Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, popularly known as Cardi B, came blazing unto the music scene in 2017 with her hit single ‘Bodak Yellow’. She has evolved from being a reality TV star to a grammy award-winning artist.
Cardi B first got the world’s attention through social media with her frank attitude about life as a stripper. Starting in 2015, she appeared on VH1’s reality show Love & Hip Hop: New York and left the show in 2017 to pursue music full time.
Her debut album, Invasion of Privacy was released in 2018 to much critical acclaim. It won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, making Cardi B the only woman to win the award as a solo artist. It also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, broke several streaming records, and was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
This was not Cardi B’s first venture into music, just her most commercial. In March 2016, she released her first mixtape Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1. Then later in January 2017, she released her second mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2.
In 2017, Cardi B got wed in a secret ceremony to Offset, a member of the Migos, and together they have a beautiful girl named Kulture. Cardi B is not just an artist but an entrepreneur in the making. She has partnered with big brands like M.A.C, Reebok and Tom Ford to create inspired cosmetic items, and has released a clothing line collection with Fashion Nova in 2018.
Cardi B is also very vocal about political affairs in her country and she uses her social media to advocate for good causes.
She paid a visit to Nigeria in December 2019 to perform and earned herself the name ‘Chioma B’, given to her by her fans. Part of what endeared her to Nigerians was how she kept them in the loop on how she was spending her time while in the country. She didn’t just come to perform but she experienced Lagos and took everyone on a discovery ride with her via her social media.
Writer: Dara Oluwatoye