Did Cardi B Steal Another Beat? Indie Rapper Inde Aquafina Says Yes!

Shalena
Oct 3
3 min read

The streets are buzzing again, and Cardi B is back in the center of controversy this time accused of stealing a beat from an indie artist. Inde Aquafina, a rising independent rapper , took to social media in a raw, emotional PSA claiming Cardi jacked her 2024 track “Five Star Chick” for Cardi’s brand-new release “Don’t Do Too Much.”

The video is making waves with side-by-side audio comparisons. Fans are already saying the two tracks sound, because of the beat harmonies and melodies, are “nearly identical”. While others argue it’s just another example of common hip-hop beats overlapping in today’s crowded music scene.

Inde Aquafina’s Accusation

Aquafina didn’t hold back. In her video, she broke down in tears, saying:

“I put my heart, my money, and my grind into this track. I ain’t got the label backing or the machine. Then here come Cardi, taking my sound and making millions. It’s not right.”

The viral clip captured her frustration and also showed just how hard the industry can be for independent artists who feel overshadowed by mainstream stars.

Cardi B’s Track Record with Plagiarism Claims

This isn’t the first time Cardi’s faced these kinds of accusations:

June 2025: Rapper Rissa Reign filed a lawsuit claiming Cardi’s “Outside” ripped elements from her own song. The case is still pending.
2021: Cardi’s hit “Up” sparked online debate after multiple artists claimed similarities with their work. While no lawsuit stuck, the controversy never fully died down.
Now 2025: Inde Aquafina joins the growing list of artists accusing Cardi of exploiting her platform at the expense of smaller creators.

Critics say it’s a pattern: Cardi skating by on beats or hooks that feel too close to existing work—though she’s never been legally proven guilty of outright theft.

Social Media Reacts

As expected, the internet is divided.

Bardi Gang says this is just another attempt by smaller artists to clout-chase. One user wrote: “Everybody wanna sue Cardi when she drop. Coincidence? I think not.”

Supporters of Aquafina argue this could be her breakthrough moment, with comments like: “Independent artists don’t get the recognition they deserve until a big name copies them.”

Labels in the Mix: Atlantic’s Dark Ledger

When you zoom out, it’s not just Cardi B under the microscope. Her label, Atlantic Records, has its own messy history with copyright disputes, beat allegations, and control battles.

The Enough (Miami) Case (2025): Atlantic tried to dismiss a lawsuit claiming Cardi B ripped off “Enough (Miami)” by arguing the plaintiffs hadn’t registered their song with the Copyright Office. Instead of addressing the beat, the label leaned on legal technicalities.
Flo Rida’s In the Ayer Lawsuit: Atlantic was named in a sampling dispute when producer Sherman Nealy accused the label and Warner/Chappell of using his earlier works without permission. The case went as high as the Supreme Court.
Lupe Fiasco’s Kick, Push Story: Lupe has said Atlantic swooped in to partially buy the rights to the sample behind his hit, even slowing radio promotion to gain leverage.
Suing AI Music Companies (2024): Atlantic joined Sony and Universal in suing AI startups, arguing the AI models were trained on copyrighted music.
Other Artist Disputes: In Jones v. Atlantic Records (2022), a plaintiff accused Atlantic of misconduct, but the court dismissed the case with prejudice—showing how often the label wins against challengers.

Why This Matters for Inde Aquafina

If Inde Aquafina decides to take this battle further, she’s not just going against Cardi B

she’s going against the Atlantic machine. History shows:

Atlantic often fights claims on technical grounds, not creative ones.
The label has deep legal pockets and a track record of silencing smaller players.
Artists from Lupe Fiasco to Flo Rida have found themselves at odds with Atlantic’s power plays.

For Aquafina, this fight could either bury her under legal fees or catapult her into the spotlight as the latest David vs. Goliath in hip-hop.

So far, Cardi B has not responded publicly to Aquafina’s claims. Atlantic is quiet too, but that silence could mean lawyers are already circling.

The story highlights a bigger issue: how indie voices are often drowned out by labels with billion-dollar arsenals!!!

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