Cardi B

**Cardi B** (married name: **Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus**, born: **Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar**; October 11, 1992) is a rapper, businesswoman, actress & former T.V. personality.

Born and raised in New York, Cardi first got her start to fame through social media such as Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to 2017, she appeared as a regular cast member on the VH1 reality television series Love & Hip Hop: New York which documented her rising music aspirations, releasing two mixtapes *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1* in 2016 and *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2* in 2017. In February 2017, she signed her first major label record deal with Atlantic Records. Her debut single, "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the second-ever female rapper to do so with a solo output, following Lauryn Hill in 1998. The song was the lead single from her debut studio album, *Invasion of Privacy* (2018). The album broke various records worldwide and spawned additional singles "Bartier Cardi", "Be Careful", "I Like It", and "Ring". "I Like It" and her collaboration with Maroon 5, "Girls Like You", became her second and third number one singles in the United States. In 2020 she released "WAP" (featuring Megan Thee Stallion). It became a cultural reset, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the inaugural Global 200 charts. The Wall Street Journal deemed "WAP" a "big moment" for female rappers. She released "Up" in 2021, becoming her fifth number-one single on the Hot 100.

Among her many achievements, Cardi is the female rapper with the most songs with over a billion streams on Spotify, where she also has the most streamed female hip-hop album, and was the first lead artist to top the inaugural Billboard Global 200. Her accolades include a Grammy Award, eight Billboard Music Awards, five Guinness World Records, six American Music Awards, fourteen BET Hip Hop Awards, and two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year awards. In 2018, TIME Magazine included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world, and in 2020 Billboard honored her as Woman of the Year.

## Early life

Cardi was born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar on October 11, 1992 in Manhattan, New York City & raised in The Bronx, New York City to Clara Mercedes Disla Arzeno, an Afro-Trinidadian cashier & Carlos Alberto Almánzar Marsan, a Dominican taxi driver. She was raised in the Highbridge neighborhood. She spent a lot of time at her grandma's home in Washington Heights, which she credits with giving her such a thick accent.

Cardi attended Renaissance High School For Musical Theater & Technology, a small specialty school on the Herbert H. Lehman campus. During her teenage years, Cardi was employed at an Amish supermarket in Lower Manhattan. Upon being fired, her former manager recommended she work at a strip club. She has said she became a stripper to escape poverty and domestic violence, having been in an abusive relationship at the time. Cardi has also said 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."* She says stripping was her only way out, a way to earn enough money to escape her dire situation and get an education.

In 2013, Cardi began to gain publicity due to several of her videos going viral on social media, namely on Twitter, Instagram and her official YouTube page.

## Career

### T.V.

#### 2015-2016: *Love & Hip Hop: New York*

In 2015, Cardi joined the cast of the VH1 reality television series, Love & Hip Hop: New York debuting in season six. She's considered the breakout star of the show's sixth season. The sixth & seventh seasons chronicle her rise to stardom and her turbulent relationship with her incarcerated fiancé. On December 30, 2016, after two seasons, she announced that she would be leaving the show to further pursue a career in music.

She appeared on the December 9, 2015 episode of *Uncommon Sense with Charlamagne*. On April 6, 2016, she was on the twelfth episode of Khloé Kardashian's *Kocktails with Khloé*: In it, she revealed how she told her mother that she was a stripper. In November, it was announced that she would be joining the cast of the BET series, *Being Mary Jane*. TVLine describes her character, Mercedes, as a "round-the-way beauty with a big weave, big boobs and a big booty to match her oversized, ratchet personality."

### Music

#### 2015-2017: Career beginnings & debut mixtapes

In November 2015, Cardi made her musical debut on Jamaican reggae fusion singer Shaggy's remix to his single "Boom Boom", alongside fellow Jamaican dancehall singer Popcaan. She made her music video debut on December 15, 2015, with the song "Cheap Ass Weave", her rendition of English rapper Lady Leshurr's "Queen's Speech 4". On March 7, 2016, Cardi released her first mixtape, *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1*. In November 2016, she was featured on the digital cover of Vibe magazine's "Viva" issue. On September 12, 2016, KSR Group released the compilation *Underestimated: The Album*, which is a collaboration between KSR Group artists Cardi, Hood Celebrityy, SwiftOnDemand, Cashflow Harlem and Josh X. It was previously released only to attendees of their U.S. tour. KSR Group's flagship artist Cardi said "I wanted to make a song that would make girls dance, twerk and at the same time encourage them to go get that Shmoney," in regard to the compilation's single "What a Girl Likes."

