Cardi B has cemented her status as one of the biggest names in hip hop over the past few years.

From her breakout on reality television to topping the charts with hits like “Bodak Yellow” and “WAP,” she has experienced a meteoric rise. However, her journey to superstardom was a gradual process with several important milestones along the way. Let’s take a closer look at some of the key moments that helped propel Cardi B from up-and-coming artist to global superstar.

 

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While Cardi B is now best known for her music career, her first major exposure came through her appearance on the VH1 reality series Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2015. The show provided a platform for Cardi to share her backstory of stripping to make ends meet and her aspirations of breaking into the rap industry. Some specific moments on the show helped generate early buzz around her charismatic personality and burgeoning rap skills.

One standout scene saw Cardi freestyle rapping for her co-stars in the studio, showing off her quick wit and lyrical abilities. Her raw talent impressed viewers and hinted at her potential as a rapper. Cardi also gained attention for her feisty personality and willingness to speak her mind. She didn’t shy away from confrontation with castmates, making for dramatic and engaging television. These appearances on Love & Hip Hop introduced Cardi’s unique charisma and gave an initial taste of her rapping potential, generating interest in what she might achieve in a music career. While reality television fame isn’t typically a launchpad for the hip hop elite, it provided crucial exposure for Cardi early on.

 

After building buzz on Love & Hip Hop, Cardi turned her focus more firmly to music. She dropped a string of popular mixtapes in the late 2010s that helped cultivate a devoted fan base and laid the creative foundation for her breakout success.

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One of her most notable early mixtapes was Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1, released in 2014. It contained her breakout single “Cheap Ass Weave,” a freestyle over the instrumental of Future’s “Move That Dope” that gained traction on YouTube. Her raw lyricism and comedic charm were on full display.

A year later, she followed up with another strong project, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 2, featuring tracks like “Drip” that further cemented her emerging style. But it was 2017’s breakout mixtape, Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 3, that really put Cardi on the map. Fueled by hits like “Lick” featuring Offset, it racked up millions of streams and solidified her as an artist to watch.

These formative mixtapes allowed Cardi to experiment with her sound and persona outside of the constraints of a major label. They gave her diehard fans material to obsess over and spread her name in the digital underground. Without this groundwork of free mixtapes, Cardi may not have been as ripe for mainstream success when the opportunity arose.

Along with her growing musical prowess, Cardi B also made waves early on with her bold fashion sense and style. She exuded confidence no matter the outfit, whether high fashion couture or everyday looks. This drew admiration from the industry and helped elevate her profile beyond just music.

A major moment came when Cardi walked for Gypsy Sport’s Fall 2017 show during New York Fashion Week in 2017. Her appearance on the runway introduced her to a whole new audience outside of hip hop. Designer Rio Uribe was impressed by Cardi’s authenticity and risk-taking approach to fashion.

She also collaborated frequently with designer Moschino, wearing standout Moschino couture to events like the Met Gala that garnered significant media attention. Designer Jeremy Scott was drawn to Cardi’s fearlessness and sense of fun, making them a perfect match.

These fashion collaborations with prestigious brands signaled that Cardi was about more than just music. She had emerged as a true pop culture figure worth paying attention to across industries. By intertwining her music success with high-profile fashion moments, Cardi widened her appeal and reach.

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While Cardi B has collaborated with many artists throughout her career, she’s also not afraid of engaging in public feuds to stir up attention. Some notable beefs helped maintain interest and intrigue around Cardi in the early stages of her rise.

One high-profile spat occurred with rapper Remy Ma in 2017. The feud began over lyrics perceived as subliminals aimed at Cardi on the song “ShEther.” It escalated on social media and in the press, with Cardi firing back disses of her own. The back-and-forth captured significant hip hop headlines at the time.

She also engaged in a war of words with Nicki Minaj, another female MC at the top of the game, over accusations of past relationships. Their disagreement played out in interviews, furthering the narrative of Cardi as an artist not to be messed with.

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While feuds can sometimes have negative consequences, in Cardi’s case they also kept her name constantly in the conversation as she was breaking out. The intrigue and controversy likely drove streams of her music and social mentions upward as people wanted to keep up with the latest drama. For an up-and-coming artist, any publicity is good publicity—as Cardi seemed to understand intuitively in those early phases.

 

As a digital native, Cardi B also excelled at leveraging social media platforms to boost her profile from the ground up. She amassed a dedicated following through platforms like Instagram that helped spread her brand globally.

Some of her earliest viral social media moments came from her time on Instagram Live. She would go live and engage directly with fans for hours at a time, whether getting ready, answering questions, or just chatting. Her authentic, unfiltered persona resonated strongly. Videos would rack up millions of views, expanding her fanbase well beyond the hip hop world.

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She also posted behind-the-scenes studio footage while recording that gave followers an intimate look at her creative process. One video of her freestyling in the studio to a beat went mega-viral in 2017, with over 30 million views. These types of candid social posts fueled interest in Cardi as a real, down-to-earth artist.

By the time she broke through with “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi had cultivated a massive social media presence primed for promotion. She had mastered connecting with fans online in an organic way. This digital savvy was a secret weapon driving her rise from the underground to the top of the charts.

 

Of course, it was 2017’s inescapable hit “Bodak Yellow” that truly thrust Cardi B into the mainstream spotlight. The song’s hypnotic beat and Cardi’s boastful lyrics about her lavish lifestyle and “Bodak” money resonated hugely. It ascended to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Cardi the first solo female rapper to top the chart with a debut single since Lauryn Hill.

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The song’s massive success was built on all the groundwork Cardi had laid for years. From her reality TV fame to mixtape hits to social media prowess, she had primed a devoted fanbase hungry to propel her to new heights. “Bodak Yellow” served as the perfect crystallization of Cardi’s charisma and style to capture a wider audience.

In the aftermath, she became inescapable. Performances on shows like Saturday Night Live cemented her status. Cardi had achieved what no other female rapper before her could—to dominate pop culture and the charts at the highest level. It was confirmation that her star power was just beginning to shine.

 

In the years since “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B has maintained her reign at the top of the hip hop world by consistently delivering new hits. 2018 brought her debut studio album Invasion of Privacy, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200.

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Lead singles “Be Careful” and “I Like It” with J Balvin and Bad Bunny both reached #1 on the Hot 100. She became the first female artist to replace herself at #1 as a solo artist. These triumphs showed Cardi’s staying power and ability to keep the momentum going post-breakthrough.

Major collaborations like “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion in 2020 have further expanded her audience. The sexually liberated song became a feminist anthem of sorts and another massive chart-topper. Even when taking creative risks, Cardi displays an unerring ability to produce inescapable hits.

Through it all, she’s continued evolving her style and sound while maintaining her authenticity. From trap bangers to pop crossovers, Cardi finds new ways to keep people listening. This consistent mainstream success has cemented her as not