Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Cephus (née Almánzar;[a] born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper. She is one of the most commercially successful female rappers of her generation. Born and raised in New York City, she first gained popularity through videos shared on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York, which depicted her pursuit of her music aspirations, and earned further recognition with the release of her two mixtapes: Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1 (2016) and Vol. 2 (2017).
Cardi B
Her first studio album, Invasion of Privacy (2018), debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was ranked the top female rap album of the 2010s by Billboard. Critically acclaimed, it made Cardi B the first female artist to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a solo artist, and marked the first female rap album in 15 years nominated for Album of the Year. It spawned two number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100; with "Bodak Yellow", its lead single, Cardi B became the first female rapper to top the Hot 100 with a solo song in the 21st century and the first to achieve a diamond-certified song by the RIAA, while "I Like It" marked the first time a female rapper attained multiple number-one songs on the Hot 100. Her third Hot 100 number-one, the collaboration "Girls Like You" with band Maroon 5, made her the only female rapper to achieve multiple diamond-certified songs by the RIAA. She has since released two singles: "WAP" (featuring Megan Thee Stallion) in 2020 and "Up" in 2021, both of which topped the Hot 100 and other charts worldwide.
Outside of music, Cardi B served as a judge on the music competition series Rhythm + Flow (2019), appeared in the films Hustlers (2019) and F9 (2021), and had a voice role in Baby Shark's Big Movie! (2023). In 2022, she became the creative director of entertainment magazine Playboy.
Recognized by Forbes as one of the most influential female rappers of all time, Cardi B holds various records among women in hip hop; she is the female rapper with the most number-one singles (five) on the Billboard Hot 100, as the only to achieve multiple solo number-ones and the only to earn number-ones in two decades (2010s and 2020s) on the chart. She is also the female rapper with the most diamond-certified songs (three) by the RIAA, the highest-certified female rapper of all time on their Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, and has 100 million certified units (album and songs) sold in the US alone. Additionally, she is the female rapper with the most songs with a billion streams on Spotify—where she also has the most-streamed female rap album. She was the first lead artist to top the Billboard Global 200. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, eight Billboard Music Awards, six Guinness World Records, six American Music Awards, 14 BET Hip Hop Awards, and two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. In 2018, Time magazine included her on its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020, Billboard honored her as Woman of the Year.
Early life
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar was born on October 11, 1992, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.[2][3] Her father Carlos is Dominican and her mother Clara is a Trinidadian of African and Spanish descent; Almánzar identifies as an Afro-Latina.[4][2][5][6][7] Almánzar was raised in the Highbridge neighborhood of the South Bronx,[8][9][10] and spent much time at her paternal grandmother's home in Washington Heights, which she credits with giving her "such a thick accent."[11] Almánzar developed the stage name "Cardi B" as a derivation of Bacardi, a rum brand that was formerly her nickname.[12] She has a younger sister, Hennessy Carolina, who was born in 1995. She has said she was a gang member with the Bloods in her youth, since age 16,[13][14] but stated she would not encourage joining a gang.[15] She attended Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology, a vocational high school on the Herbert H. Lehman High School campus.[16]
During her teens, Cardi B was employed at a grocery store in Tribeca.[17] She was fired and became a dancer at a strip club across the street.[18][19] Cardi B has said that becoming a stripper was positive for her life in many ways: "It really saved me from a lot of things. When I started stripping I went back to school."[20][21][22] She stated that she became a stripper to escape poverty and domestic violence, having been in an abusive relationship at the time after being kicked out of her mother's house,[23][24] and that stripping was her only way to earn enough money to escape the situation and get an education.[25] She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College[26] before eventually dropping out.[27] While stripping, Cardi B lied to her mother by telling her she was making money by babysitting.[28]
In 2013, she began to gain publicity due to several of her videos spreading on social media, on Vine and her Instagram page.[29]
Artistry
Influences
In Billboard's "You Should Know" series, Cardi B said the first albums she ever purchased were by American entertainers Missy Elliott and Tweet, respectively.[11] She has credited Puerto Rican rapper Ivy Queen[233] and Jamaican dancehall artist Spice[234] as influences, as well as Beyoncé,[235] Lady Gaga,[236] Lil' Kim,[237] Madonna,[17] and Selena.[238] She has mentioned Chicago drill music as an important influence.[239] When asked about the initial direction for her music, Cardi B said in an interview,