On January 20, 2017, Cardi released her second mixtape, *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2*. On February 25, 2017, Cardi was the opening act for East Coast hip hop group The Lox's Filthy America... It's Beautiful Tour, alongside fellow New York City-based rappers Lil' Kim and Remy Ma. In April 2017, she was featured in i-D's "A-Z of Music" video sponsored by Marc Jacobs. Cardi also guest-starred on the celebrity panel show Hip Hop Squares, appearing on the March 13 and April 3, 2017, episodes. She also released the freestyle "Red Barz".

In May 2017, Cardi was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the BET Awards. On June 11, 2017, during Hot 97's annual Summer Jam music festival, Remy Ma brought out Cardi, along with The Lady of Rage, MC Lyte, Young M.A, Monie Love, Lil' Kim, and Queen Latifah, to celebrate female rappers and perform Latifah's 1993 hit single "U.N.I.T.Y." about female empowerment. She performed at MoMA PS1 on August 19 to a crowd of 4,000.

#### 2017-2019: Breakthrough and *Invasion of Privacy*

In February 2017, Cardi signed her first major recording label contract with Atlantic Records. "Bodak Yellow" was released on June 16, 2017 as her debut commercial single, via digital distribution. She promoted the song on various live and television performances. After climbing the charts for several months, on the *Billboard* Hot 100 chart dated September 25, 2017, "Bodak Yellow" reached the number one spot, making Cardi the first female rapper to do so with a solo single since Lauryn Hill in 1998, and the second overall. The song stayed atop the charts for three consecutive weeks, tying with Taylor Swift as the longest running female at the number one spot in 2017. Cardi became the first person of Dominican descent to reach number one in the history of the Hot 100. The New York Times called it "the rap anthem of the summer" and it was selected by The Washington Post and Pitchfork music critics as the best song of 2017. "Bodak Yellow" was eventually certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in March 2021. The song received nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 60th Grammy Awards. It won Single of the Year at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards.

With her collaborations "No Limit" with G-Eazy and A$AP Rocky, and "MotorSport" with Migos and Nicki Minaj, Cardi became the first female rapper to land her first three entries in the top 10 of the Hot 100, and the first female artist to achieve the same on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In October 2017, Cardi headlined Power 105.1's annual Powerhouse music celebration, alongside the Weeknd, Migos, and Lil Uzi Vert, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. In December, she released two songs: a collaboration with Ozuna "La Modelo", and "Bartier Cardi" (featuring 21 Savage), the second single from her debut album.

On January 3, 2018, Cardi was featured on Bruno Mars' remix version of "Finesse". It reached the top three in the U.S., Canada and New Zealand. On January 18, 2018, Cardi B became the first woman to have five top 10 singles simultaneously on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. She released her album's third single "Be Careful" on March 30, 2018, a week before *Invasion of Privacy'*s release. It peaked at 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

