It's rare that we have to turn people away, but when word got out that Cardi B would be at the NPR Music office, we drew one of the biggest crowds I've ever seen here. People from all walks of life lined up to watch one of rap's most unfiltered stars take over the Desk. In leather pants and a power blazer, Cardi brings a humble and humorous spirit as she runs through a set packed with hits.
The haunting synths and outright confidence of "Hello" sets the tone right away. Cardi rides that energy into a reimagined "ErrTime." Then she shifts gears for the vulnerable "Man of Your Word" and "Be Careful," keeping her humor intact through some of her most personal material. "Change the vibes, change the vibes," she jokes before bringing the Cardi Party back with "Up," which slides straight into "AH HA." To close, the rap superstar plays two pivotal songs from her catalog: "Bodak Yellow," the breakout that started it all, and the boogaloo-heavy "I Like It." By the end, Cardi is swinging her hips with the crowd and she leaves beaming with gratitude, handing out hugs to a few lucky audience members.
SET LIST
- "Hello"
- "ErrTime"
- "Man of Your Word"
- "Be Careful"
- "Up"
- "AH HA"
- "Bodak Yellow"
- "I Like It"
MUSICIANS
- Cardi B: vocals
- Adam Blackstone: bass, keys, music director
- DJ Ray G: DJ
- Eugene Roberts: keys
- Clayton Sears: guitar
- Cedric Thompson: drums
- Kenneth Whalum: sax
- Melvin Jones: trumpet
- Tiffany Stevens: background vocals
- Ebony Franklin: background vocals
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Alanté Serene, Bobby Carter
- Director/Editor: Kara Frame
- Audio Director/Mix: Josh Newell
- Videographers: Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Mitra I. Arthur
- Audio Engineer: Tiffany Vera Castro
- Production Assistant: Dora Levite
- Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Felix Contreras
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Executive Director: Sonali Mehta
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton
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