Cardi B makes music history, dethrones Swift from charts
IT HAD been nearly two decades since a solo female rapper topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. And then Cardi B burst onto the scene.
The Bronx native’s breakout anthem “Bodak Yellow ( Money Moves)” secured the No. 1 spot on the latest chart, Billboard announced on Monday. The last time a female rapper held that spot without the assistance of any other credited artistes was Lauryn Hill in 1998 with “Doo Wop ( That Thing).”
Cardi B posted a video on Monday thanking her fans, radio hosts and others for playing and downloading her song. “I loveee you all each and everybody contributed for this,” she wrote on Instagram. “Ya made it happen for me !!!!! The number 1 WAY!!”
Aside from Hill, the only female rappers to top the Billboard Hot 100 had songs with other musicians: Lil’ Kim (“Lady Marmalade”); Shawnna (“Stand Up”); and Iggy Azalea (“Fancy”).
Cardi B’s ascent also means she toppled Taylor Swift, who had occupied the No. 1 spot for three weeks with “Look What You Made Me Do.” Although Swift broke plenty of streaming records with that much-buzzed single, her reign was more shortlived than expected.
Cardi B once worked as an exotic dancer — a past she raps about on her breakout single: “I don’t dance now, I make money moves.” She then gained notoriety through viral videos on Vine and Instagram and even appeared on the VH1 reality show “Love & Hip Hop.”
“Bodak Yellow” dropped in early summer and became one of the year’s most streamed songs. Cardi B plans to release her fi rst studio album next month; she already has put out two mix tapes.
Her unapologetic, unfi ltered and outrageous presence, both on her tracks and on social media, has a down-to- earth quality that has brought her legions of fans. Even Janet Jackson has been dancing along to “Bodak Yellow” while on tour.
“It feels amazing and it’s overwhelming. It’s like, it fi lls me up with lot of happiness and a lot of joy,” Cardi B told the Associated Press about her song’s success. “It’s just, like, unbelievable. I’ve been through so many things and I worked so hard for me to be here, and it’s like I’m fi nally here getting what I wanted, (and getting) the respect from other artistes and from everybody.” — WPBloomberg