*Invasion of Privacy* was released on April 6, 2018, to universal acclaim from music critics. Variety and The New York Times called it "one of the most powerful debuts of this millennium" and "a hip-hop album that doesn't sound like any of its temporal peers," respectively. The album bowed in at number one in the United States, while she became the first female artist to chart 13 entries simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100, on the chart issue dated April 21. It also became the most streamed album by a female artist in a single week in Apple Music, and the largest on-demand audio streaming week ever for an album by a woman. Cardi held the latter record until 2019. The album's title reflects Cardi's feelings of her rising popularity and fame affecting her privacy. Following the album's release, during a performance on Saturday Night Live, Cardi officially revealed she was pregnant with her first child, following much media speculation. She also co-hosted an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Several months later, in July 2018, the album's fourth single, "I Like It" featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin, reached number one on the Hot 100; this marked her second number one on the chart and made her the first female rapper to achieve multiple chart-toppers. It received critical acclaim, Rolling Stone naming it "the best summer song of all time" in 2020. Her collaboration with Maroon 5, "Girls Like You", also reached number one on the Hot 100 chart, extending her record among female rappers and also making her the sixth female artist to achieve three number-one singles on the chart during the 2010s. Its music video has received more than 3 billion views on YouTube, and was the fifth-best selling song of the year globally. With "Girls Like You" following "I Like It" at the top of the Billboard Radio Songs chart, Cardi became the first female rapper to ever replace herself at number one on that chart. The single spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100, making Cardi the female rapper with the most cumulative weeks atop the chart, with eleven weeks. *Invasion of Privacy* was officially certified double platinum by the RIAA in October 2018, and the following year it was updated to triple platinum. All thirteen songs from the album were certified platinum or higher by March 2022, the only artist to ever achieve this.

Cardi received the most nominations for the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards with a total of 12, including Video of the Year, winning three awards. She also tied with Drake for the most nominations at the 2018 American Music Awards. She won three AMAs and performed "I Like It" at the ceremony. Her collaboration with DJ Snake, Selena Gomez and Ozuna, "Taki Taki" was released in September 2018 and topped the charts in a number of Hispanic countries, made Cardi the first female rapper to top the Spotify Global 50 chart, and has garnered more than 2 billion views on YouTube. In October 2018 Cardi released a standalone single "Money", the song was praised by critics as well as its music video, considered one of her best visually by critics and fans. It has been certified quadruple platinum in the United States and won Best Hip-Hop Video at the 2019 VMAs. People en Español named her Star of the Year, and Entertainment Weekly deemed her "a pop culture phenomenon", as she was named one of "2018 Entertainers of the Year".

On November 30, 2018, Cardi was honored at Ebony's annual Power 100 Gala. She ranked fifth on the 2018 Billboard Year-End Top Artists chart, and achieved the most streamed album of the year by a female artist globally on Apple Music, and ranked as the most streamed female artist of the year in the United States on Spotify. Editorial staff from Apple Music and Billboard named "I Like It" the best song of 2018, while Time magazine and Rolling Stone named *Invasion of Privacy* the best album of the year. Time included her on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018. In its decade-end review article, .

Cardi received five nominations at the 61st Grammy Awards. She became the third female rapper to be nominated for Album of the Year, following Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott. On February 10, 2019 she performed at the award ceremony, where she wore three vintage Thierry Mugler couture looks during the telecast and became the first female rapper to win Best Rap Album as a solo artist. Cardi also led the 2019 Billboard Music Awards nominations, with 21, the most nominations in a single year ever by a woman and the third most nominations in a year ever. She ended up winning six awards, including for Top Hot 100 Song, bringing her career total wins to seven—the most of any female rapper in history.

On February 15, 2019, Cardi released "Please Me", a collaboration with Bruno Mars which became her seventh top ten song on the Hot 100, reaching number three. The song marked Cardi and Bruno's second collaboration, following "Finesse" in 2018. On March 1, Cardi set a new attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, with 75,580 fans in the audience. With "Backin' It Up" (a collaboration with Pardison Fontaine), "Twerk" (a collaboration with the City Girls) and "Money", Cardi became the first female artist to head the top three on the *Billboard* Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart. "Press", a standalone single was released on May 31, 2019. The music video marked her directorial debut. She performed the song at the 2019 BET Awards, where she received the most nominations with seven, and won Album of the Year for *Invasion of Privacy*. During the summer of 2019, she embarked on an arena tour. In September, she led the BET Hip Hop Awards nominations with ten.

