Cardi B Vs Nicki Minaj: the battle of the female rappers
Cardi B and Nicki Minaj are undoubtedly two of the biggest names in female rap and hip hop. They both are great artists in their own right and have left a strong imprint on the industry. However, the battle for the spotlight does not only take place on stage or in the charts, but also behind the scenes. In fact, their ongoing feud has diverted the public attention from their art as people try to keep up with who said what. In the following we will consider both these facets.
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar was born in 1992 in Bronx, New York. She later took on the stage name Cardi B, a gritty artist who can be considered a product of her upbringing in the Bronx, New York. The place she grew up in and lived for most of her life has had a great impact on her personality and the direction she took in music. The road to succes has passed through reality shows and social media only to end up becoming a Grammy Award-winning rapper.
One of the things that first caught public attention was the openess with which she discussed her past as a stripper on social media. A past that is also frequently referenced in her music. So, she quickly became an Instagram star. Continuing to explore other platforms, between 2015 and 2017 she was one of the regulars on the Love & Hip Hop series hosted by VH1. It was only in 2017 that she signed with Atlantic, her first significant record label deal. With that Cardi B took the industry by storm.
The debut single Bodak Yellow made history as it hit number one on the infamous US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Thus, Cardi B made a name for herself, becoming the first solo female rapper since Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop (That Thing) in 1998 to have her single become a number one in the US charts. A success that even Nicki Minaj congratulated in a tweet. A feat she managed once again with her hit I Like It, becoming the only female rapping artist to pull this off not just once, but twice.
Since then, it was clear that Cardi B is here to stay. She received BET Award nominations and Grammy nominations in 2018 both for the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. In the following year she upped the stakes at the Billboard Music awards with a total of eight nominations and she took home the grand prize of Top Rap Female Artist.
Nevertheless her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, was released only in 2018. The fans could finally enjoy a collection of her work. Many of her solo songs soon became hits, but she also had some important collaborations attached to her name: Bruno Mars (Finesse), 21 Savage, Migos and so on. Not long after launching the debut album, Apple Music experienced a record number of visits, leaving Taylor Swift’s Reputation lagging behind, making Cardi B the most streamable artist during the first week of an album.
Cardi B’s deep, strong, and slightly nosy voice encompasses the grit of New York. Also, her in your face personality is a huge part of her popularity, she is bursting with sass and energy that translates into her music as well. But she is also making an impact in other areas, beyond music, mainly fashion. This year she has been included in the “28 Black Fashion Forces” list by the Council of Fashion Designers of America itself.
Awards stats:
- 1 Grammy Award
- 3 MTV Video Music Awards
- 3 American Music Awards
- 7 Billboard Music Awards
- 9 BET Hip Hop Awards
Plus, she has two Guiness World Records from 2018 under her belt for Most simultaneous Billboard US Hot 100 entries by a female and Most simultaneous Billboard US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Top 10 entries by a female.
Popularity stats – number of followers on social media platforms:
Facebook: 6.6M
Instagram: almost 50M
Twitter: almost 7M
Nicki Minaj
Born on December 8, 1982, in Queens, New York, Onika Tanja Maraj became the self-proclaimed “Queen of Rap” and certainly one of the most influential rap artists of our time and one of the bestselling artists worldwide.
The first major stepping stone for her career was the mixtape she launched way back in 2007, titled Playtime is Over. And so it was, things became pretty serious after that as the music industry was introduced to a new star, Nicki Minaj. It took three more years for an album to be released, but as soon as it was, Pink Friday plummeted to US Billboard 200, not to mention that it became triple platinum certified.
She also gathered some impressive names for collaborations, including Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Eminem. Two years after, followed the second album Roman Reloaded which created quite a stir worldwide. Next, her third album came out after another 2 years, in 2014 and it stuck to the pink theme, The Pinkprint. The final album was released during the past year and it was simply called Queen.
There are many things that made her stand out, but especially noteworthy are her boldness and unpredictability, something that translated into her music too. Her fast-paced rapping was often done in different accents and she brought the lyrics to life through her different personas.
Over the years, she experimented with different influences, mixing her rap and hip-hop with some pop and tough bass drops to create a signature sound. Another thing, Minaj can be accused of many things, but never of being dull, only maybe a doll. She is always a head-turner with her risky colorful costumes and wigs. So, her spitfire rapping, coupled with some dramatic performances in rainbow costumes makes her quite the wrecking force.
Among her many feats, we should mention a couple… Nicki Minaj made herself quite comfortable on Billboard’s Hot 100, where she had no less than seven songs in the charts at the same time, thus breaking her own record. Furthermore, she is still the one and only female rapping artist who succeeded in entering the Top 10 with a total of 14 songs. She even broke records beyond her genre, gathering the highest number of entries in the Hot 100.
Time and time again she has proven her versatility, testing waters beyond the musical domain. She can add acting (Ice Age: Continental Drift, The Other Woman, Barbershop: The Next Cut) to her resume, alongside modeling, and being a judge on America’s Idol, season 12. Minaj has successfully raised millions from her music coupled with public appearances. So, it is not surprising that she can make money from the feud with Cardi B as well. Following the New York Fashion Week Scandal, Cardi claimed that Minaj is trying to stop her bags. In response, Nicki designed a mini clothing line around the “Nicki Stopped My Bag” “slogan”.
