Cardi B Stands Up for Tyla Against Online Trolls

American rap superstar Cardi B has come to Tyla’s defense, calling out the relentless trolling the South African singer has endured since her rise to international fame. Speaking to fans during a candid chat on X Spaces, the Bodak Yellow hitmaker expressed her frustration over the way Tyla is constantly targeted online.

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Tyla’s meteoric rise began with her chart-topping 2023 hit Water, which earned her global recognition and even a Grammy. But alongside her success has come a wave of criticism from social media users. She has been labelled an “industry plant” by some and an “uppity African” by others. Many have also taken issue with how she identifies racially, questioning why she calls herself “Coloured” — a term considered derogatory in America — instead of “Black.” Critics have accused her of denying her blackness and questioned her connection to African American culture.

Cardi B defends TYLA. As she should!! pic.twitter.com/nKDMW6HmAR

— TYLA_Tygrs 🐅✨(Fancount) (@Tyla_Tygrs) August 13, 2025

Cardi B, who knows what it’s like to face public scrutiny, compared Tyla’s experience to her own struggles with online hate. “Look at Tyla. People been dragging the sh** out of Tyla and it’s, like, the girl don’t even fing address or talk about nothing,” Cardi told her listeners. “I’m starting to feel that people just don’t like celebrities. It’s like the only way that people like celebrities is if you don’t fing say nothing at all. They beat your energy and they beat your confidence, they beat you to the f***ing ground.”

Unlike many celebrities, Tyla rarely claps back. In the past, she tried to address comments about her race, but she has since chosen not to engage. One of her most detailed explanations came in June last year when she wrote on social media:

“I’m mixed with black/Zulu, Irish, Mauritian/Indian and coloured. In Southa I would be classified as a Coloured woman and other places I would be classified as a black woman. Race is classified differently in different parts of the world.”

Recently, in an interview with Variety, the 23-year-old clarified her stance: “I don’t expect to be identified as coloured outside of South Africa by anyone not comfortable doing so because I understand the weight of that word outside my country. But to close this conversation, I’m both coloured in South Africa and a black woman.” She admitted the controversy left her shaken: “When who you are is challenged, especially when it’s all you’ve ever known, it shakes you. You want to stand your ground, because if you don’t, someone else will try to define it for you.”

While critics debate, Tyla continues to shine. She was recently named one of Variety’s 2025 Young Hollywood winners, solidifying her place among the most influential young stars. She’s now preparing to release a new amapiano single, Chanel, with her highly anticipated second album on the way.

For Tyla, the focus is clear: while trolls keep typing, she keeps winning. And now, she’s got Cardi B in her corner.