#### 2019-2022: Film & television appearances, business endeavors, standalone singles

    Cardi made her feature film debut in *Hustlers*, opposite Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, and Lili Reinhart. The film was released on September 13, 2019. Cardi was cast as a judge for the Netflix series *Rhythm + Flow* alongside Chance The Rapper and T.I., a ten-part hip-hop talent search that premiered on October 9, 2019, which she also executive produced. In September 2019, Cardi became the highest-certified female rapper of all time on the RIAA's Top Artists (Digital Singles) ranking, with 31.5 million certified units, also being the ninth highest-certified female artist overall. In December 2019 Cardi embarked on her first tour of Africa, performing in Nigeria and Ghana. Her 2019 collaboration "Clout" with her husband Offset was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance at the 62nd ceremony. She was the most streamed female rapper of 2019 in the U.S. according to Spotify.

"WAP", featuring Megan Thee Stallion, was released on August 7, 2020. The song went viral for its controversial subject matter whilst also praised by contemporary music critics. The music video broke the record for the biggest 24-hour debut for an all-female collaboration on YouTube. She became the only female rap artist to top the Global Spotify chart multiple times. "WAP" debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, giving Cardi her fourth chart-topper in the US, extending her record as the female rapper with the most number-one singles, as well as making her the first female rapper to achieve Hot 100 number one singles in two different decades. With 93 million streaming units, it broke the record held by Ariana Grande for the most first-week streams. It spent four weeks atop the Hot 100, and went number one in several countries including Australia and the United Kingdom.

The Wall Street Journal deemed "WAP" as "a big moment for female rappers" and "a historic sign that women artists are making their mark on hip-hop like never before". "WAP" became the first number one single on the inaugural Billboard Global 200 chart. It became critics' best song of the year according to a compilation of rankings made by the BBC, with publications such as Pitchfork and Rolling Stone placing it at number one. Cardi won the Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Female Artist for the third time at the 2020 ceremony. In December 2020 Cardi became the first female rapper to be named Woman of the Year at the Billboard Women in Music Awards. With her win for "WAP" at the American Music Awards, she became the first artist to win the American Music Award for Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song multiple times, following her win for "Bodak Yellow" in 2018.

On February 5, 2021 Cardi released "Up". The song was praised for its lyricism and fresh approach as a successor to "WAP". "Up" debuted at number two on the US *Billboard* Hot 100 chart, marking the highest debut for a solo female rap song since Lauryn Hill in 1998. Cardi also became the first female artist and first lead artist with consecutive number-one debuts on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and second overall performer following Drake in 2016. "Up" reached number one on the Hot 100 following her Grammy Awards performance, making Cardi B the only female rapper to reach number one multiple times with solo songs, following "Bodak Yellow", and extended her record as the female rapper with the most number-one songs on the Hot 100 as her fifth chart-topper. Cardi B received a second nomination for the Brit Award for International Female Solo Artist.

Cardi featured on "Big Paper" by DJ Khaled in April 2021. She received two nominations for the BET Award for Video of the Year, for the videos "Up" and "WAP", winning for the latter and becoming the first female rapper to win Video of the Year as a lead artist. This became the 10th time that an artist has had two nominated videos in this category as a lead artist, and the second time for her, following her nominations for "Money" and "Please Me" in 2019.

Cardi announced her second pregnancy during the performance of her Migos collaboration "Type Shit" at the 2021 BET Awards ceremony. She also appeared in the action film *F9*, released in June 2021 by Universal Pictures. Cardi was featured on the songs "Wild Side" by Normani, and "Rumors" by Lizzo in July and August 2021 respectively. "Wild Side" reached fourteen on the Hot 100 while Rumors peaked at four, becoming Cardi's tenth top 10 single on the chart. Cardi received six nominations at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards, including her second nomination for Video of the Year. She also led the nominations for the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards along with Megan Thee Stallion with nine each; both rappers won the most awards during the ceremony with three for "WAP", with Cardi becoming the first female artist to win Best Hip Hop Video twice.

