully “Out”:
  – Cardi shares a persistent sense of never quite escaping instability:
  “Every time I feel like I was safe, I really wasn't… It’s a challenge to stay here. It’s a challenge to stay relevant. It’s a challenge to keep your mental health right.” (22:21–23:14, Cardi B)

• Earning, Not Receiving:
  – She pushes back against claims her music career was handed to her, providing examples of self-funding early concerts and hustling for record deals:
  “Everything that I did is documented. This shit wasn't given to me. I didn’t open my legs for it neither.” (46:48, Cardi B)

Facing Criticism and Hate Online

• Emotional Toll of Hate:
  – Cardi likens releasing music to baking a cake, dealing with “the worst feeling ever” when people publicly reject her work:
  “That is the worst feeling ever. It’s like a guy telling you your pussy’s trash… You work, you work ... and somebody just tells you, like, you shouldn’t be doing this.” (26:34–27:52, Cardi B)

• The Cost of Negative Narratives:
  – She explores how online criticism (“hundreds of thousands… not just criticizing the song, but criticizing you as a whole”) impacts her and why she sometimes steps back from the spotlight for her peace of mind. (27:55–29:38)

• Advice to Others:
  – Jay and Cardi reflect on how social media overamplifies negative voices, noting the mind’s tendency to undervalue positive feedback. (48:03–48:29, Jay Shetty)

Mental Health, Depression, and Healing

• Deepest Depression:
  – Cardi candidly discusses falling into her deepest depression after relationship and career struggles. She struggled to eat, sleep, or function, even as the public clamored for new music. (32:56–39:52) – “When your heart is not done, your heart is not done… It took months for the heart to say, you’re done. Because you could say it and take actions, but if you’re not done, you’re not done.” (34:05–36:56, Cardi B)

• Therapy & Time as a Healer:
  – She tried therapy but felt time was the true healer:
  “Don’t avoid that. But it will be time. Time just heals everything.” (41:08–42:10, Cardi B)

Motherhood and Values

• Motherhood as Motivation:
  – Cardi talks at length about the drive to give her children better opportunities and a safe environment. She wants them to be hardworking and independent:
  “Please don’t be a bum. Please don’t be lazy... Whatever y’all do, just don’t be a nothing.” (61:19–64:29, Cardi B)

• Balancing Success and Parenting:
  – She’s strict about discipline, scheduling additional classes and tutoring, and expects her kids to surpass her, giving them what she never had.
  “If you’ve got a crib and you can maneuver… it becomes easier for you. But don’t make me give you an apartment or car and you just out here not doing shit.” (64:37–65:43, Cardi B)

• Authenticity in Parenting:
  – She openly jokes and is “real” with her children, yet deeply loving:
  “Sometimes I be like, get the fuck – God damn it, I’m sick of you. That’s how I talk to my kids, and they still love me.” (55:23–56:01, Cardi B)

Power, Vulnerability, and Personal Growth

• Owning Her Rough Edges:
  – Cardi embraces her rough humor and strong personality, recognizing it's sometimes misunderstood:
  “I’m not this evil, mean person… I’m very compassionate and I’m a Libra. So I see always two sides of the scale.” (53:16, Cardi B)

• Wisdom with Age:
  – She acknowledges softening with maturity and parenthood:
  “Age really wisen you and make you afraid… Got more to lose.” (82:16–82:25, Cardi B)

• Intrinsic Drive and Work Ethic:
  – Cardi attributes her success to relentless hard work, and wants others to see the unseen hours (“back hurt, butt hurt, I’m sleepy as shit… Every single day. If you want it, you got to do it. No complain, no crying.” 88:46–89:20, Cardi B)

Faith and Spirituality

• Talking to God:
  – Cardi has a conversational and personal relationship with God, seeing Him as a friend and believing strongly in her spiritual protection.
  “I have a very deep spiritual connection… Even when I talk to God, I talk to him just like I’m talking to you. I be cursing.” (89:28–89:43, Cardi B)
  “If I pray on you, it’s because I love you. It’s the most powerfulest thing.” (91:16, Cardi B)

