Cardi B has addressed a longstanding rumour suggesting she was an industry plant created to replace Nicki Minaj as the Queen of Rap.

The hip-hop stars have been in a highly publicised feud since 2017, with the beef intensifying in September 2018 when the Bodak Yellow rapper threw a shoe at the Super Bass hitmaker during an after-party held at New York Fashion Week.

During an interview for the Call Her Daddy podcast on Thursday, Cardi responded to the speculation that her persona was designed by record label bosses so there was an alternative to Nicki in the music industry.

"People have made this whole story that I came (into) the industry to like take over somebody's career," she told host Alex Cooper. "But it's like, I never thought that. I just wanted to become famous at what I like to do... Sometimes people just don't get along with each other. This is what I was destined for. I was meant to become this, no matter who signed me, no matter what. I was going to be famous and I was going to be a rapper."

Cardi, real name Belcalis Almánzar, went on to insist she has always "invested" her own money into her career and is "done" with the feud - despite not referring to Nicki personally.

Elsewhere in the chat, the I Like It star also reflected on the reason why she thinks she courts so much controversy within the rap scene.

"I'm so relatable. And I think they think like it's like, 'Why am I not in her position? Why her and not me?' I might be relatable, I might make it look easy, but it's really not. I put a lot of thought into it. I have a team," the 32-year-old mused.

Cardi, who is pregnant with her fourth child, recently unveiled her second album, Am I The Drama?