In conjunction with Women’s History Month, Cardi B, a 28-year-old rapper, revealed her new business venture in the doll market.

Cardi announced the launch of her doll on “The TODAY Show” on March 5. She revealed that when she was a kid, she had never seen a doll that looked like her. Now that the rapper has a daughter of her own, she wanted to take the opportunity to make a doll in her own likeness.  

“When this doll business got presented to me, one of the reasons I decided to do it is because I’m a girl’s mom,” Cardi said on Instagram Live. “Nowadays, these dolls are not like Barbies. They are way more expensive. They come with way more fashion and are way more diverse. They come so chic, and I constantly gotta spend money on these dolls. My daughter constantly wants me to buy these dolls, she actually has a preference.”

Fans expected Cardi to announce her much-anticipated second studio album but got a doll instead. She released her first studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,” in 2018. 

Cardi later deactivated her Twitter account and responded to the criticism on an Instagram Live session. 

“People don’t just get rich just off music,” Cardi said on Instagram Live. “I got to venture off to do something — to do other business ventures. It’s fucking whack every time I do a business venture you got people harassing me for an album. Mind you, I clearly stated after this song (Up) I’m going to keep working on my album. I’m not putting out no singles until I drop my album.”

Doll enthusiasts also criticized Cardi. The digital mockup of the doll that was officially released on the rapper’s Instagram shares a resemblance to the popular L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls. The dolls, created by MGA Entertainment, are known for their curvy body type, rounded heads and massive eyes. These attributes are also seen on Cardi’s mockup of her doll. 

Cardi once again took to Instagram Live. She claimed that MGA Entertainment manufactured her doll, which explains the noticeable resemblance between the two doll lines. However, Toy Insider, a reputable toy news site, debunked the claim as it announced that the doll was actually backed by NECA, which is better known for manufacturing licensed action figures. 

Despite the criticism, Cardi’s doll sold out minutes after its launch. She worked alongside Real Women Are, a diverse doll brand run by women of color. The brand aims to create toys that better reflect women of today. Cardi plans to expand the line with dolls made in the likeness of other musical artists and of working-class women, like nurses or police officers. The doll retailed for $35 and was available to pre-order for only 72 hours on realwomenare.com. All quantities are expected to ship in July. 

“It’s important to see dolls that look like them because growing up, I ain’t never seen a doll that looked like me, I’ve never seen a doll that really represents me,” Cardi said on “The TODAY Show.” “When you go to the doll aisle when you was my age, it’s either like there’s a real white one, there’s a real dark one, and there’s like barely one that’s like in the middle. None of them have my style, none of them have my flavor, and it’s like I want a doll that represents me.”

Though Cardi B’s doll was not starved from controversy, the rapper continues to expand her brand and exceed expectations with her business-oriented mindset.