"If it's up, then it's stuck."
You’ve heard it. You've probably said it. It’s one of those phrases that basically lived in the collective consciousness for all of 2021 and somehow still finds its way into captions today. But honestly, when Cardi B dropped Up as the follow-up to the cultural earthquake that was WAP, she wasn't just trying to catch lightning in a bottle twice. She was trying to prove she could hold a solo record without a massive feature like Megan Thee Stallion.
It worked. The song debuted at number two and eventually hit the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. This made Cardi the first female rapper with multiple solo number-one hits. But the lyrics? They have a backstory that is way weirder than most fans realize.
The Poop Metaphor That Caught Everyone Off Guard
Kinda hilarious, but the most famous line in the song has a very... literal inspiration. During an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Cardi didn't hold back. She explained that "if it's up, then it's stuck" can be a metaphor for, well, constipation.
"Have you ever taken a poop, right, and it don't come out? It's just up and it's stuck," she told a visibly stunned Fallon.
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She laughed it off as a joke, but she was also making a point. In street slang, the phrase usually refers to a conflict or a situation that can't be "undone." If there’s beef, it’s staying there. It’s "stuck." By mixing that gritty Atlanta-born slang with a gross-out joke, Cardi did what she does best: she stayed relatable while remaining untouchable.
Where Did the Up Lyrics Actually Come From?
There was a lot of noise when the track first landed. Two New Jersey rappers, Mir Fontane and Mir Pesos, claimed the hook was a rip-off of their song Stuck. They even posted side-by-side videos on Twitter. It looked a bit shaky for a second.
Cardi, never one to stay quiet, clapped back immediately. She showed footage from an Instagram Live on August 7, 2020—the same day WAP came out—where she was already saying "up and it's stuck." The Jersey rappers claimed they previewed their track on August 6.
The reality? The phrase "It's up and it's stuck" has been Southern slang for years. Lil Yachty used it in 2020. Travis Scott has used it. It’s a regional idiom that Cardi picked up from her husband, Offset. Most industry experts, and even the team at Genius, eventually agreed: you can't really "steal" a phrase that’s already part of the cultural lexicon. It's like trying to trademark "what's up."
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Breaking Down the Wordplay
The song is short. It’s only two minutes and 36 seconds of pure, high-energy trap. But the Up lyrics are packed with the kind of specific, designer-heavy flexes that Cardi fans live for.
That "Expensive" Energy
She opens the first verse with: "Big Bag bussin' out the Bentley bentley." It’s simple. It's punchy. The whole song is built on sixteenth-note rhythms that make it perfect for TikTok transitions. Producers Yung Dza, DJ SwanQo, Sean Island, and DJ Prince used a bass-heavy, almost drill-adjacent beat that keeps the momentum high.
The Pardison Fontaine Connection
If you look at the writing credits, you’ll see the name Jorden Thorpe. That’s Pardison Fontaine. He’s been Cardi’s "secret weapon" since the Invasion of Privacy days.
People love to use this to discredit her, but in the rap world, a co-writer like Pardi is more of a collaborator. He helps with the flow and the "pocket" of the song. Cardi provides the personality, the specific Bronx "attitude," and the raw lines that make the song hers. Honestly, without Pardi’s technical structure and Cardi’s delivery, the song wouldn't have the same "stuck in your head" quality.
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Why the Music Video Changed the Lyrics' Impact
You can’t talk about the lyrics without talking about the Tanu Muino-directed video. It starts in a graveyard with a tombstone that says "RIP 2020."
Coming out in February 2021, the song was a literal "leveling up" from the misery of the pandemic year. When she raps "I said my peace, has-been," she’s literally standing over the grave of the past. The visual of her wearing a literal outfit made of hair or the "human chandelier" moment gave the lyrics a surrealist edge. It turned a club banger into a piece of pop art.
The Cultural Legacy in 2026
It’s 2026 now, and Cardi B has just made history as the most-nominated female rapper in Grammy history for Best Rap Performance. Looking back, Up was the bridge. It proved she wasn't just a "one-album wonder."
The song's success was a middle finger to everyone who thought she needed a gimmick. It’s a track about momentum. When she says "Lookin' my mirror, I'm closer than I appear," she’s talking about her own growth.
How to use these insights:
- For Creators: Use the "Up" hook for content about persistence or "stuck" situations—it still trends because the slang is universal.
- For Writers: Study the "sixteenth-note" delivery in the verses. It’s a masterclass in how to make a song feel faster than it actually is.
- For Fans: Don't get caught up in the ghostwriter drama. Collaboration is the engine of modern hip-hop, and Cardi’s credits are as transparent as they come.
The real takeaway? If you’re going to release a song, make sure the hook is something people can use in their daily lives. Whether it’s about a bad situation or, well, a bathroom issue, making it "stuck" is the goal.
Next Step: Check out the official "Up" credits on Tidal or Spotify to see the full list of seven songwriters who helped shape this 2-minute anthem. It’s a fascinating look at how many people it takes to build a "solo" hit.