Be Careful

## Single by Cardi B

### Songwriters

Belcalis Almanzar • Matthew Samuels • Anderson Hernandez • Adam Feeney • Jordan Thorpe • Marilyn Bergman • Alan Bergman • Robert Diggs • Lauryn Hill • Clifford Smith • Lamont Hawkins • Dennis Coles • Gary Grice • Jason Hunter • Russell Jones • Corey Woods • Marvin Hamlisch • Cassius Bilbro

## *Invasion of Privacy* track listing

**"Be Careful"** is a song recorded by Cardi B. It was released on March 29, 2018, as the third single from her debut studio album *Invasion of Privacy*, a week before the album released. The song was written by Cardi, Pardison Fontaine, and produced by Boi-1da, Vinylz, and Frank Dukes. It contains an interpolation from "Ex-Factor", written and performed by Lauryn Hill, which itself samples "Can It Be All So Simple", written and performed by Wu-Tang Clan. The latter song also samples "The Way We Were". Therefore, Hill, the eight members of Wu-Tang Clan, and Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman are all credited among the songwriters.

"Be Careful" peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and topped the Rhythmic Songs chart. Internationally it reached the top 40 in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The song was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It received a nomination for Best Rap Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards On April 7, 2018, Cardi performed the song on Saturday Night Live, where she revealed the pregnancy of her first child.

## Background

A demo of some lines for "Be Careful" was first recorded by co-writer Pardison Fontaine. Cardi added the hook and wrote the rest of the song, with production completed with the help of producers Frank Dukes, Boi-1da and Vinylz. Cardi was motivated to write the song when she was in New York City finishing her debut album, *Invasion of Privacy* (2018). Annoyed about her past romantic relationships and the unfaithfulness in them, she found herself tense and upset – prioritising work, with too many bad thoughts. Initially some listeners believed the song was addressed to Cardi's husband Offset, however she denied this. The song was recorded in February 2018.

## Composition

"Be Careful" is one of the few songs in Cardi's discography where she performs a sung verse. Cardi performs the hook using a softly sung vocal style over a "laidback" beat. The song also comprises "flickering" hi-hats and "slick" synths. Lyrically, the song is about infidelity, where Cardi warns her cheating partner and asks him to treat her better. During an interview, Cardi expressed she drew inspiration from past relationships when writing the song.

"Be Careful" contains an interpolation of "Ex-Factor", song written and performed by rapper Lauryn Hill, which itself samples "Can It Be All So Simple", written and performed by Wu-Tang Clan. The latter song also samples "The Way We Were". Therefore, Hill, the eight members of Wu-Tang Clan, and Marvin Hamlisch, Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman are all credited among the songwriters.

## Commercial performance

"Be Careful" was a modest commercial success on the charts. It debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at 16 on April 14, 2018, before rising and peaking at 11, boosted by the Invasion of Privacy album release. It was Cardi's 7th song to chart on the Hot 100, and was Cardi's 3rd song to debut within the top 20. The song would go on to spend 20 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Worldwide, "Be Careful" experienced Top 40 success in several countries, including Belgium, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Greece and New Zealand. "Be Careful" peaked at 59 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 for 2018.

## Music video

Directed by Jora Frantzis, the song's music video premiered on May 21, 2018. The clip opens with a wedding in a church filled with Jesus statues and crucifixes located in the middle of the dessert. Cardi walks down the aisle in a wedding dress. The clip shifts to a darker hue as the rapper returns to the church, this time for her husband's funeral. The music video was filmed at the Sanctuary Adventist Church in Lancaster, California.

## Lyrics

**[Intro]**

Yeah, care for me, care for me, care for me, uh

Yeah, look

**[Verse 1]**

I wanna get married, like the Currys,

Steph and Ayesha shit

But we more like "Belly", Tommy and Keisha shit

Gave you TLC, you wanna creep and shit

Poured out my whole heart to a piece of shit

Man, I thought you would have learned your lesson

'Bout likin' pictures, not returning texts

I guess it's fine, man, I get the message

You still stutter after certain questions

You keep in contact with certain exes

Do you, though? Trust me *[N-word]*, it's cool, though

Said that you was workin', but you out there chasin' culo

And putas, chillin' poolside, livin' two lives

I could have did what you did to me to you a few times

But if I decide to slide,

find a *[N-word]*, fuck him, suck his dick,

you would have been pissed

But that's not my M.O., I'm not that type of bitch

And karma for you is gon' be who you end up with

You make me sick, *[N-word]*

**[Chorus]**

The only man, baby, I adore

I gave you everythinng, what's mine is yours

I want you to live your life of course

But I hope you get what you dyin' for

Be careful with me, do you know what you doin'?

Whose feelings that you're hurtin' and bruisin'?

You gon' gain the whole world

But is it worth the girl that you're losin'?

Be careful with me

Yeah, it's not a threat, it's a warning

Be careful with me

Yeah, my heart is like a package with a fragile label on it

Be careful with me

**[Bridge]**

Care for me, care for me,

Always said that you'd be there for me, there for me

Boy, you better treat me carefully, carefully, look

**[Verse 2]**

I was here before all of this

Guess you actin' out now, you got an audience

Tell me where your mind is, drop a pin, what's the coordinates?

You might have a fortune, but you lose me, you still gon' be misfortunate, *[N-word]*

Tell me, this love's got you this fucked up in the head

You want some random bitch up in your bed?

She don't even know your middle name,

watch her cause she might steal your chain

You don't want someone who loves you instead?

I guess not though

It's blatant disrespect, you nothin' like the *[N-word]* I met

Talk to me crazy and you quick to forget

You even got me trippin', you got me lookin' in the mirror different

Thinkin' I'm flawed because you inconsistent

Between a rock and a hard place, the mud and the dirt

It's gon' hurt me to hate you, but lovin' you is worse

It all stops so abrupt, we started switchin' it up

Teach me to be like you so I can not give a fuck

Free to mess with someone else, I wish these feelings could melt

'Cause you don't care about a thing except your mothafuckin' self

You make me sick, *[N-word]*

**[Chorus]**

The only man, baby, I adore

I gave you everythinng, what's mine is yours

I want you to live your life of course

But I hope you get what you dyin' for

Be careful with me, do you know what you doin'?

Whose feelings that you're hurtin' and bruisin'?

You gon' gain the whole world

But is it worth the girl that you're losin'?

Be careful with me

Yeah, it's not a threat, it's a warning

Be careful with me

Yeah, my heart is like a package with a fragile label on it

Be careful with me.