Cardi hosted the 2021 American Music Awards on November 2nd. The show was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and marked the most social telecast of the year per interactions across social media. During the ceremony, "Up" won the award for Favorite Hip Hop Song, making Cardi B the first artist to win the category three times. Cardi featured on Summer Walker's 2021 album *Still Over It* on the opening track "Bitter". Cardi executive produced the soundtrack to Halle Berry's film *Bruised*, released on November 19. Various female rappers were included in the tracklist, including an original song by Cardi "Bet It". In March 2022 Cardi was featured on the remix to Summer Walker and SZA's song "No Love", and in April she was featured on a song called "Shake It" by underground New York rappers Kay Flock, Bory300 and Dougie B. It became the highest charting song by a Bronx Drill act on the Billboard Hot 100.

On July 1, 2022 Cardi released "Hot Shit" featuring rappers Lil Durk and Kanye West. The song samples the 1983 song "Electric Boogie" by Marcia Griffiths. It peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Cardi's eighteenth top-twenty hit on the chart.

#### 2022-present: Upcoming second studio album

In November 2022, It was announced that Cardi had signed with Irving Azoff management ahead of the release of her second album, slated for release in early 2023, according to Billboard. She also revealed she was working on her tour deal.

## Artistry

### **Influences**

In Billboard's "You Should Know" series, Cardi said the first albums she ever purchased were by American entertainers Missy Elliott and Tweet. She also cited singers Madonna and Lady Gaga as two of her favorite artists. She has credited Puerto Rican rapper Ivy Queen and Jamaican dancehall artist Spice as influences as well.

When asked about the initial direction for her music, Cardi said in an interview, *"When I first started rapping [...] I liked certain songs from Khia and Trina, and they [were] fighting songs. I haven't heard fighting songs for a very long time,"* crediting the two female rappers for her aggressive rap style. She continued saying, *"A lot of girls they can not afford red bottoms, a lot of girls they can not afford foreign cars [...] but I know that every girl has beef with a girl [...] I know that every bitch don't like some bitch, and it's like 'that's what I wanna rap about.'"*

### **Musical style**

AllMusic editor David Jeffries called Cardi "a raw and aggressive rapper in the style of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Stereogum called her voice "a full-bodied New Yawk nasal bleat, the sort of thing that you've heard if someone has ever told you that you stupid for taking too long at swiping your MetroCard." They continued to call her voice "an unabashedly loud and sexual fuck-you New York honk—that translates perfectly to rap." In a 2017 Complex article about her, the editor wrote "unapologetic does not begin to describe the totally unfiltered and sheer Cardi B-ness of Cardi B's personality. She's a hood chick who's not afraid to be hood no matter the setting. Cardi B is Cardi B 24/7, 365, this is why she resonates with people, and that same energy comes out in her music."

### **Visuals and aesthetics**

Cardi has long been acclaimed for her visuals and aesthetics in her music videos. The music video for "I Like It", directed by Eif Rivera was noted for its "scenes and traditions worthy of a tropical afternoon" by People en Español, with Cardi wearing traditional rumba garments and accessories. Her video for "Money" is considered one of her best by critics and fans alike, drawing inspirations from Thierry Mugler and Lil' Kim. It was directed by Jora Frantzis. Vogue described the video as "a full out catalogue of some of Cardi's most over-the-top fashion moments yet."

The 2021 music video for "Up" was directed by Tanu Muino. Cardi worked with several independent fashion designers and custom-made brands for the video. In one scene she sports a transparent ensemble made of custom thermoplastic designed by Esmay Wagemans, which gives off an illusion of running water on her body. The video was acclaimed by critics.

## Other ventures

### **Fashion**

Cardi has a noted affinity for Christian Louboutin heels, a running theme in her song "Bodak Yellow". She has also mentioned her love for cheap, fast-fashion brands stating *"I don't care if it cost $20 or $15. If it looks good on me, it looks good on me".* Cardi has spoken on being rejected by some fashion designers in the past. Cardi wore vintage Thierry Mugler to the 2019 Grammy Awards, with an i-D article stating that the fashion house's "resurgence onto the fashion scene can almost single-handedly be attributed" to the Swarovski crystal-embroidered crinoline sheath gown she wore at the ceremony. Mugler's collaboration with Cardi marked the second time in 25 years that the Paris house opened its archives to dress a celebrity, the first being Beyoncé for her 2009 concert tour. W magazine credited the "WAP" music video for popularizing the Mugler bodysuit in the mainstream. Cardi has acknowledged Mugler as one of the first designers to "take a major chance on [her]" for their fashion collaborations.

