by American rapper Belcalis Almanzar “Cardi B” is known for the 2017 hit “Bodak Yellow” as her debut single. She is a 2019 Grammy winner for the album Invasion of Privacy which was also a commercial success. In addition to rapping, Cardi is also a social media personality and has appeared in the reality show Love & Hip Hop.
Born on October 11, 1992 in The Bronx, New York, the rapper spent her childhood with her grandmother. She attended the Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology and became a member of Bloods gang. She was an employee in a supermarket in Lower Manhattan but then was fired. Living in a difficult and abusive relationship made the 19-year-old Cardi B agreed to be a stripper to save her life. She also grabbed public attention for openly discussing her job in social media. However, Cardi B dropped out of school and rose to fame through Vine and Instagram. After some of her videos went viral, she was featured in American reality show Love & Hip Hop: New York for two seasons.
Cardi B then started her music career using the stage name ‘Cardi B’ which came from the beverage brand ‘Bacardi’. She made her debut on “Boom Boom”, a remixed single from Jamaican singer Shaggy in 2015. She released Gangsta B*tch Music Vol. 1 as her first mixtape and worked with several hip-hop musicians on KSR Group compilation Underestimated: The Album in 2017. Her single “What a Girl Likes” was also included in the album. After releasing the sophomore mixtape Gangsta B*tch Music Vol. 2, Cardi B signed a record deal to Atlantic Records and made her breakthrough.
Soon, the newcomer Cardi B already received nominations from the 2017 BET Awards for best female hip hop artist and best new artist. In 2017, her first commercial debut song “Bodak Yellow” was released, successfully topped the Billboard Hot 100 and other music charts. It also went viral and certified platinum. The success followed by some collaborations and releasing the next single “Bartier Cardi”. Cardi B was also honored with two Grammy nominations in 2017 and eight Billboard Music Awards nominations in the following year, which earned her Top Rap Female Artist.
In 2018, Cardi B was highlighted in Bruno Mars’ single, “Finesse” for the remix version. After launching a single “Be Careful”, a debut album Invasion of Privacy was released and soon peaked the music charts.
As if the success was not enough, she explored herself in acting as a stripper for the film Hustlers alongside top actors Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez in 2019. The rapper also showed interest in fashion by attending several high fashion shows, including the MET Gala in custom Moschino by Jeremy Scott and Alexander Wang’s New York Fashion Week. She also collaborated with Fashion Nova and became an influential figure who connects hip-hop and fashion.
