A Party With Cardi
2017 was a trying year but one thing that was constant and true was the music. Albums such as "Damn" by Kendrick Lamar provided us with a vibe from the West Coast as well as some lyrical artistry. At the same time, "CTRL" by Sza reminded us to never allow ourselves to be taken for granted. Music fans also were treated to an abundance of sounds from other artists including rap sensation Cardi B.
Born Belcalis Almanzar, Cardi B is one of the biggest "pop out" artist of the year. The 25-year-old rapper from the Bronx, New York, didn't start out in the music industry. She has acknowledged in interviews, some available on Instagram, that she was a stripper.
In one video, she even claims stripping saved her from a life of physical abuse at the hands of a boyfriend. The money she made, she says, allowed her to return to school and to become financially solvent. At the same time, she says, stripping was hard on her self-worth and she spent money for breast implants and butt implants.
Nonetheless, ever since Cardi's debut on Instagram, she has attracted millions of followers who love her personality and share her videos. Therefore, it was not surprising when she was offered a position on the television show "Love and Hip Hop: New York" in 2016 that it would boost her music career. The rest of pop culture has fallen in love with her even if it was by force.
In June 2017, she owned the airwaves following the release of "Bodak Yellow," which went onto spend 14 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 list including three weeks at the No. 1 spot. The song was played by nearly all radio stations and could be heard singing by almost all millennials with a Spotify account. The chorus of the song "I don't dance now I make money moves" let everyone know that although Cardi was once a stripper, she was not coming in the rap game to play.
Surprising some, she held true to her word and by the end of 2017, she had six songs on Billboard's Hot 100, working with such artists as Migos, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, G-Eazy and 21 Savage.