In what has seemed like the blink of an eye, rap has a new icon: Cardi B. For the first time in a long time, there is a female sitting on many rap accolades. Cardi B has turned one song, “Bodak Yellow,” into an anthem for women across the globe. This chart topper has staked its claim as the song of the summer, and has been nominated for many awards, including the BET 2017 Single of the Year. After 17 weeks topping Billboard’s Top 100 and peaking at number one for three consecutive weeks, Cardi B has become the fifth female rapper to hold that coveted spot. The others include Lil’ Kim, Shawnna, Iggy Azalea, as well as the great Lauryn Hill.

But how does an exotic dancer from the Bronx turn into one of rap’s loud and popping new faces? It can be pinpointed back to Cardi B’s internet fame, which started her rap career. After going viral back in 2013, she starred in VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York, a reality show based on the lives of entertainers who live in the New York area.  She soon garnered a lot of attention.  After doing two seasons of the show, Cardi B decided that she would pursue a career in the music industry. She started off steadily with two solo mixtapes. In a flash, Cardi was signed to Atlantic Records, a major music label. “Bodak Yellow” was her debut single on a major label.     

Many initially noticed that “Bodak Yellow” sounded very similar to a fellow rap artist song, Kodak Black’s “No Flockin’”. It follows a similar flow and pays homage to it, like the title of her song that is a play on his name. Kodak Black said, “At first I didn’t like Cardi B, but when I heard her [flow in] Bodak Yellow, that changed….I like the song”. “No Flockin’” peaked at 95 on the Billboard top 100 back in 2015.

However, Kodak Black is not the only artist to endorse and give credit to Cardi. Other famous artists such as Missy Elliot and Lil’ Kim have shown support for the new star. Even fellow New Yorker Nicki Minaj has shown support. The female rap industry has always been considered weak. Besides a few names, there has never been a lineup of iconic women who have dominated the charts. Some artists such as Nicki Minaj and Rhapsody have been titled the queens of Rap. Yet only one of those women, Iggy Azalea, can say they’ve accomplished what Cardi has: holding the number one spot on top of Billboard top 100. Even then there is a difference between them, as Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” had a feature on the track with a British singer named Charli XCX. On the other hand, Cardi did not have any features; just her solo rapping.

None of the women rappers have created as much buzz over one song as Cardi has. Until a worthy opponent arrives onto the scene, no other female rapper can match her. In other words, it’s not a bold statement to say that Cardi B is the current queen of rap.