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TIME magazine just released its “100 Most Influential” People list this morning, which features some of the most prominent figures and breakout stars in pop culture, including Rihanna, Issa Rae, Chadwick Boseman, Lena Waithe, Tiffany Haddish, Sterling K. Brown and Black Panther director Ryan Coogler.
Among the artist tributes was Taraji P. Henson’s moving essay about one of this year’s honorees, Cardi B. The Golden Globe winner praised the Invasion of Privacy star as you would expect a lifelong friend to do. But, in truth, Henson actually started following the “Bodak Yellow” rapper a couple of years ago because of her funny and all-too-relatable videos posted on Instagram.
Henson opens the essay by reminiscing on how people, much like with Cardi B’s naysayers, judged as her being “too edgy” for the acting biz.
“When you are cool with who you are, no one can use it against you,” Henson wrote. “I identify with Cardi B, because she knows that too. The first time I went on her Instagram page, she was so raw, coming at you, like, whoa! She used words like ‘shmoney’ and ‘shmoves,’ and she talked openly about being a former stripper. And she was proud of it—like, So what, I was on the pole, look what I parlayed that into? When she showed her soul like that, I hit the Follow button. I felt like she had the voice of the people, you know what I mean?”
Henson then closed out the piece by celebrating Cardi B’s talent and giving her props on her biggest record to date, “Bodak Yellow.”
“Now she’s the biggest thing in music, and even with all those eyeballs watching, she’s still unapologetically herself.”
Here’s hoping these two continue to make money moves, and maybe even collaborate on the big screen in the near future.