Cardi B was among those honored Thursday at Billboard‘s 2025 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event.
Cardi accepted the Impact of the Year Award at the event in New York and shared a speech about the women who inspired her to be in the game. “When I was growing up, I didn’t want to be the Shakiras, the J-Los, and the R&B artists; I wanted to be like Trina and Lil’ Kim. I wanted to be like them,” she said.
She added that she’s “happy that my career is the career that I always dreamed of” and shared her hopes to create a legacy that lasts far beyond her time on earth. “I want to be spoken about forever. We talk about all these hip-hop artists who came out 20 years ago and 30 years ago, and I want to be a part of that. I don’t want to be a moment,” Cardi said. “I want to be a legacy so I can die in peace one day and my kids can be like, ‘That’s my mama.’”
Leon Thomas received the Breakthrough of the Year Award, and Wu-Tang Clan was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“God is good … all the time!” Leon said during his speech. “This has been 22 years in the making, and a lot of talks I had with God are a big part of my journey.”
Also recognized at the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event were Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, who received the Executive of the Year Award; Ravyn Lenae, R&B Rookie of the Year; GELO, who was honored with the Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year Award; and Odeal, the recipient of the African Rookie of the Year Award.
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