Cardi B wants Saudi Arabia to know she will be abiding by the country’s rules when she arrives to perform at the Soundstorm Festival.
During an Instagram Live session ahead of her trip to Riyadh for the music festival, the Am I the Drama? rapper joked about presenting herself as the perfect, rule-following visitor. According to Bloomberg, Saudi Arabia recently relaxed the rules around alcohol sales by allowing non-Muslim foreign residents with monthly earnings of $13,300 or more to make purchases. The change is part of an effort to make Riyadh a more competitive for businesses and investment. While there are regulations for tobacco products in the country, cannabis is strictly illegal in Saudi Arabia. According to LeafWell, penalties for possession of cannabis for personal use “could earn imprisonment for up to six months, potentially with whippings for first offenses.”
The Bronx rapper made the stunning announcement during an Instagram Live session from Saudi Arabia, which came just days after Vance tweeted “Nicki > Cardi” in response to a now-deleted post from Minaj that appeared to praise the Vice President. Vance’s tweet marked an unprecedented moment where America’s second-highest elected official inserted himself into Hip-Hop’s most contentious rivalry. The Vice President was responding to Minaj’s deleted post, which reportedly read “Vance > Rants,” indicating her growing support for the Trump administration.