Other ventures
Products and endorsements
In February 2017, she partnered with M.A.C and Rio Uribe's Gypsy Sport for a New York Fashion Week event.[51] Her April appearance in i-D's "A-Z of Music" video was sponsored by designer Marc Jacobs,[56] and she made the cover of The Fader's July/August 2017 Summer Music issue.[70] Tom Ford's Cardi B-inspired lipstick, named after her, was released in September 2018. It sold out within 24 hours.[256] In November, she released a clothing line collection with Fashion Nova.[257] The same month she partnered with Reebok, promoting the brand's Aztrek sneaker.[258] In partnership with Reebok, she released a footwear and apparel collection in 2020, inspired by her personal style and paying homage to "classic 80s styling" and motifs.[259] She released her second collection with Reebok in 2021, titled "Let Me Be...In My World", comprising sneakers, tracksuits, and corsets, inspired by everyday life in New York City.[260] The third collection with the brand, "Mommy & Me", was released in May 2021 in recognition of Mother's Day, which includes Cardi's iteration of Club C shoes for adults, children, and infants.[261] The next, titled "Let Me Be...Enchanted" was released in two parts in June and July 2022; it was revealed to be inspired by "a state of enchantment and euphoria" and included crop tops, faux fur jackets, and leotards along with footwear.[262][263] The fifth and final collection, "Let Me Be...Next Level Energy", was also released in two parts in September and December 2022, concluding her four-year partnership with Reebok.[264][265] Inspired by Cardi B's "unmatched energy", the collection consisted of bodysuits, crop tops, footwear, leggings, and woven jackets—of a color palette based on crystals.[264]
Cardi B teamed up with Pepsi for three television commercials, which aired during the Super Bowl LIII, the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, and Christmas.[266][267] In early 2019, Cardi also joined other hip hop artists (including her husband Offset, as part of Migos) in releasing her flavors of snack food Rap Snacks: two flavors of chips, and two of popcorn. The bags' artwork was designed by Jai Manselle and inspired by the cover of Invasion of Privacy.[268][269]
In December 2021, Cardi B partnered with PLBY Group Inc. as creative director in residence for Playboy and founding member of Centerfold, a creator-driven website in the works. The partnership also includes fashion and sexual wellness products.[270]
In February 2023, Cardi B and Offset partnered with McDonald's to create the Cardi B and Offset meal, which was launched on Valentine's Day.[271] The meal was first announced in the 2023 McDonald's Super Bowl commercial which the couple appeared in.[272] In October, she fronted the campaign for Skims' Cotton Collection.[273] The campaign generated over $4 million in media impact value (MIV).[274] In December 2023, she made her runway debut at the Balenciaga fall 2024 show in Los Angeles.[275]
In February 2024, Cardi B starred in NYX Cosmetics' inaugural Super Bowl commercial for Super Bowl LVIII, titled "Lips Only".[276][277] An edited version of the advert—centered around the company's Duck Plump lip gloss—was broadcast during the commercial break, due to ribald themes of humor.[278]
Cardi Tries
She premiered the series Cardi Tries via Facebook Messenger in December 2020, with herself as one of the executive producers.[281] The web series ran for three seasons until April 2023.[282][283]
Public image
Political statements
Cardi B identifies as a feminist.[285] The rapper has been called "unabashedly, directly political"[15] and often uses social media to advocate for causes she believes in, such as gun control.[286] During the 2016 presidential primaries, she warned her fans of President Trump's immigration policies and encouraged them to vote for Senator Bernie Sanders.[287][288] At the Grammy Awards in 2018, she appeared in a video along with Hillary Clinton to narrate a portion of Fire and Fury, Michael Wolff's insider's account of Trump's administration, and stated "Why am I even reading this shit? I can't believe this. I can't believe—this is how he really lives his life?"[289]
Early in 2018 she used her social media to demand transparency on tax policy, asking for detailed information on how her taxpayer dollars are being spent in New York state and criticizing the maintenance of its streets, prisons, and public transportation.[290] Cardi B endorsed Sanders once again in his second bid for the presidency in the 2020 United States presidential election, while praising U.S. Representative Tim Ryan.[291] She stated that one of the reasons for her endorsement is Sanders' long-time involvement in supporting underprivileged minorities and "people getting Medicare because he knows they can't afford it,"[3] while Politico argued that she "might be one of Bernie's most powerful 2020 allies."[292]
She has used her social pages to raise awareness for victims of police brutality, and has encouraged people to vote for mayors, judges and district attorneys in local elections.[293] In a conversation with Democratic candidate Joe Biden for Elle, they discussed Medicare, free college tuition, and racial equality.[294] According to a study published by The Hollywood Reporter, Cardi B ranked as the fifth most influential celebrity, and fourth among Generation Z, for the 2020 presidential election.[295]
