Cardi B 0-100 real quick
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
In an incredibly short time, Cardi B went from reality TV newcomer to hip-hop megastar.
May 17, 2018
Brooklyn native Belcalis Almanzar, high school dropout and former exotic dancer, never expected to be one of the hottest names in music throughout 2017 and the start of 2018. All in the same year that her first mixtape dropped, she signed her first major record deal and continued this fast track to fame with the commercial debut of her single “Bodack Yellow,” which dropped in June and hit top charts in October. This new force in the music industry is Cardi B.
Cardi B is a New York native who incorporates her hometown slang into a variety of her songs, which humors and attracts her audience, especially from the tristate area. Being from New Jersey, West Essex students enjoy being able to catch her lingo and relate to her lyrics.
“Some of the things she says in her songs, I’m like ‘Oh yeah! I’ve actually heard that before’,” freshman Julia Mazzola said. “Most of the other rappers and singers from other places, I have no clue what they’re trying to talk about when they make comments like that in their songs.”
Some of her shoutouts to NYC include “flexing,” “eating halal” (food of Middle Eastern descent purchased from a Manhattan street vendor) and “driving a Lam.”
Appearances on talk shows such as “Jimmy Fallon” and “Ellen” attract a wider span of audiences, while also popping up on “Saturday Night Live” announcing her pregnancy with fiancé Offset.
“Fans, including myself, love her attitude and her fun and interesting antics,” sophomore Jack Steer said. “She has catchy music and vibrant style.”
Male rappers are also more popular in the music industry, making it difficult to find a female with similar talent. If one is found, it is a big deal because of the very small number. Nicki Minaj currently stands as one of the only other, well known, well-appreciated female in the rapping industry. Female rappers either make a statement or fall straight back to the bottom, and Cardi B made her way, staying at the top.
“Cardi B is the newer, and better, version of Nicki Minaj,” sophomore Natalie Carnovale said.
She wasn’t always at the top, but her rise has been nothing but fast. Cardi B began her career as a social media and reality television star. She caught the attention of many fans through her tough attitude and hardships she encountered growing up. She left the reality show, “Love & Hip Hop: New York”, in 2015, to further pursue her music career.
When September 2017 came around, Cardi B conquered four radio charts with “Bodack Yellow”, becoming the second woman in 2017 to top all four charts simultaneously, and made rap history when she hit No.1. Her fast track to success continued as “Bodack Yellow” also grabbed the top spot in Billboard Hot 100 triple platinum.
By June, Cardi B had nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist for the BET Awards and two Grammy nominations for Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song. For the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Cardi B reached eight nominations. Her second single “Bartier Cardi (feat. 21 Savage)” was released in December, reached its peak date by Jan. 6 on the Billboard charts and lasted 18 weeks on the chart.
Cardi also gained recognition during her collaborations with other rappers such as G-Eazy in “No Limit”, Migos in “MotorSport” and her 2018 appearance in Bruno Mars’ “Finesse.”
Both singles, “Bodak Yellow” and “Bartier Cardi”, prepared the media for the release of her debut album “Invasion of Privacy” in April 2018. Since Cardi’s singles were a success, her new album was eligible for a God certification even before its release.
This album includes collaborations with a variety of artists including Migos, 21 Savage, Chance the Rapper, SZA and Kehlani. The mixes with the well known rappers, Migos and Chance the Rapper, include “Drip” and “Best Life”, which attract listeners simply because of their names. Cardi’s collaborations with newer and less-known singers such as “Ring (feat. Kehlani)” and “I Do (feat. SZA)” are songs with two female rising stars, potentially bringing attention to their talent as well.
“I blast her new album in my car.” senior Danielle Farina said. “My favorite song is ‘I Do’ because I love SZA and Cardi B so it’s just an iconic duo. That song also sounds the best in my car.”
Cardi B shouts out her Afro-Caribbean roots in her mashup with bilingual artists Bad Bunny and J Balvin “I Like It”, sampling the ‘60’s classic “I Like it Like That” by Pete Rodriguez. Her song “Birkenhead” also reimagines “Chickenhead,” which was a battle-of-the-sexes classic. Cardi touches upon everyday aspects of life in multiple songs in her new album as well. Some lyrics hint at N.Y.C culture and universal experiences such as the constant bounce back and forth in relationships in “Ring” and dealing with infidelity in “Through Your Phone”.
Cardi B also established a new standard for activity on Apple Music, blowing Taylor Swift’s album “Reputation” out of the water for the most streamed album by a female artist in its first week.
Her album was originally supposed to drop earlier in the year, but being a perfectionist caused the delay.
“I have a lot of pressure on me,” Cardi B said to Billboard. “I have songs stashed up. I just don’t think they qualified for my album. Sometimes I think it’s ready, sometimes I think it’s not. So I’m going to take my time till it’s right”.
Little did Cardi B know how much of a success her album would be before she was content with her work.