Several major publications have referred to Cardi as a fashion icon. An article from Vogue noted Cardi "is famous for her statement getups—whether she's rocking archival Mugler on the red carpet, or dripping in Chanel while sitting courtside at a basketball game." Her over-the-top manicures, designed by nail artist Jenny Bui and studded with Swarovski crystals, has become a part of her signature look. Editor Christian Allaire from the magazine in 2021 commented that her signature "bold" ensembles "create a spectacle" during fashion weeks. Cardi has cited Missy Elliott, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Rihanna as fashion inspirations.

In 2018, she became the first female rapper in the U.S. to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, the cover, one of four for the January 2019 issue that included Stella McCartney, features her in a red and white Michael Kors dress and matching red Jimmy Choo shoes, while holding her daughter, Kulture.

In 2019, the Council of Fashion Designers of America included her on their list of "28 Black Fashion Forces". Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour commended her fashion sense, declaring that she "completely rethought [her] opinion of Cardi's style" after the 2019 Met Gala, where the rapper wore a Thom Browne-designed burgundy gown that extends outward in concentric circles for about ten feet and was inspired by the female form.

Cardi became the face of Balenciaga's ad campaign for the winter 2020 season. The campaign includes billboards in several international locations, such as the Louvre museum. Vogue's Brooke Bobb commented, "This is Cardi's first campaign for a luxury fashion house, though she's definitely no stranger to the Parisian style scene", citing her floral printed Richard Quinn ensemble "that literally covered her from head to toe" and her being "a front row fixture" at high fashion shows, adding, "She and her stylist Kollin Carter have been wildly successful in carving out a much-needed space for Cardi within the fashion industry, and they've cultivated a personal style that is all her own while being inspiring to all".

In 2020, Cardi became the first female rapper to be awarded by the FN Achievement Awards when she won the Style Influencer of the Year award, which was presented to her by Christian Louboutin. In a press release for the awards show, she was called an "influence just about everything in pop culture—from music, fashion and style to social media, politics and even public service". In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked her as the second most-stylish woman in music, behind Lady Gaga, and GQ considered her "one of fashion's preeminent risk-takers."

### **Politics**

Cardi has stated she identifies as a feminist. She has been described as "unabashedly, directly political" and often uses her social media to advocate for causes she believes in, such as gun control. She has been an avid supporter of democrat Bernie Sanders, endorsing him in his 2016 and 2020 runs for president. She also 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," while Politico argued that she "might be one of Bernie's most powerful 2020 allies." 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?"* Early that year 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. She has also 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. In a conversation with Democratic candidate Joe Biden for Elle, they discussed Medicare, free college tuition, and racial equality. According to a study published by The Hollywood Reporter, Cardi ranked as the fifth most influential celebrity, and fourth among Generation Z, for the 2020 presidential election.

She has praised President Franklin D. Roosevelt for advocating for the Social Security program and the New Deal project. 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."*

### **Playboy**

In 2022 Cardi became the official creative director of American men's lifestyle & entertainment brand Playboy. Her first project with the company was Centerfold, described as "A platform for creative freedom, artistic expression, & sex positivity."

### **Cardi Tries**

In December 2020 Cardi premiered Cardi Tries, a series hosted on Facebook Messenger and IGTV. She is one of the executive producers.

### **McDonald's**

On February 12, 2023, in a commercial during Super Bowl LVII, Cardi & husband Offset announced The Cardi B & Offset Meal, a limited edition meal at fast-food chain McDonald's. It was released on February 14, 2023, to coincide with Valentine's Day.

## Legacy and Impact

Cardi has been referred to as the **Reigning Queen of Hip Hop** and the **Queen of Rap** by many sources. 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 "recognized that POC artists no longer need to pander or soften themselves in order to become household names." 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...". 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. 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."

