Cardi B came out of left field. The Bronx native was a little-known stripper-turned-reality star just a year and a half ago, but she defied the odds and became the hottest rapper of 2018.
Though the 26-year-old’s rise to fame technically started in 2017 with the release of her single “Bodak Yellow,” she took things to the next level over the past 12 months, thanks in part to her chart-topping debut album, Invasion of Privacy.
Cardi (real name Belcalis Almanzar) kicked off the new year with her mega-successful remix of Bruno Mars’ “Finesse.” Three months later, her album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She celebrated the release by announcing her first pregnancy during a performance on Saturday Night Live. Her daughter, Kulture, arrived in July.
When the Love & Hip Hop: New York alum’s Bad Bunny and J Balvin-featured single “I Like It” became her second No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July, she was crowned the first female MC to achieve the feat. Her musical success continued in December when she received five Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year (“I Like It”).
Cardi also made headlines this year for her New York Fashion Week fight with Nicki Minaj and her split from her husband of more than a year, Offset from the rap trio Migos.
Watch the video above to revisit everything that has happened to Cardi in 2018!
