Cardi B Returns to Middle School with a Bag, but How Much is Enough?

While it is beautiful for an artist like Cardi B to go back to her middle school with $100,000 in tow, what is the limit? How much (or how little) should artists and other figures in the spotlight give to their previous institutions of learning whether they be elementary schools or universities and everything in between?

“Giving back” is one of the worst slogans uttered by people who mean well but miss the point. They don’t see how they never took anything from the place of learning or housing or organization in the first place. Cardi B has earned her fortune and can do whatever she wishes with it. The object is whether she should give all of her dollars away in support of people she doesn’t even know.

Should she give away all of her estimated net worth of $40 million? When does it stop? The rapper has been genuine and kind for her contributions, but should she reap no reward material or spiritual from offering to her charitable groups? Is it better for her to sacrifice until it hurts and actually feel pain and no gain for giving alms to the people who can only benefit on their own behalf?

Philosopher Immanuel Kant would certainly agree with such an idea? He would have wanted to see Cardi stripped of every dollar and if she could show bruises and cuts and maybe catch COVID-19, then that would be perfect virtue.

The striking alternative to this disgusting thought is Ayn Rand’s philosophy of Objectivism. It holds that the individual’s life is sovereign. It espouses that people can trade with one another but only to mutual benefit. This is the dynamic of an aspect of capitalism. This system of justice ensures that all transactions are based on morality.

Money is the measure of activity of the mind. Cardi B ought to know that her money is a result of her efforts. Because she put in the work to trade with her millions of supporters. It is beautiful that she decided to engage in philanthropy. There’s nothing evil or wrong about trading back to individuals and institutions deserving of such funds.

That’s the key. To understand how being a capitalist is not a pejorative but a badge of honor is what ought to be present not only in hip hop but within the culture at large. To be a capitalist does not mean trampling on underclasses. In fact, capitalism exists in individuals of every rung of the social order. It means you value and cherish property rights which are derived from individual rights. It’s only right that the way that Cardi B doles out her dollars should reflect her braggadocious rhymes. On the track, few are spared her tongue lashings about her anatomy, her rhyming prowess, and of course her money.

As she continues to excel at her craft, she should be encouraged to look into the ideals that should have been instilled in hip hop since its inception.

While Objectivism regards reason, individualism, and capitalism, the music genre (which once had a chance at being a culture) is marred with mysticism and gnarled logic, narcissism, and materialism, commercialism, and mercantilism. If there is any way for this genre to reverse course and fly with the wings of liberty, it is with artists like Cardi B who have huge followings.

If a wave washed through hip hop and altered its course, it should be in the way of Objectivism. Cardi has every opportunity to be on the vanguard. As she had gushed over the likes of Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez she could learn something from Dr. Yaron Brook and Troi “Star” Torain.

As long as she reads and understands the writings of these men and other capitalists, she may be enlightened to know what it means to experience real financial freedom.