Cardi B and Kehlani: A Tale of Two Female Rap Phenoms

In recent years, female rappers have been making major waves in the hip hop industry, breaking down barriers and asserting themselves as forces to be reckoned with. Among these new generation hip hop heroines are Cardi B and Kehlani, two massively popular artists with very different styles and perspectives. While both are outspoken women celebrating their sexuality and experiences through music, their approaches to lyricism could hardly be more different. By examining the dominant themes, narrative elements, and poetic devices employed by each artist, we can better understand the distinctive flares they bring to the game.

Cardi B: Unapologetic and In Your Face

Belcalis Almanzar, known professionally as Cardi B, burst onto the rap scene in 2015 with a loud, hilarious, and unfiltered internet personality. The Bronx native worked her way up from a stripper to social media celebrity to certified hip hop royalty, driven by her cocky charisma and bars showcasing her no-nonsense attitude. Cardi’s lyrics tackle subjects like growing up in poverty in the Bronx, working in the strip club, and her outlook on sex, money and power dynamics. She’s brash, explicit, and utterly without filter – and her fans can’t get enough.

A few dominant themes arise repeatedly in Cardi B’s music:

Sex Positivity and Body Positivity
From the beginning, Cardi has always been proudly open about her sexuality and history working in strip clubs. She celebrates her body and sexual agency as a woman, calling out any haters or double standards. Songs like “She Bad” featuring YG or “Thru Your Phone” demonstrate Cardi’s brand of in-your-face sex positivity. She also touches on themes of infidelity and jealousy in relationships in tracks like “Be Careful.”

Wealth and Materialism
Coming from poverty, Cardi is upfront about her love of money and luxury material goods. Tracks like “Drip” featuring Migos and “Money Bag” touch on themes of making big bucks, splurging on fashion designers, and generally balling out. She makes no apologies for chasing paper – though she often touches on how violence and lack of opportunity in her youth pushed her towards more dangerous hustles originally.

Staying Real and Speaking Truth
While she loves a lavish lifestyle now, Cardi will be the first to tell you where she comes from – the strip club, the streets of the Bronx, hardship and all. She frequently calls out phonies or skeptics who try to downplay her talents. On “Hot Shit,” she raps “I’m the girl that came from nothin’, all these hoes just bluffin’.” Cardi keeps it real about her come-up story.

Beyond just her own narrative, Cardi also unleashes some fiery social commentary as a proud Afro-Latina woman. On “WAP,” she raised eyebrows by boldly celebrating female sexuality – calling for women to own their bodies and desires. Meanwhile, on “Just Loving You,” she slams racist double standards about what behavior is “acceptable” for black artists vs white ones in the music industry. Never one to shy away from beef or controversy, Cardi passionately speaks her unfiltered truth.

Kehlani: Vulnerable, Therapeutic Storytelling

Oakland native Kehlani Ashley Parrish first made waves on America’s Got Talent as part of the teen pop group Poplyfe in 2011. She reinvented herself as a solo R&B/hip hop artist after the group disbanded, quickly garnering attention for her infectious melodies and vulnerable, confessional lyrics. Blending singing and rapping flawlessly, Kehlani puts her raw emotions on full display in her music – trauma, heartbreak, self-doubt and all. Her discography plays out like pages from a diary, tracing her growth into womanhood.

Kehlani’s music prominently features:

Healing and Self-Discovery
No topic is off limits in Kehlani’s introspective tracks, which often document her journey of self-discovery and healing trauma through therapy and soul-searching. On songs like “Alive” and “Change Your Life,” she opens up about her mental health struggles. Meanwhile on tracks like “Love Language,” she sets boundaries and standards for healthy relationships. Kehlani uses music as therapy, finding empowerment.

Stories of Love Gained and Lost
Romantic intrigue plays a central role across all of Kehlani’s projects, from her breakout mixtape “You Should Be Here” to albums like “While We Wait.” She documents all aspects of romantic relationships – dizzying new love on “CRZY,” messy heartbreak on “EX,” unhealthy power dynamics on “Can I.” Her storytelling abilities shine through, taking listeners on an emotional rollercoaster ride right alongside her.

Finding Strength in Vulnerability
Unlike many artists who flex an ultra-confident persona, Kehlani lays herself completely bare in her music – flaws and all. She opens up about making mistakes, working through trauma, or battling self-doubt in the public eye. But sharing her lowest moments with such radical vulnerability ultimately empowers Kehlani. She overcomes hardship by putting it into song, resonating with generations of women who relate to her struggles.

Rich, Poetic Lyricism

Beyond just vulnerable themes, Kehlani’s lyrical style itself features colorful figurative language and evocative descriptions. She has cited poets like Maya Angelou and Tupac as influences. Lyrics like “Love sweet as honey, but the sting, it can still hurt me” (on “Honey”) and “So my tears melt in the rain like I’m Atlanta” (on “Tears”) demonstrate her talent for sensory imagery and clever turns of phrase. Kehlani’s language skills draw listeners into the rich inner worlds she builds.

The Contrast: Cocky vs Confessional

Examining these two undeniably talented women side by side reveals an interesting study in contrasts. While Cardi B spits bars showcasing bravado and braggadocio – celebrating sex, money and speaking her mind without apology – Kehlani goes for radical vulnerability, finding strength in laying her insecurities out raw through song.

Cardi comes from a place of hustling and fighting to survive poverty and violence from a young age – so she moves through the world ready to throw down, fiercely defending her right to shine. Her cocky bars celebrate her come-up story. Kehlani on the other hand turns inward, reflecting on youthful mistakes, heartbreaks and mental health issues on her come-up. She invites listeners into her diary for a therapeutic journey towards self-acceptance.

In that sense, Cardi channels the archetypal swagger and flow of hip hop’s origins – all about speaking truth to power. Meanwhile Kehlani represents hip hop’s potential for emotional resonance – creating a safe space for vulnerability that transcends any gender. Their differing approaches both have incredible resonance with today’s diverse hip hop audiences.

Ultimately Cardi B and Kehlani both do the same thing – speak unfiltered truth about the female experience into a microphone. But Cardi holds up a magnifying glass to external realities – systemic oppression, double standards around sex or money. Kehlani turns the mirror inward, inviting us into her intimate personal world. Though wildly different in style, both women push hip hop forward as trailblazers in their own right. They prove once and for all that there’s no one right way for women to wield the power of their voices. And the rap game is so much richer because of these two explosive talents.