Cardi B’s Lightning-Fast Rise

Cardi B’s debut album struck like a bolt of lightning, its synergy riding a larger shift in the new attention economy of the 2010s. The Bronx rapper and former stripper had parlayed a stint on VH1 into increased visibility, becoming a social VIP in the process and elevating herself from TV personality who raps on the side to full-time rapper with a self-made, new-money empire.

Success with 'Bodak Yellow'

Her virality and creativity dovetailed to land her a record deal and a breakaway hit single, "Bodak Yellow," which was eventually certified diamond. In 2018, with the risk of being relegated back to Love & Hip Hop: New York cast member still looming, Invasion of Privacy solidified Cardi as not just the next great NYC rapper but a bona fide star. She won the Grammy for best rap album, she became a billion-stream Spotify success story, and suddenly the entire rap world was her oyster, its recognition a shining pearl.

Struggles of Staying at the Top

By 2021, Cardi was already feeling the strain of living up to all of that. In a conversation with Mariah Carey for Interview, she bemoaned the struggles of chasing the moving goalposts for women in rap. First, she was told she couldn't make it; then she made "Bodak Yellow." Next, she was a one-hit wonder; cue "MotorSport," "I Like It" and "Please Me." After that, she was a hitmaker but a lowbrow one; that is, until Invasion of Privacy made her a critical darling and the first solo woman to earn the Recording Academy's top rap prize.

The Pressure to Prove Herself

Now, she had to show that the album wasn't some kind of fluke: "Last year, because I hadn't put out music for a long time, social media was saying, 'She's over. I told you she was only going to last this and that amount. She's so mediocre,' " Cardi explained. "So I used to ask some of my fans, 'You think it's really over for me?' They gave me encouragement, like, 'I don't think you really understand who you are.'