The 26-year-old I Like It hitmaker - real name Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar - responded to the controversy with an Instagram post where she explained she "always own my s***" and admitted she did what she had to "to make a living".
In the lengthy post, Cardi - who is now mother to 8-month-old daughter Kulture - explained she didn't want to glorify her past working in the sex industry and stressed the men she associated with from that time were "conscious, willing and aware" of what was going on between them.
"So I'm seeing on social media that a live I did 3 years ago has popped back up. A live where I talked about things I had to do in my past right or wrong that I felt I needed to go to make a living. I never claim to be perfect of come from a perfect world wit a perfect past I always speak my truth I always own my s***.
"'Im apart of a hip hop culture where you can talk about where you come from talk about the wrong things you had to do to get where you are. There are rappers that glorify murder violence drugs an robbing. Crimes they feel they had to do to survive."
"I never glorified the things I brought up in my music because I'm not proud of it and feel a responsibility not to glorify it. I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options. I was blessed to have been able to rise from that but so many women have not. Whether or not they were poor choices at the time I did what I had to do to survive. The men I spoke about in my live were men that I dated that I was involve with men that were conscious willing and aware. I have a past that I can't change we all do."
Social media descended into a frenzy over the original footage, with many calling for the controversial artist to be held accountable for her admissions.
The scandal also spawned the hashtag #SurvivingCardiB, a parody on the recent R Kelly documentary.
"Is there going to be a public cancellation towards Cardi B for admitting she drugged men, then robbed them years ago - or is she going to get a pass?" one person tweeted.
"I just don't understand how she can get away with ALL these crimes. Really disgusting, really sad," another wrote.
This isn't Cardi's first brush with legal issues.
In September 2018, the Bodak Yellow songstress got into a physical fight with fellow rapper Nicki Minaj at the Harper's Bazaar Icons bash during New York Fashion Week.
The altercation ended with Cardi being escorted from the event by security.
One month later, she surrendered herself to New York police charged with assault and reckless endangerment over a strip club brawl which injured a female employee.
Reports claim the singer ordered the attack on two bartenders working at the Queens establishment, one of whom allegedly slept with her husband Offset.