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 this weekend.
During an Instagram Live session on Wednesday (Dec. 10), 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.
"I like everything duty free, tax free, discount free,” she said at the six-minute, 46-second mark in the video linked here while discussing her plans to shop upon arrival.
“Let me tell you something, Saudi Arabia,” she added. “I like discounts. I like duty free. I like tax free. I like gifts. I like shopping. I like everything."
She then switched gears and quipped, "I don't like alcohol. I don't like nothing. I don't like none of that … I follow all the rules. I am a good woman."
Cardi continued listing things she supposedly avoids: "I don't like cigarettes. I don't like weed. I don't like hookah. I don't like nothing. I don't like any of that stuff. I don't like nothing."
She ended the joke by pointing to her outfit and saying, "I'm all covered up. You see? See? Nothing. And if y'all want, I'll put gloves on. And I got socks. You can't even see my ankles."
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.”
Cardi’s performance at the Soundstorm Festival is set to take place on Saturday (Dec. 13).
