Cardi B is back in business and we can clearly see her intentions on the brand new track “Outside.” The rapper seemingly confronts someone from her recent past with a flair of vengeance. Let’s dive into the lyrics and discover who the song is aimed at.
Cardi B teased “Outside” during an Instagram live session as early as September 2024. Unrelated to this, during the same live session, Cardi B expressed her frustration of being accused of cheating by her now estranged partner Offset. “Outside” was officially released on June 20, 2025, and is the first taste of what’s to come in Cardi B’s highly anticipated second studio album.
A brief summary of Cardi B and Offset’s relationship
Cardi B and Offset began their romance in early 2017, initially sparking interest during Super Bowl LI in February. They secretly wed in September 2017, with a public proposal following in October. In July 2018, they welcomed daughter Kulture; later that year, Offset’s cheating scandal prompted a breakup—though they briefly reconciled before Cardi confirmed their split in late 2018.
In September 2020, Cardi filed for divorce again, but they reconciled two months later, ultimately having a son, Wave, in September 2021. Their relationship remained turbulent: another split confirmed in December 2023 (they even unfollowed each other on social media), discussions of therapy, PDA at the 2024 Met Gala, and public back‑and‑forth about trust and communication.
In July 2024, Cardi filed for divorce for the second time and announced her third pregnancy. Baby Blossom was born in September 2024. Since their separation, Cardi has accused Offset of limited involvement—saying he’s seen Blossom only a handful of times—and he’s reportedly pursuing joint custody and spousal support. Meanwhile, Cardi has moved on, publicly dating NFL player Stefon Diggs as of early 2025.
Listen to “Outside” by Cardi B
Cardi B “Outside” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
In the context of the song, ‘outside’ could mean a few things. First and foremost, it refers to people out of the norm. Celebrities such as Cardi B or Offset barely have ordinary lifestyles. Muggle humans would not be able to handle a celebrity’s lifestyle as a life partner. This is why often celebrities end up with other celebrities. However, there is almost always a power imbalance between these celebrity couples and someone might not be able to handle the other.
Living ‘outside’ the norm also presents substantial risks in relationships. Cardi B seems to hint that Offset was an unavailable father and a partner. This might have pushed Cardi B into a situation that resulted in infidelity. Cardi B is likely confirming Offset’s allegations in the intro to the song;
Outside n**gas love a outside b*tch
But be mad when they— get some outside—
In the first verse of the song, Cardi B goes lick for lick–saying that she knows how to win a breakup with scandals if Offset can do the same. She says that she has celebrities in her DMs asking for a lick.
‘Cause clearly you don’t give a f*ck, so I don’t give one either (I don’t)
In the second verse of the song, Cardi B wants to celebrate her newfound freedom. She is looking for a new love interest–one that gives full control to her. She might go celibate just for the sake of it. Maybe she will sneak into the New England Patriots locker room to steal herself a new man. Stefon Diggs, who Cardi B started dating in 2025 is a player for the Patriots. But if she wants to keep things low-key, she might have her eyes on her Thursday afternoon Uber driver too “Spa day, fine masseuse, Uber driver kinda cute…”
Why? Because she can.
In the outro of the song, Cardi B reassures that Offset has not been reaching out to her and their kids. He was not available both physically and emotionally. Cardi B also reassures that she can do whatever she pleases with her body now that Offset is out of the picture. She is going outside–getting some outside!
Let us hear what you think about this song in the comments below. Read the complete lyrics to the song on Genius.