Her debut studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, broke several streaming records, was certified triple platinum by the RIAA and named by Billboard the top female rap album of the 2010s. Critically acclaimed, it won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Cardi B the only woman to win the award as a solo artist, as well as the first female rap artist in 15 years to be nominated for Album of the Year. It spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100; "Bodak Yellow", which made her the only female rapper to achieve a Diamond-certified song by the RIAA, and the second female rapper to top the chart with a solo output following Lauryn Hill in 1998, and "I Like It", which made her the first female rapper to attain multiple number-one songs on the chart. Her Maroon 5 collaboration "Girls Like You" made her the only female rapper to top the Hot 100 three times. "WAP", the lead single of her second album, made her the only female rap artist to achieve Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping singles in two decades (2010s and 2020s). "Up", the following single, made her the only female rapper to achieve multiple Hot 100 number ones with solo songs, and extended her record as the female rapper with the most Hot 100 number-one singles as her fifth leader.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential female rappers of all time, Cardi B is known for her aggressive flow and candid lyrics, which have received widespread media coverage. She is the highest-certified female rapper of all time on the RIAA's Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, also appearing among the ten highest-certified female artists. She is the female rapper with the most billion-streamers on Spotify, and became the first artist to top the inaugural Billboard Global 200. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, eight Billboard Music Awards, five Guinness World Records, five American Music Awards, eleven BET Hip Hop Awards and two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. In 2018 Time magazine included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, Billboard honored her as Woman of the Year.
Never Give Up
Cardi B Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Josh X
I see the pain in your eyes
And truth is, only the strong survive
And you still here, so from here you only gon' rise
Spread them wings so they can tell you how far you gonna fly
You don't gotta pop them pills
I know there's a lot of fake love
But there's love that's actually real
But that can't stop you now
You're already on the battle field
Took everythin' that came your way
Almost at the top of the hill, fly, baby, fly
Never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That we'll never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That I will never give up
Don't be so quick to just give in
If you give up now, how you gon' win?
I know them stressful nights made you and the pills best friends
I know it feels good, but this shit just got to end
I'm countin' on you, boo
Put this peer pressure on you
If I overcame that shit
I know you can make it, too
I don't want to see you lose
There's other ways to heal that bruise
I know you can make it to see
What's at the end of the solution, shine, baby, shine
Never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That we'll never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That I will never give up (never give up)
Don't jump now (never give up)
I'll come for you (never give up)
I'm here for you
Never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That we'll never give up
We're almost at the top of the hill now
It took a long time to heal now
And you know that I know, and you know, and they know
That I will never give up
I love you
The song "Never Give Up" by Cardi B, featuring Josh X, is an uplifting anthem about overcoming adversity and persevering through difficult times. In the verses, Cardi acknowledges the pain in the listener's eyes and reminds them that only the strong survive. She urges them to spread their wings and rise above their struggles, without resorting to drugs as a coping mechanism. Cardi believes in the listener and puts peer pressure on them to keep fighting, assuring them that she is standing by their side and that they can make it through.
The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the phrase "never give up," as they are almost at the top of the hill after a long healing process. She acknowledges that the healing took time and tears, but it will all be worth it in the end. Cardi reminds the listener that she loves them, adding a personal touch to the encouraging lyrics. The song is highly motivational, intended to lift the spirits of those who may be going through a dark time and offering a reminder that it's always possible to keep pushing forward.
Line by Line Meaning
I see the pain in your eyes
I can tell that you're going through something difficult and it's written all over your face.
And truth is, only the strong survive
It's a hard world out there, and only those who are strong are able to make it through.
And you still here, so from here you only gon' rise
Despite everything you've gone through, you're still here, and this is just the beginning of your rise to the top.
Spread them wings so they can tell you how far you gonna fly
Embrace your potential and show others just how high you can soar.
You don't gotta pop them pills
You don't have to rely on medication to feel better.
I know just how you feel
I can relate to how you're feeling, and I understand the struggle you're going through.
I know there's a lot of fake love
There are people in the world who don't genuinely care about you, and it can be hard to tell who's real and who's just pretending.
But there's love that's actually real
Despite the fake love, there are still people who truly love and care for you.
But that can't stop you now
Even if you're struggling, you're strong enough to push through and keep going.
You're already on the battle field
Life is a constant battle, but you're already in the thick of it and fighting hard.
Took everythin' that came your way
You've faced all the challenges that have come your way and come out on top.
Almost at the top of the hill, fly, baby, fly
You're almost at the top of your success, so spread your wings and soar to even greater heights.
Don't be so quick to just give in
Don't give up too easily without a fight.
If you give up now, how you gon' win?
You'll never achieve your goals if you give up before the finish line.
I know them stressful nights made you and the pills best friends
I know you've relied on medication to get through tough times in the past.
I know it feels good, but this shit just got to end
While it may be comforting in the moment, relying on pills isn't a sustainable solution and it's time to find a better way to cope.
I'm countin' on you, boo
I believe in you and think you're capable of overcoming your struggles.
Put this peer pressure on you
I'm challenging you to rise to the occasion and push past your struggles.
If I overcame that shit
I've faced similar struggles in the past and was able to overcome them.
I know you can make it, too
I believe in you and know that you can overcome whatever challenges come your way.
I don't want to see you lose
I care about you and don't want to see you struggle or give up.
There's other ways to heal that bruise
There are healthier and more sustainable ways to cope with your struggles instead of relying on medication.
I know you can make it to see what's at the end of the solution, shine, baby, shine
I believe that if you can find a healthier way to cope with your struggles, you'll be able to achieve success and shine in your own way.
Don't jump now (never give up)
Don't give up or make any drastic decisions without thinking through the consequences.
I'll come for you (never give up)
I'll be there to support and help you through your struggles.
I'm here for you
I'm here to offer my support and help you through whatever struggles come your way.
I love you
I care about you and want to see you succeed and be happy.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Belcalis Almanzar, Delroy Ford, Josh Exantus, Karl Alexis, Klenord Raphael, Martinez Luiz, Mears Richard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Patrick Unger
This song really helps me because I'm in recovery from drugs and alcohol, and I'm sure Cardi B understands just from the lyrics in this song. Shit takes time to heal in life. This song is motivation and makes me cry as I think about it. I pray I will never give up, one day at a time, one moment at a time. Thanks Cardi.
Jetta Read
Me too 💜🙏
Stampette
Got this on repeat! I needed this! Thank you Cardi!
iq2992
Thank you Cardi B. What other mainstream rapper gonna do a song like this? Mad respect. Makes even more impact coming from a female for some reason. This song is and will change lives.
The Zamboni Master
Not really 🤣
ElleFierce D.
I burst into tears when I first heard this song. I was like....😭😭"Okay Cardi I won't give up!😭😭😭
Jetta Read
Me too 😌❤️
Sarah Michelle
Damn Cardi B, pull at all my heart strings. I definitely needed a song like this.
Rose
I always used to skip this song on her album but now I’ve listened to it I’m literally In love.
Tomas Plunksnis
Same.