IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Cardi B celebrates Grammy nods, hit songs at label party
NEW YORK » Tell Cardi B she’s nominated for a Grammy and the breakthrough rapper will quickly remind you: She’s actually nominated for two.
The chart-topping rapper performed late Thursday at a pre-Grammy party held by her record label’s parent company, Warner Music Group. And when the DJ said she “got nominated for a Grammy,” she corrected him. “Two of them,” she said. The 25-year-old performer celebrated her first pair of Grammy nominations at The Grill in New York City with a performance of her five hit songs, also giving the audience a dose of her humor and likable personality.
She was energetic as she kicked off the performance with her verse on the remix to Bruno Mars’ anthemic and upbeat “Finesse.” In a black ensemble, she worked the stage with two background dancers, running through her hits that have dominated on radio and streaming services, from “Bartier Cardi” to “No Limit,” a collaboration with G-Eazy and A$AP Rocky.
Cardi B currently has five songs in the Top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including three in the Top 10 (“Finesse” is No. 4; “No Limit” is No. 7; and “MotorSport” with Migos and Nicki Minaj is No. 10).
Her major label debut single, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” topped the Hot 100 last year and made her the first solo female rapper to hit No. 1 since Lauryn Hill in 1998. The song is nominated for best rap song and best rap performance at Sunday’s Grammy Awards — pitting her against Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
“It’s the Grammys — hope a (girl) take one. Let me take it to the Bronx,” she said to the crowd.
Cardi B thanked her label, Atlantic Records, at the event, where attendees included singers Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, Rita Ora, Ciara, Kimbra and Bebe Rexha; country music group Little Big Town; Oscarand Tony-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and rapper Gucci Mane.
The rapper said before she signed to Atlantic “a lot of these labels were trying to play me ... they were trying to sign me for $50,000.”
“‘Love and Hip Hop’ was paying me that,” said Cardi B to laughs, referring to the VH1 reality show she starred on, which helped her fame grow after the former stripper developed a following on social media.
Cardi B, who has released several mixtapes, is set to release her debut album this year. She will perform with Mars at the Grammys, airing live on CBS from Madison Square Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET Sunday.
“Y’all wanna know something y’all rich (people), if I (mess) up tomorrow I can still go to the strip club,” she said.