The Wall Street Journal 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," 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. 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 "multiplied the wealth of talent and resurrected the idea that numerous women who controlled their own stories could dominate rap at once." The New Yorker has credited her for "changing a genre that has rarely allowed for more than one female superstar at a time." Uproxx noted Cardi 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." Variety deemed her a "hip-hop icon", 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".

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." 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." In 2019, a life-sized sculpture of Cardi was put on display at the Brooklyn Museum, as part of Spotify's RapCaviar "Pantheon". Bloomberg reported that her data bill helped to boost Ghana's GDP growth in 2019, after it was part of a concert tour. 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." 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. Several artists have cited Cardi B's work as an inspiration, including Rosalía, Olivia Rodrigo, Jazmine Sullivan, Selena Gomez, BLACKPINK, Spice, Greta Gerwig, Nathy Peluso, Rubi Rose, María Becerra, and Abigail Asante. Cardi has been credited for supporting and uniting female rappers in the industry, with a writer from Uproxx considering her co-sign "the new Drake effect" for women in hip hop.

## Relationship with Offset

In early 2017, Cardi began dating African-American rapper Offset, member of the hip hop group Migos. When speaking on her relationship with Offset, Cardi told The Fader, *"It’s been a blessing, me meeting him and meeting his friends. I see how hard they work. And that motivated me to work even harder. And I see how good things are going for them and how popping it is to be number one. And I’m like, I want that. A lot of people just see they jewelry and they money, but I don’t think a lot of people see how hard they work for that shit every single day."* According to a report from TMZ, shortly after Offset proposed to Cardi, a handful of TV networks, including BET, VH1 and WE tv began making offers for a nationally televised wedding special. The pair have since had two children together, Kulture (b. 2018) and Wave (b. 2021)

Cardi and Offset separated in December 2018. They got back together sometime before the 61st Grammy Awards as they were seen together at the ceremony. In September 2020 it was reported Cardi had filed for divorce, but the following month it was revealed they were back together.

#### Engagement

Main article: Cardi & Offset's Engagement
## Motherhood

On Saturday Night Live on April 7th, 2018, Cardi revealed that she was pregnant with her first child during her performance of "Be Careful" in a tight dress revealing her baby bump following months of rumors about the pregnancy. On July 10th, 2018 Cardi gave birth to her daughter, Kulture Kiari Cephus.

At the BET Awards in June 2021, Cardi revealed she was pregnant with her second child. She gave birth to a boy on September 4th, 2021. In April 2022 she revealed her son's name as Wave Set Cephus.

## Trivia

* Cardi was nicknamed after the liquor company, Bacardi, because of her little sister named Hennessy.
* Cardi is of Christian faith, believing in God and Jesus Christ; she has mentioned her "strong relationship" with God in interviews, often saying that she "talks to Him".
* Cardi is Afro Trinidadian-American on Clara's side & Dominican-American on Carlos' side.
* Cardi's first language was Spanish.
* Cardi's fanbase is referred to as the Bardigang.
* Cardi performed "Bad Romance" by one of her idols Lady Gaga at a high school talent show.
* Cardi is bisexual.
* Cardi is a Libra.
* Cardi is a supporter of the #MeToo movement and has spoken up about being sexually assaulted.
* Cardi was 3 when Hennessy was born.
* Cardi was 13 when Clara & Carlos separated.
* Cardi was 24 when she married Offset.
* Cardi was 25 when she gave birth to Kulture.
* Cardi was 28 when she gave birth to Wave.

## Discography

#### **Mixtapes:**

* *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1* (2016)
* *Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2* (2017)

## Official Accounts

* Cardi B on Twitter
* Cardi B on Facebook
* Cardi B on Instagram
* Cardi B on Insstar.com
* Cardi B on Instagweb.com
* Cardi B on Buzzcent.com
* Cardi B on Insstars.com
* Cardi B on Photostags.com

### External links

* Official website
* Cardi B at AllMusic
* Cardi B discography at Discogs
* Cardi B on IMDb
* Cardi B discography at MusicBrainz
* Cardi B on Instageeked