In November 2023, Cardi B stated that she no longer supports Joe Biden for president,[296] saying that she would "not [be] endorsing no fucking president's no more" as a result of Biden's "spending on wars".[297][298]
She has praised President Franklin D. Roosevelt for advocating for the Social Security program and the New Deal project.[299] She said of President Roosevelt, "he helped us get over the Depression, all while he was in a wheelchair. Like, this man was suffering from polio at the time of his presidency, and yet all he was worried about was trying to make America great—make America great again for real. He's the real 'Make America Great Again,' because if it wasn't for him, old people wouldn't even get Social Security."[300] Sanders has praised her for her "leading role" in calling attention to Social Security.[301]
Impact
Cardi B has been referred to as the "Reigning Queen of Hip Hop" by multiple publications, including Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, Omaha World-Herald, Black Enterprise, Newsweek, and The A.V. Club,[143][323] and as the "Queen of Rap" by NME, Essence, Harper's Bazaar Malaysia, The Jakarta Post, Uproxx, iHeartRadio, Geo TV, Vanity Fair, Joe, Boston Herald, Refinery 29, France 24, and Nigerian media The Guardian, BBC News, and Daily Trust.[324][125]
Spin staff credited her for opening "the table to a new generation of pop artists remaking American music in their own image and accents," as Cardi B "recognized that POC artists no longer need to pander or soften themselves in order to become household names."[325] Billboard editors stated that with "Bodak Yellow"'s commercial success, "she left an indelible mark on the summer of 2017, not only because she rewrote history, but she gave hope to the have nots...".[326] Several publications have credited "I Like It", the first Latin trap song to reach number one on the Hot 100, for introducing the "musical movement" to a mainstream, massive audience.[327][328] Billboard's Carl Lamarre considered "WAP"'s achievements "a clever Trojan horse for the myriad ways Cardi influences the culture with every move she makes."[239]
The Wall Street Journal's Neil Shah stated in 2020 that her breakthrough and success influenced "today's female-rap renaissance," while Genius staff credited her for "helping jumpstart a new wave of female hip-hop signings and promotion at labels,"[157][329] and NPR Music commented that the "renaissance" of the dynamism of women in rap grew "in enthusiasm and breadth" since Cardi's "first historic run" in 2017.[330] Similarly, Clover Hope's book The Motherlode (2021) stated that Invasion of Privacy "jump-started a new era for women rappers in which success felt much more tangible" as Cardi B "multiplied the wealth of talent and resurrected the idea that numerous women who controlled their own stories could dominate rap at once."[331]
The New Yorker has credited her for "changing a genre that has rarely allowed for more than one female superstar at a time."[332] Uproxx noted Cardi B for promoting up-and-coming female rappers; "[she is] choosing to use her position at the height of stardom to open doors for other women to flourish in hip-hop at a greater level than any since the Golden Era and 'Ladies First'," considering it "something of a departure from tradition; for the decade previous to Cardi's precipitous come-up, it seemed hip-hop had an unspoken, Highlander-esque rule in place regarding women."[333] Variety deemed her a "hip-hop icon",[334] and The Independent called her "the people's pop culture icon", writing that she "has become one of the most recognisable cultural figures of the past 10 years".[335]
NPR defined "Cardi B effect" as "a branding power rooted in specific authenticity, created and permeated by rapper Cardi B" and noticed that with her breakthrough, "brands finally started to become hip to [her] effect, noticing the cultural markers outside of the rap world that were proving it wasn't limited to clubs, concerts and radio."[336] Business magazine Inc. stated that her success "shows how social media changed everything we knew about traditional marketing and media", which no longer relies on a "well-thought marketing scheme or millions of dollars in advertising."[337] In 2019, a life-sized sculpture of her was on display at the Brooklyn Museum, as part of Spotify's RapCaviar "Pantheon".[338]
Bloomberg reported that her data bill helped to boost Ghana's GDP growth in 2019, after it was part of a concert tour.[339] She inspired the creation of the sitcom Partners in Rhyme, executively produced by MC Lyte about a young woman in high school who "aspires to be the next Cardi B."[340] P-Valley creator and executive producer Katori Hall cited her an inspiration for the TV series, and credited her for "helping prepare the public" for its storyline.[341][342]
Several artists have cited Cardi B's work as an inspiration, including Rosalía,[343] Olivia Rodrigo,[344] Jazmine Sullivan,[345] Selena Gomez,[346] Blackpink,[347] Spice,[234] Greta Gerwig,[348] Nathy Peluso,[349] Rubi Rose,[350] María Becerra,[351] and Abigail Asante.[352] Cardi B has been credited for supporting and uniting female rappers in the industry,[353][354][355] with a writer from Uproxx considering her co-sign "the new Drake effect" for women in hip hop.[333]
