In your face and on the charts, Cardi B is fast doubling her numbers and breaking records as one of the fastest rising rappers.
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, popularly known as Cardi B, started the journey to success with social media fame. Her videos about her life as a stripper made waves on Instagram and the now-defunct Vine. Cardi B endeared many to her side with her bold attitude towards life and her unbreakable tenacity.
In 2015, she appeared on VH1’s reality show Love & Hip Hop: New York and left the show to pursue music full time. 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. Both mixtapes gave Cardi a small taste of the success that was to come. However, her defining moment was in September 2017, when her single, ‘Bodak Yellow’, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making Cardi B the first female rapper to do so with a solo single since 1998.
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 artiste. 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.
In the past 12 months, Cardi has been making waves on the local American scene and internationally. Her two singles, ‘UP’ and ‘WAP’ featuring Megan Thee Stallion, reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, making Cardi B the female rapper with the most number-one songs. In March 2021, Cardi B became the first female rapper to earn an RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) diamond-certified single with Bodak Yellow, meaning it has shifted at least 10 million equivalent units in the U.S. alone.
She has evolved from being a reality TV star to a Grammy award-winning artiste and now an entrepreneur. She has partnered with big brands like M.A.C and Tom Ford to create inspired cosmetic items and has released a clothing line collection with Fashion Nova in 2018. The rapper also partnered with global sporting goods company Reebok to launch a collection of custom-designed sneakers.
Cardi B also has an interest in acting and made her Hollywood debut in 2019 with Hustlers. She recently joined the cast of the Fast and Furious franchise for their ninth film, F9. Forbes has recognized her as one of the most influential female rappers of all time.
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 while in the country. She has also shown an interest in revisiting while maintaining her connection to Nigerians through NET Honours.
In 2020, Cardi B won her first-ever NET Honours award and was ecstatic about it. This year, she took home the award again, and her excitement was palpable as she once again expressed her interest to come to Nigeria and spend more time with her fans.
It’s no surprise that Cardi B, or as Nigerians call her, Chioma B, is once again NET Honours Most Popular Foreign Female Celebrity.
Written by Dara Oluwatoye