After Disaster, Cardi B Gives Back to Her Native Bronx

Love her or hate her, Grammy winner Cardi B cares about her hometown. The rapper/singer of "WAP" fame is covering funeral costs for the 17 people killed in a Bronx fire on Jan. 9, the New York Daily News reports. Cardi B, a 29-year-old native of the Bronx, is also covering the costs for some of the fire victims’ remains to be transported to their native Gambia in West Africa. The fire, the deadliest in New York City in more than 30 years, started from a defective space heater. Smoke spread throughout the 19-story building thanks to an open door, per the AP. Eight children were among those killed.

In a prepared statement, the rapper said she still has friends and family in the Bronx and knew she had to help. "I hope that not having to worry about the costs associated with burying their loved ones will help as they move forward and heal," she said, per CNN. New York City Mayor Eric Adams called Cardi B "a real superstar on and off the mic" for her generosity, adding that Cardi B provided "critical financial relief." More than $4 million has been raised for victims via the Mayor's Fund's Bronx Fire Relief Fund and various GoFundMe campaigns, Africanews reports. (More Cardi B stories.)