Her life truly is a modern fairytale. A regular girl from the Bronx, raised in a single-parent household and working as a stripper to make a living, became the first solo female rapper to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album. How did it happen? Read on at bronxski.com
Childhood and Her Rise to Stardom
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, was born in the Bronx in 1992. She has Caribbean roots: her mother is from Trinidad, and her father is from the Dominican Republic. Her younger sister was named Hennessy after the famous cognac brand, while her own nickname, “Cardi B,” was a play on words based on the rum brand Bacardi.
The girls’ parents divorced when they were teenagers, but the sisters grew up surrounded by a large, supportive family. From a young age, Cardi was fascinated by acting and attended the Renaissance High School for Musical Theater & Technology in the Bronx. After high school, she enrolled in college, but due to financial difficulties and a low-paying job, she couldn’t afford to stay. At 19, Cardi decided to work as a stripper to earn money faster and escape a toxic relationship. She later said openly that the job helped her turn her life around:
“It really saved me from a lot of things. When I started stripping, I went back to school.”
But Cardi knew pole dancing wouldn’t give her the fame she had dreamed of since childhood. So, she began to look for new avenues. She was one of the first to bet on social media, sensing it was the future. She actively posted on various apps, sharing personal stories. This quickly captured the public’s attention and made her a viral sensation.
In 2015, Cardi B joined the reality TV show “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” where she was a cast member for two seasons. That same year, she took her first steps toward a music career, recording a track with Jamaican singer Popcaan. In 2016, Cardi released her first mixtape, “Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1,” which included the hit “Foreva.”
The Legendary Year of 2017
The next mixtape, “Vol. 2,” came out in 2017 and included the song “Lick,” recorded with rapper Offset, whom she would soon marry. But those weren’t the only notable events of 2017, a truly special year for Cardi B. That same year, she signed with Atlantic Records. Her very first track, “Bodak Yellow,” blew up. It became a massive hit, topping both the Billboard Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. The New York Times called it the “essential rap anthem of the summer.” The song earned Cardi B two Grammy nominations: for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
Also in 2017, the singer collaborated on the tracks “No Limit” with G-Eazy and “MotorSport” with the group Migos. Thanks to these three singles, Cardi B became the first woman to have her first three chart entries in the top 10 on both the Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts. In early 2018, she cemented this success by becoming the first female artist to have five singles simultaneously in the top 10 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop list.
The Debut Album
In April 2018, Cardi B released her first studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,” which included well-known hits like “Bodak Yellow” and “Bartier Cardi,” as well as new tracks and collaborations with artists such as Migos, Chance the Rapper, and SZA. The album broke the Apple Music record for the most-streamed album by a female artist in its first week, surpassing a record held by Taylor Swift.
Less than two weeks after its release, Cardi B received eight Billboard Music Awards nominations, later winning in the Top Rap Female Artist category. In July, the album went platinum, and the song “I Like It”—a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin—topped the Billboard Hot 100. This made Cardi B the first female rapper to have two number-one hits on that chart.
The album also earned her four Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “I Like It.” In February 2019, Cardi B made history as the first solo female artist to win a Grammy for Best Rap Album.
That same year, she made her film debut in the movie “Hustlers,” where she played a stripper alongside Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu.
The Road to Her Second Solo Album
Following the success of “Invasion of Privacy,” Cardi B continued to dominate the music scene, releasing over twenty singles and collaborations. These included a remix of Maroon 5’s hit “Girls Like You,” which went to number one on the charts, and a duet with Offset on the song “Clout”—both tracks were nominated for a Grammy. She also recorded popular songs like “Please Me” with Bruno Mars, “Press,” “Money,” “Rumors” with Lizzo, and “Up,” which also received a Grammy nomination.
In 2020, Cardi B began preparing the public for her second album, releasing the single “WAP”—a song about female sexuality that set a record with over 93 million streams in the US in its first week. The hit held the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. That same year, Cardi B also collaborated with the group Blackpink on the track “Bet You Wanna,” with Anuel AA on “La Bebe,” and with Brazilian star Anitta on the song “Me Gusta.”
In late 2022, in an interview on the radio show “The Breakfast Club,” Cardi admitted she was still working on her second album. She said:
“The more you get, the more you want, so you’re never satisfied. I sit and think: your daughter’s bedroom is bigger than the apartment you grew up in. The goal will never be met because I’m always striving for more.”
But despite announcements that the album would be released in 2024, that didn’t happen. Fans will most likely get it in 2025.
Cardi B always highlights her background and is proud of it. She says:
“When I was six years old, I listened to Shakira. Now my daughter is six, and she’s listening to Shakira. J. Lo is another popular singer. For me, being popular in the Latin community and being Dominican is a great honor. It makes me so happy to represent the Dominican Republic. It’s one of the most underrated countries in Latin America.”
The Controversial Lawsuit
Despite growing up in a high-crime neighborhood, her past as a stripper, and a rather specific circle of acquaintances, Cardi B has not been involved in any major scandals or investigations. The only somewhat serious incident was a result of her own doing.
In early October 2018, Cardi B voluntarily turned herself in to the NYPD for her involvement in a brawl that happened that August at a strip club in Queens. According to witnesses, she allegedly ordered her bodyguards to attack two female bartenders. As a result, Cardi was charged with two misdemeanors: assault and reckless endangerment.
The singer pleaded guilty. In her statement, she emphasized that she was taking responsibility for her actions.
“Part of growing up and maturing is being accountable for your actions,” she said in her statement. “In the past, I made some bad decisions that I am not afraid to admit and own. These moments do not define me or reflect who I am today.”
The court sentenced the singer to 15 days of community service, ordering her to have no contact with the victims for three years and to pay their expenses.
Personal Life
Cardi B is in the process of divorcing rapper Offset, with whom she was married for eight years and has three children. Their relationship developed very quickly. Just a few months after meeting, Offset proposed, and Cardi said yes. The ceremony was a modest one, with only the singer’s cousin in attendance. Cardi later admitted she wanted to keep the moment private.
In April 2018, Cardi B announced her pregnancy during a performance on Saturday Night Live, and in July, she gave birth to a daughter named Kulture Kiari Cephus. Later, in September 2021, their son, Wave Set Cephus, was born, followed by a third daughter in 2024, whose details were not publicly disclosed.
Shortly after the birth of their first daughter in 2018, signs of a crisis in the relationship began to appear.
The couple tried to save their marriage. They got through Offset’s infidelity in 2017 and even announced their divorce in 2020, but then called it off. The artists stayed together for a few more years, but in December 2023, Cardi announced she was single again. In July 2024, she filed for divorce a second time. At the same time, Cardi announced her third pregnancy and her decision to end the complicated relationship.
In September 2024, Cardi B posted an emotional comment about her marriage on Instagram, writing:
“I was always too good for you. I feel sorry for you. I don’t regret my kids. You’re a good dad. You’re alright.”