Cardi B And Kehlani’s “Safe” Collab Wins Best Hip-Hop At 2026 VMAs
Cardi B and Kehlani have added another major award to their résumé. Their “Safe” collaboration won Best Hip-Hop at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday night, September 27. This collab is on Cardi’s 2025 Billboard 200 chart-topping “Am I The Drama?” album. It’s also their second collaboration since 2018’s “Ring,” from Cardi’s debut album “Invasion Of Privacy.”
The 2026 VMAs are taking place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Snoop Dogg hosting the ceremony. The show is being broadcast on CBS and MTV.
“Safe” was up against a strong group of hip-hop releases in the category. Cardi B and Kehlani ultimately took home the Moon Person for the collaboration, adding another VMA victory to Cardi’s decorated awards history and giving Kehlani another major honor during her current era.
The win also highlights the continued impact of “Safe,” which brought together two major voices from different sides of the hip-hop and R&B worlds.
Cardi B And Kehlani Earn Best Hip-Hop Victory
The Best Hip-Hop category featured several of the biggest names in rap.
Cardi B and Kehlani’s “Safe” competed against Don Toliver’s “E85,” Drake’s “Janice STFU,” Megan Thee Stallion’s “LOVER GIRL,” Travis Scott’s “DUMBO,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE.”
That lineup made the category particularly competitive, with established superstars and some of the biggest names in contemporary hip-hop.
Cardi and Kehlani ultimately came away with the award, giving “Safe” another significant achievement.
For Cardi, the victory adds to a career that has already included multiple MTV VMA wins. She has previously taken home awards for songs including “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion and “Money,” while also earning recognition in several other categories throughout her career.
Kehlani, meanwhile, has continued to build an impressive résumé across R&B and pop culture, and “Safe” gave her an opportunity to compete directly in one of the VMAs’ hip-hop categories.
“Safe” Brings Cardi B And Kehlani Together
The collaboration between Cardi B and Kehlani created plenty of anticipation because of the artists involved.
Cardi has spent much of her career dominating hip-hop with major singles, albums, collaborations and chart-topping records. Kehlani has established herself as one of contemporary R&B’s most recognizable singers and songwriters.
“Safe” allows the two artists to combine those strengths on the same record.
The song also represents another major collaboration in Cardi’s catalog as she continues to expand her musical output. Throughout her career, Cardi has regularly worked with artists from different genres, including Bruno Mars, Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Megan Thee Stallion and Maroon 5.
Kehlani has similarly built a catalog filled with collaborations across R&B, hip-hop and pop.
Their pairing therefore made “Safe” a natural crossover moment, while the Best Hip-Hop win confirms its place among this year’s recognized rap releases at the VMAs.
Cardi B Continues Her VMA Legacy
Cardi B has already enjoyed several memorable moments at the MTV Video Music Awards.
Her first VMA wins came during the early stages of her career, when she was rapidly becoming one of hip-hop’s biggest stars. Since then, she has continued to appear in major categories and collect awards for both her solo work and collaborations.
Her 2019 VMA run included wins for “Money” and “Taki Taki,” while her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion on “WAP” also became a major VMA moment.
The latest victory for “Safe” adds another award to that history.
It also arrives during another important period for Cardi as she continues to release music and maintain her position as one of the most recognizable artists in hip-hop.
The Bronx rapper has consistently used major award shows as opportunities to celebrate her music, fashion and larger personality. Her VMA history is now connected to another collaboration, this time alongside Kehlani.
Kehlani Adds Another Major Achievement
The award is also an important moment for Kehlani.
The Oakland-born singer has built a career around her distinctive R&B sound, beginning with her early mixtapes before releasing projects such as SweetSexySavage, It Was Good Until It Wasn’t and blue water road.
She has earned Grammy nominations and developed a large international fan base through her music and touring. Moreover, her “Folded” single also won two Grammys, earlier this year.
Her work with Cardi B on “Safe” allowed her to step into another major hip-hop collaboration, and the song’s VMA victory gives her another high-profile achievement to add to her career.
Kehlani has also worked with some of the biggest names in hip-hop over the years, making collaborations a significant part of her catalog.
The “Safe” win demonstrates how her R&B background can work alongside Cardi’s rap style to create a record that receives recognition in the hip-hop field.
“Safe” Wins In A Star-Studded Hip-Hop Category
The competition for Best Hip-Hop was particularly notable this year.
Don Toliver entered the category with “E85,” while Drake was nominated for “Janice STFU.” Megan Thee Stallion’s “LOVER GIRL,” Travis Scott’s “DUMBO,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “SUGAR ON MY TONGUE” rounded out the nominees alongside “Safe.”
The variety of artists represented the wide range of sounds currently found throughout hip-hop.
Drake and Travis Scott represented established superstar rap, while Tyler, The Creator continued his genre-bending approach. Megan Thee Stallion brought another major female rap presence to the category, and Don Toliver represented the newer generation of artists who have become major forces in the genre.
Cardi B and Kehlani ultimately emerged with the award.
That makes “Safe” one of the songs officially recognized by MTV among this year’s leading hip-hop releases.
2026 VMAs Feature Major Moments
The Best Hip-Hop victory is only one of the major moments taking place during this year’s VMAs.
Snoop Dogg is hosting the ceremony, marking a full-circle moment for the legendary rapper. Madonna is also performing at the VMAs for the first time in 23 years, while Nirvana is receiving the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award.
Taylor Swift is also receiving the inaugural Artist Director Honors, recognizing her work in music video direction and visual storytelling.
The ceremony is taking place on the West Coast for the first time since 2017, giving the 2026 show another notable distinction.
Against that backdrop, Cardi B and Kehlani are leaving the night with a major victory of their own.
Cardi B And Kehlani Celebrate “Safe” VMA Win
The Best Hip-Hop award gives Cardi B and Kehlani another major milestone to celebrate together.
“Safe” successfully stood out in a category that featured several of the biggest names in hip-hop, earning the collaboration a Moon Person at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
For Cardi, it continues her long history of success at one of music’s biggest annual award shows. For Kehlani, it adds another major accolade to an already accomplished R&B career.
Most importantly, the victory gives both artists another memorable moment from a collaboration that brought together hip-hop and R&B.
Cardi B and Kehlani’s “Safe” is officially the winner of Best Hip-Hop at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.
The post Cardi B and Kehlani’s “Safe” wins Best Hip-Hop at VMAs appeared first on Hip Hop Vibe.
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