The New Album and Artistic Process

• Why Now?:
  – Cardi releases new music after seven years because “it just feels good... I feel confident about it.” (74:31, Cardi B)
• Title - Am I the Drama?:
  – The title comes from always being blamed for chaos growing up and in the media, regardless of her intentions:
  “Am I the drama? Is it me, Jesus? ... No matter how much I avoid it, it comes to me.” (76:08–76:43, Cardi B)
• Ownership:
  – She takes pride in being unapologetically herself, acknowledging both the blessing and the curse of being the celebrity who “says what everyone wants to say.” (79:22–80:33)

Memorable Quotes

• On resilience:
  “Everything that I planned for since I was five and dreamed of, I really got it.” (07:52, Cardi B)

• On mental health and persistence:
  “I overcame that... and I am the strongest I have ever been. But it was hard.” (37:02, Cardi B)

• On criticism and authenticity:
  “Don’t let the devil win. Because how you think God feel? Cardi gave you all this shit you been asking for forever just so you could say that.” (50:45, Cardi B)

• On motherhood and legacy:
  “Ain’t no way I’m busting my ass for you motherfuckers just so you could end up not being shit. I’m giving y’all everything.” (61:19–64:29, Cardi B)

• On faith:
  “How you expect me not to believe in the person I’ve been praying to my whole life and gave me what I wanted?” (90:38, Cardi B)

• On leaving a mark:
  “You want your kids to say that about you – that you worked hard every day, that everything you got, you deserved it, that you made it. Nobody gave it to you.” (61:19–62:45, Cardi B)

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [06:00] – Childhood solitude, dreaming, and inner planning universe
• [14:18] – The drive to escape the hood & the realities of urban poverty
• [22:14] – Never feeling “out” or safe in her career
• [24:45] – Withstanding public scrutiny, misogynistic criticism, and the effect on music releases
• [32:56] – On depression: Signs, struggles, and the process of healing
• [41:08] – Time as the ultimate healer, therapy’s (limited) role
• [53:16] – Combatting misunderstandings and embracing her roughness and compassion
• [61:19] – Parenting philosophy: Instilling hard work and independence
• [74:31] – Why it took seven years to release her next project
• [76:08] – Origin and meaning behind the album “Am I the Drama?”
• [89:28] – Relationship with faith, spiritual practice, and prayer

Notable Final Five

1. Best advice: “Ask the difficult questions. The difficult questions make the relationship stronger...” (92:27)
2. Worst advice: “Sometimes when somebody told me to wear a certain outfit or drop a certain song…” (93:06)
3. Never apologize for: “My mouth. Well, sometimes I'll apologize, but not all the time...” (93:25)
4. Value no longer held: “The streets... I value it a lot, and I don't. It don't love you back ever.” (93:44)
5. Law for the world: “If you hurt children, you gotta get… clipped. And if you’re a woman, they need to burn it.” (94:31)

Tone & Style

True to form, Cardi’s voice is candid, fearless, and emotionally vivid—ranging from fierce, no-nonsense work ethic and “real talk” humor to vulnerable, tearful reflections on heartbreak and mental health. Jay Shetty’s thoughtful and warm interviewing style helps bring out a side of Cardi rarely seen in the media.

In Summary

This episode is a deep, refreshing dive into the complexities of Cardi B—beyond the headlines or the social media image. Listeners gain honest insight into the grit behind her success, her honest struggles with mental health and motherhood, and a powerful reminder that working hard, hoping for better, and staying true to yourself is a lifelong journey, not a finished project. Cardi’s story offers resilience, relatability, and raw wisdom for anyone determined to overcome their circumstances or insecurities.

For more:

• Listen to the full episode on “On Purpose with Jay Shetty.”
• Check out Cardi’s new album, “Am I the Drama?”