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Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, rose to fame when she began detailing her life as a stripper on social media. In 2015, the New York native began releasing music and starring on Love & Hip Hop: New York. After announcing her departure from the show in December 2016, she scored her first major record deal with Atlantic Records in February 2017 and released her hit single “Bodak Yellow” in June.
Over the years, Cardi has continued to have a successful music career and a big presence on social media. She hosts her own show on Facebook called Cardi Tries. Despite her successes, things have not all been smooth sailing for Cardi. Continue reading to find out about some of Cardi’s biggest controversies since achieving super stardom.
8 Many People Did Not Like Cardi B’s WAP Lyrics
Cardi B’s hit song "WAP," featuring Megan Thee Stallion, made a lot of headlines when it first came out in 2020. Though many of her fans loved the song, critics, such as conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, spoke out against the song’s vulgar lyrics. When the rappers performed their chart-topper at the 2021 Grammy Awards, many stars were divided. Mary J. Blige and Pusha T were among those who publicly supported the performance. Candace Owens and John Cooper criticized the sexual nature of their performance. Despite the backlash, this song will go down in the history books because the accompanying music video accumulated twenty-six million views within twenty-four hours of it being on YouTube. Several celebrities make a cameo in the music video, including Kylie Jenner, Normani, and Rosalía.
7 Cardi B Had Beef With Nicki Minaj
Cardi B and Nicki Minaj have been at odds for several years now. Though Nicki initially supported Cardi’s first major single “Bodak Yellow,” their budding relationship quickly went south after they were both featured the Migos’ song “Motorsport.” On social media, they seemed to allude to there being a controversy over Nicki’s verse on the song. Whatever bad blood may have been between them seemed to be water under the bridge when they were spotted speaking at the 2018 Met Gala. A few months later though, the pair got into a physical altercation at the Harper’s Bazaar Icon Party. In October 2018, Nicki claimed that she “won’t be discussing this nonsense anymore.” Fans have continued to speculate that there is still beef.
6 Cardi B Also Had Beef With Madonna
Nicki Minaj is not the only celebrity who has had beef with Cardi B. Cardi B and Madonna had their own spat on social media. Madonna and Cardi met for the first time at Madonna’s 2018 Oscars party. In an Instagram post, Cardi said that she was thrilled to have met her “real life IDOL.” When Madonna celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of the release of her 1992 Sex book, the pop star wrote on her Instagram story, “Now Cardi B can sing about her WAP […] You’re welcome.” Cardi didn’t appreciate Madonna’s use of the clown emoji at the end of her message, and she replied that Madonna could “make her point without putting clown emojis and getting slick out the mouth.” Fortunately, the stars were able to work it out. Cardi tweeted, “I talked to Madonna…It was beautiful…Have a great day and drive safely yallll.”
5 Cardi Has Had A Rollercoaster Relationship With Husband Offset
Cardi B and her husband, fellow rapper Offset, have endured many ups and downs throughout their relationship. They got married in September 2017 after less than a year of dating. During Cardi’s first pregnancy with their daughter Kulture, the couple faced a cheating scandal. Videos emerged of Offset in bed with other women in December 2017 and January 2018. Cardi decided to stick by Offset before announcing that they had split in December 2018. A couple of months and several apologies later, the couple was back together. In September 2020, Cardi filed for divorce. By October, they were back together, and Cardi gave birth to their son, Wave, in September 2021.
4 Cardi B Was Charged With Assault
In September 2022, Cardi B pleaded guilty to third-degree assault and second-degree reckless endangerment for a fight that took place at a New York strip club back in 2018. She was sentenced to fifteen days of community service. She released a statement after her sentencing that said “These moments don’t define me, and they are not reflective of who I am now.”
3 Cardi B Allegedly Used To Drug And Rob Men
In 2019, one of Cardi B’s old Instagram lives went viral. In the live, she talked about how she used to drug and rob men who wanted to have sex with her back in her stripper days. In response to the video resurfacing, Cardi claimed that her decisions came out of a need to “survive” at the time. She said, “I never glorified the things I brought up in that live, I never even put those things in my music because I’m not proud of it.” She continued, “I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options.” Cardi faced fierce backlash for her past actions, though some did come to the rapper’s defense.
2 Cardi B Spared No Expense For Kulture’s Fourth Birthday
Aside from her career, fans know that Cardi B is a doting mother to her two children. When her daughter Kulture turned four, Cardi and Offset faced backlash for spending a lot of money to celebrate. Cardi and Offset gave Kulture a stack of $50,000, a family visit to Candytopia, and a mermaid-themed birthday party. Critics often call Cardi and Offset out for the expensive gifts they give their children. Cardi has explained that although she wants her kids to know the value of hard work, she also wants them to have a better childhood than she did.
1 Cardi B Recently Got In The Middle Of Offset And Quavo’s Beef
Most recently, Cardi B has been put in the middle of Offset and Quavo’s beef. Since Takeoff died late last year, the cousins and former groupmates have still not settled their feud. Quavo performed a tribute for his nephew Takeoff at the 2023 Grammys and allegedly barred Offset from participating. The pair reportedly got into a physical altercation backstage, and in a leaked clip, Cardi seems to chastise both of them for their behavior. In the clip, Cardi screams, “Both of y’all are wrong. Both of y’all. This is not right.” Offset has denied that there was a fight.