Cardi B explains her catchphrases to Jimmy Fallon while co-hosting The Tonight Show
This is Cardi B’s world, and Jimmy Fallon is just co-hosting it.
The Invasion of Privacy rapper made her co-hosting debut on The Tonight Show on Monday night, when she zinged President Trump during the shared opening monologue, played a hilarious round of Box of Lies, and broke down some of her signature sound effects for Fallon.
There’s “Eeeeooowww!” — which, if you’re going to replicate this at home, sounds like “a cat that’s going through pain” and it’s used for when you get good news “but it’s not exciting.” Example: “Oh, I have a new job. Eeeooowww!”
Then there’s the higher pitched “Eeeeooowww!” That’s for more exciting news, like “Oh my god, I’m hosting the Jimmy Fallon show. Eeeeooowww!”
“Okurrr” (or, as it’s styled in the clip above, “Okuuurt”) is Cardi B’s signature replacement for “okay.” “It’s like a cold pigeon in New York City,” she explained.
Cardi B had just appeared as the musical guest for Saturday Night Live when emerged on stage to confirm her pregnancy. “I never really wanted to reveal that I had a baby,” she told Fallon, joking, “I could’ve gotten away with it if it wasn’t for those meddling paparazzi.”
Miley Cyrus had previously appeared in a similar manner on The Tonight Show, but Cardi B’s co-hosting title was seemingly an official distinction from NBC that entailed the rapper sharing the opener, joining Fallon in comedy bits and games, and co-interviewing his guests — which included John Mulaney.
“I might go into labor, too, I’m making history tonight!” she exclaimed during the monologue. “My album just dropped, but I’m the first late-night co-host that isn’t a white guy. What’s up?”
In addition to giving her song “Money Bag” its television debut, she also played a brief round of Box of Lies. She seemed confused by the premise initially — Fallon had to guess whether she was lying or telling the truth about what item was in a mystery box — but she made it her own.
When Fallon asked for clues, he got the vague responses of, “It’s fluffy… or is it?” and “it’s not a peach.”
Admittedly, she didn’t know what to call the item in her box: two mechanical fluffy balls rolling around a plastic pen. So she went with, “P—y balls. Are they p—y balls or not?”
Watch more clips from Cardi B’s co-hosting turn above.