Cardi B is once again making headlines—this time not for her music, but for her reaction to skyrocketing rent prices in the Bronx. The Am I The Drama? creator went viral this week after expressing disbelief over New York City’s housing costs during an Instagram Live session.
“I’m trying to help my friend get an apartment,” she said in the now-viral 56-second clip reposted by RapHouseTV. “I go on StreetEasy and I start looking… why rent so expensive? It’s the most freaking cheapest borough!”
Wearing a colorful headwrap and oversized hoops, Cardi scrolled through listings in visible disbelief as she discovered one-bedroom apartments in the Bronx starting around $1,500 a month.
At first, she brushed off her friend’s complaints, teasing, “Here you go with your excuses now!”
But moments later, the numbers caught up to her. “How the heck a one-bedroom apartment is like $1,500 in the Bronx?” she exclaimed, leaning into the camera with frustration.
Cardi B Shocked By Rent Prices In The Bronx
Her reaction quickly resonated with viewers, amassing more than 56,000 views on X and reigniting debate over New York’s affordable housing crisis.
Cardi’s shock reflects the growing strain many Bronx residents face. She grew up in Highbridge, a historically working-class neighborhood where her family once paid $12 a month for Section 8 housing.
Today, that same area sees average rents between $1,900 and $2,000 for a one-bedroom unit—nearly a 20% rise since last year, according to recent housing data. Other neighborhoods once considered affordable, like Fordham and Soundview, now hover around $1,600 to $1,800. Luxury developments near Yankee Stadium are pricing out locals entirely.
For Cardi B, who owns multimillion-dollar homes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, the experience struck a nerve. Just days earlier, she apologized to fans for promoting her new album amid economic hardship, admitting, “I forgot how broke everybody is. The rent is so freaking high.”
Online, reactions were divided. Some praised her for staying relatable, while others accused her of being out of touch. Still, her rant underscored a deeper truth: the Bronx she once called home has changed.
As gentrification reshapes the borough, Cardi’s viral moment captured the uneasy intersection of nostalgia, celebrity, and the city’s worsening affordability crisis.