25 Facts About Cardi B You Never Knew You Needed To Know

Cardi B rapidly topped the music charts, became a household name, and is beloved by millions of fans. However, the 25-year-old rapper’s life hasn’t always been so glamorous.

Ahead are 25 facts you never knew about Cardi B that will explain how the New York native went from working in an Amish market to topping music charts around the world.

25. Cardi B’s Real Name

The rapper is best known for her moniker ‘Cardi B,’ however, her real name is Belcalis Almanzar. Both names are Spanish translations of Arabic words. Belcalis is believed to reference the Queen of Sheba and Almanzar means ‘lookout point’ or ‘watchtower’.

24. Immigrant Parents

Cardi B’s mother is from Trinidad and her father is from the Dominican Republic. They both moved to the United States and settled down together in New York.

23. Born and Raised In The Bronx

The rapper’s mother and father raised her in Highbridge, which is a neighborhood in the central-west section of the Bronx. The neighborhood is predominantly Latino and she credits her upbringing for shaping her music.

22. A Big Family

Cardi B has a sister who their parents named Hennessy, as in the brandy. She also has half-siblings from her father’s other marriage.

21. Sharing The Spotlight

Cardi B isn’t the only famous family member. Her sister, Hennessy, is a social media star in her own right. So far, she has amassed 3.8 million followers on Instagram.

20. A Car But No License

Like many city kids, Cardi B never learned how to drive and doesn’t have a license despite now owning a car. “I don’t even have a f*cking license,” she said on social media. “How do you expect me to know how to drive when I’ve taken the train my whole life?”

19. The Story Behind The Nickname

According to Cardi B, her nickname and stage name is short for Bacardi. “My sister’s name is Hennessy,” Cardi B told Jimmy Fallon. “So everyone used to call me Bacardi, and I started calling myself Bacardi.”

18. Humble Beginnings

Cardi B’s first job was working behind a cash register at an Amish Market in Tribeca and earned about $250 a week.

17. A Career Change

When the rapper was 19 years old, she was fired from her job at a deli. After that, she started working at a strip club across the street as an exotic dancer.

16. Career Advice

Cardi’s former boss was actually the one to suggest she get a job as a stripper. “He was like, ‘You’re so pretty, you got a nice body,'” Cardi told Fader. “He told me to go across the street to New York Dolls, the strip club. That’s when I started stripping.”

15. A White Lie

Cardi couldn’t tell her mom about her stripping job because she knew she wouldn’t approve. Instead, she told her mother that she got a job babysitting for a wealthy family who paid her $100 a day to watch their two kids.

14. Saved by Stripping

Working as a stripper actually allowed Cardi to escape an abusive relationship. “I was living with my boyfriend who was beating my ass,” she told VLAD TV. “Stripping gave me my own money to leave him.”

13. A Sound Investment

Cardi saved the money she earned from stripping. Once she had enough, she used it to make her own mixtape, which helped her launch her music career.

12. Under The Knife

While most celebrities are hush-hush about going under the knife, Cardi B has been upfront about her cosmetic surgeries, including breast and butt implants. She had her first done at just 19 years old and has spoken about her plans for future procedures.

11. A Reality TV Star

Cardi was on the sixth season of VH1’s Love & Hip Hop. She left after two seasons on the show, however, to focus on her music career.

10. A Direct Route to Fame

Just months after leaving the reality show, Cardi released a second mixed tape. In those months, she also signed a multimillion-dollar record deal and release her chart-topping hit, “Bodak Yellow”.

9. Staying Humble

Fans love Cardi for her big personality, her brutal honesty, and candidness. However, she has a hard time understanding why millions of people love her. “Like, I can’t believe they love…me? What’s so great about me,” she told W.

8. Making History

“Bodak Yellow” made Cardi the first solo female rapper to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 since Lauryn Hill’s single “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. It also made her the fifth female rapper ever to have a chart-topping album.

7. Swift Friends

After the success of “Bodak Yellow,” Taylor Swift sent Cardi a bouquet of flowers to congratulate her success.

6. Hailing Queen Bey

Cardi references a lot of strong female artists in her music but has referenced Beyoncé the most. In her album, Cardi references Beyoncé in her lyrics once every 12 minutes.

5. Cardi’s Idol

According to the rapper, her idol and favorite musician is Madonna. She grew up listening to Madonna and often sang her songs while in high school.

4. The First Song

While “Bodak Yellow” put Cardi B on the map, the first song she ever released was a remix of Shaggy’s “Book Boom.”

3. Revealing Pregnancy On SNL

On the April 7, 2018, episode of Saturday Night Live, Cardi B performed the song “Be Careful,” where she revealed to the world that she was pregnant with Migos rapper Offset’s baby.

2. Sharing The Success

In “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi rapped about getting her teeth fixed. As a result, people found her dentist, and according to her doctor, business tripled after the song was released.

1. An Unexpected Passion

Cardi B has admitted that she is obsessed with American government and politics. “I love political science,” the rapper told GQ. “I love government. I’m obsessed with presidents. I’m obsessed to know how the system works.” She also is passionate about President Franklin D. Roosevelt. “Like, this man was suffering from polio at the time of his presidency, and yet all he was worried about was trying to make America great—make America great again for real. He’s the real ‘Make America Great Again.’”

25 Facts About Cardi B You Never Knew You Needed To Know is an article from: LifeDaily