Cardi B Just Made History As a Female Rapper
Rapper Cardi B has gone further than any Love & Hip Hop fan ever imagined. Choosing to quit the show, the TV star dedicated her entire career to music. After signing with Atlantic Records in 2017, she released her breakthrough single “Bodak Yellow,” which launched her to global fame and marked the beginning of a successful career for the “Be Careful” songwriter.
Fast forward to 2021, Cardi B’s career continues to thrive. One of her biggest milestones came in March of 2021 when she made history as the first female rapper with a diamond-certified single.
How Cardi B got famous
Like many stars of the 2010s, Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almánzar, first attracted buzz on social media, where she would often make funny videos about her life as a stripper. Her unique sense of humor and unfiltered attitude resonated with viewers and eventually helped her amass a huge following.
Soon, producers for Love & Hip Hop: New York came knocking. Cardi B told The New York Post she initially “was a bit skeptical” about joining the show, as she had started to work on music. But she couldn’t resist the opportunity. She would make her debut on the show in 2015.
Cardi B’s journey from being on ‘Love & Hip Hop’ to being a rapper
Throughout the two seasons that Cardi B was on Love & Hip Hop: New York, she continued to rap. After seeing success there — Vice called her first mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 (2016), “the first good record to come out of Love and Hip-Hop” — she decided it was time to take things to the next level. That December, Cardi B announced she was quitting the show to hone in on her music.
By the next year, she had become one of the world’s hottest rappers thanks to her breakout single “Bodak Yellow,” which sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks in a row, according to XXL.
The song was the lead single on her Grammy-winning debut album, Invasion of Privacy, which spawned other big hits such as “I Like It” and “Bartier Cardi.”
‘Bodak Yellow’ remains a big deal
Even years later, Cardi B has still seen success with “Bodak Yellow.” According to Forbes, the song has even been certified diamond by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), which means it’s sold over 10 million units.
Moving forward, she intends to continue putting out music. In the lead-up to Cardi B’s second album, she’s released songs such as “WAP” and “Up,” both of which have also seen success. However, there’s no official release date for that project as of writing.
