Cardi B’s 30th Birthday: 30 Facts You Didn’t Know About Her

Share:

Cardi B celebrates her 30th birthday this Wednesday, October 11, and at LOS40, we want to congratulate this explosive hip-hop diva in a big way by recapping 30 facts you might not have known about her. Cardi is, as we already know, a real box of surprises! Don’t miss this list that will undoubtedly help you get to know her much better.

30 Things You Didn’t Know About Cardi B

1. Real Name: No, contrary to what you might have thought, Cardi B’s real name is not Cardi B. Her full name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus.
2. Why Cardi B?: You might be wondering about the origin of her stage name. As Cardi explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, it began as a social media nickname inspired by her sister, who is named Hennessy. Indeed, since Hennessy is a brand of brandy, Cardi originally wanted to go by «Bacardi,» another brand of alcoholic beverages. However, her name kept getting removed by the platform, so she chose «Cardi B.»
   

   @ko.kingston the Surprising Truth About Cardi B’s Real Name | The Ellen Show #theellenshow #cardib #cardibmemes #ellenshow #interview #cardibinterview ♬ original sound – John Weak

3. Humble Beginnings: Cardi grew up in the Highbridge neighborhood within a very modest family in the South Bronx of New York, and she was even part of the Bloods, one of the local gangs, a group she would later leave.
4. Latino Roots: The singer has proudly claimed her Latino heritage on several occasions and often expresses herself in Spanish. Her father is from the Dominican Republic, and her mother is from Trinidad and Tobago.
5. How Tall Is She?: Cardi B stands at an average height, which is approximately 1.58 meters. In reality, she is 2 centimeters above this average, with a height of 1.60 meters.
6. Family: The artist married rapper Offset in 2017, with whom she has two children: a daughter named Kulture and a son named Wave, despite the ups and downs in their relationship due to infidelity, as she narrates in songs like «Be Careful.»
7. Early Fame: Cardi gained recognition in the United States after joining the cast of the reality show «Love & Hip Hop: New York.» The sixth and seventh seasons detail her journey to fame and her complicated relationship with her then-fiancé, who was in jail. In 2016, she announced her departure from the show to venture into the music industry.
8. Pre-Artist Jobs: As a teenager, the rapper initially worked at an Amish product store in Tribeca but was eventually fired. Later, as she has openly shared, she began working as a stripper. According to the artist, this job saved her from poverty and domestic violence.
   

   @lifestories.goalcast Cardi B opens up about her time working in a strip club. #cardib #ajobisajobthatsit #hardsituation #doitforyourself ♬ original sound – Life Stories by Goalcast

9. Debut in Music: Her first foray into the music world was a remix of the single «Boom Boom» by reggae singer Shaggy, alongside Jamaican artist Popcaan.
10. Her First Music Video: «Cheap Ass Wave» was the first official music video of her career.
11. Her First Mixtape: «Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2» was her initial project with multiple songs. Cardi faced a legal issue with the cover art for this work, which featured a photomontage of her with another man, allegedly incorporating a tattoo design belonging to Kevin Brophy Jr., who sued the artist in 2020.
12. Opening Act: Cardi B opened for the American hip-hop group The Lox on their «It’s Beautiful Tour,» alongside fellow rapper Lil Kim and Remi Ma.
13. First Female Rapper to Reach Number 1: In February 2017, Cardi signed with Atlantic Records and in June released the hit single «Bodak Yellow,» which reached number one on charts like the Billboard Hot 100. She became the first female rapper to achieve this solo since Lauryn Hill’s «Doo Woop (That Thing)» in 1998.
14. Breaking Records: Cardi B has set numerous records in her field, including being the first woman to have five top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
15. Her First Album: «Invasion of Privacy» marked her debut studio album and commercial success. Variety dubbed it «one of the most powerful debuts of the millennium» as it also reached number one in the United States, making Cardi the first artist to have 13 simultaneous entries on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week.
16. Big Screen Appearances: Cardi has appeared in various Hollywood films, such as «Fast and Furious,» alongside Vin Diesel, and in «Hustlers,» alongside Jennifer Lopez and singer Lizzo. In fact, J.Lo had trouble learning pole dancing for the film, so she called Cardi to join the cast and teach her the art.
17. Creative Entrepreneur: She owns a company called «Whip Shots,» which produces whipped cream vodka shots with a 10% alcohol volume. She even launched a «pumpkin spice» flavor for the fall season. The brand’s official website offers recipes and displays available flavors.
18. Many Cars, No License: Despite owning a dozen luxury cars, including Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces, Cardi B has admitted that she doesn’t have a driver’s license since she used public transportation all her life.
19. Most Viewed Video: Despite having several videos with over a billion views, her record-breaking video on YouTube is «I Like It,» a collaboration with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, with over 1.5 billion views to date.
20. Robert Pattinson Fan: Just like millions of teenagers in her time, Cardi B was a fan of the «Twilight» saga. So, she was ecstatic when she met Edward Cullen, played by Robert Pattinson, shortly before he became Batman. The singer even mentioned feeling like a teenager at that moment.
21. Gift from Taylor Swift: After the tremendous success of «Bodak Yellow,» Cardi B received a massive bouquet of flowers from her fellow artist and fan, Taylor Swift.
22. No More Collaborations: Recently, Cardi B announced that she doesn’t plan to release any more collaborative music, despite having numerous features in her discography. This decision has sparked curiosity, but Cardi mentioned that she wants to provide fresh music to her fans.
23. Clash with Nicki Minaj: Cardi’s outspoken nature has led to more than one public feud throughout her career. One of the most famous was with iconic rapper Nicki Minaj at a Harper’s Bazaar party in New York in 2018. It seemed that Minaj had made derogatory comments about Cardi B to industry figures, which didn’t sit well with her. In the midst of the altercation, she threw one of her expensive high-heeled shoes at Minaj and received a blow from one of Nicki’s bodyguards in response.
24. Mexican Influence: In an interview with Vogue, Cardi mentioned the influence of Mexican television in her life, especially the telenovelas she used to watch during her youth. She claimed to have learned several lessons about love from these productions.
25. Piercings: You may have noticed that Cardi B has a tongue piercing, but that doesn’t stop her from rapping at lightning speed.
26. Admiration for Beyoncé: Cardi B is a big fan of Beyoncé and made that clear on her album «Invasion of Privacy,» where she mentions the singer every 12 minutes.
27. Love for Political Science: While maintaining her love for rap, Cardi confessed that she enjoys studying the structure of the U.S. government and understanding how the political system works.
28. «On-Point» Manicure: Cardi is known for her claw-shaped nails, which are the work of manicurist Jenny Bui. To achieve this look, Bui invests approximately three hours in each manicure session.
29. Generous: On Offset’s 28th birthday, Cardi B surprised him with a very special gift: half a million dollars, which she hid in the refrigerator.
30. Choosing Her Daughter’s Name: When Cardi B gave birth to her daughter in July 2018, she chose to honor Offset by selecting his first and middle names. «Kulture» is likely a reference to Offset’s rap group albums, «Culture» and «Culture II,» while «Kiari» is Offset’s real name.