Awards stats:
- 1 Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award
- 4 Billboard Music Awards
- 4 MTV Video Music Awards
- 6 American Music Awards
- 11 BET Awards
Popularity stats – number of followers on social media platforms
Facebook: just over 41M
Instagram: 105M
Twitter: 20,5M
The fight
Oh, the ongoing feud between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. Who can keep up? It has everything, plenty of drama, photoshopped Instagram posts, alternative truths and what not. Although, there was already some heat between the two, the first major round of the fight dates back to September 7, 2018 and it played down at Harper’s Bazaar Iconic Party.
Some harsh words were spoken, insults flew left and right, and so did shoes… there is even video footage of Cardi B lashing out on someone thought to be Minaj. It seems that the spark that finally ignited a fire was Minaj critiquing Cardi’s parenting skills, although she later refused ever making such a statement.
Things seemed to have quieted down soon enough and a ceasefire was made between the two female rappers. And then came round 2? Recently Cardi B was interviewed by Vanity Fair and to their question regarding the possibility of another future collaboration with Minaj, her only response was a good, long laugh.
There are rumors flying around that the entire feud was staged by the media. And who knows, this might be true. But if it is more possible for this to be the case in the early stages, it is less likely for the later development of the events. Things got pretty real.
For more info and a detailed timeline of the ongoing feud check out: https://www.glamour.com/story/nicki-minaj-cardi-b-timeline
So, in the battle of female rappers, Nicki Minaj has one up on Cardi as far experience and versatility goes, she has been part of the industry for longer and has established herself as a star. Nevertheless, Cardi made a fierce entrance and has the element of freshness on her side. To find out who will be the supreme winner, there is nothing left to do than to wait it out. As unpredictable as they both are, who knows what will come next? Maybe even a collaboration. Meanwhile the feud behind the music scenes offers plenty of entertainment for those who are interested in the artists.
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar was born in 1992 in Bronx, New York. She later took on the stage name Cardi B, a gritty artist who can be considered a product of her upbringing in the Bronx, New York. The place she grew up in and lived for most of her life has had a great impact on her personality and the direction she took in music. The road to succes has passed through reality shows and social media only to end up becoming a Grammy Award-winning rapper.
One of the things that first caught public attention was the openess with which she discussed her past as a stripper on social media. A past that is also frequently referenced in her music. So, she quickly became an Instagram star. Continuing to explore other platforms, between 2015 and 2017 she was one of the regulars on the Love & Hip Hop series hosted by VH1. It was only in 2017 that she signed with Atlantic, her first significant record label deal. With that Cardi B took the industry by storm.
The debut single Bodak Yellow made history as it hit number one on the infamous US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Thus, Cardi B made a name for herself, becoming the first solo female rapper since Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop (That Thing) in 1998 to have her single become a number one in the US charts. A success that even Nicki Minaj congratulated in a tweet. A feat she managed once again with her hit I Like It, becoming the only female rapping artist to pull this off not just once, but twice.
Since then, it was clear that Cardi B is here to stay. She received BET Award nominations and Grammy nominations in 2018 both for the Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. In the following year she upped the stakes at the Billboard Music awards with a total of eight nominations and she took home the grand prize of Top Rap Female Artist.
Nevertheless her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, was released only in 2018. The fans could finally enjoy a collection of her work. Many of her solo songs soon became hits, but she also had some important collaborations attached to her name: Bruno Mars (Finesse), 21 Savage, Migos and so on. Not long after launching the debut album, Apple Music experienced a record number of visits, leaving Taylor Swift’s Reputation lagging behind, making Cardi B the most streamable artist during the first week of an album.
Cardi B’s deep, strong, and slightly nosy voice encompasses the grit of New York. Also, her in your face personality is a huge part of her popularity, she is bursting with sass and energy that translates into her music as well. But she is also making an impact in other areas, beyond music, mainly fashion. This year she has been included in the “28 Black Fashion Forces” list by the Council of Fashion Designers of America itself.
Awards stats:
- 1 Grammy Award
- 3 MTV Video Music Awards
- 3 American Music Awards
- 7 Billboard Music Awards
- 9 BET Hip Hop Awards
Plus, she has two Guiness World Records from 2018 under her belt for Most simultaneous Billboard US Hot 100 entries by a female and Most simultaneous Billboard US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Top 10 entries by a female.
Popularity stats – number of followers on social media platforms:
Facebook: 6.6M
Instagram: almost 50M
Twitter: almost 7M
Nicki Minaj
Born on December 8, 1982, in Queens, New York, Onika Tanja Maraj became the self-proclaimed “Queen of Rap” and certainly one of the most influential rap artists of our time and one of the bestselling artists worldwide.
The first major stepping stone for her career was the mixtape she launched way back in 2007, titled Playtime is Over. And so it was, things became pretty serious after that as the music industry was introduced to a new star, Nicki Minaj. It took three more years for an album to be released, but as soon as it was, Pink Friday plummeted to US Billboard 200, not to mention that it became triple platinum certified.
She also gathered some impressive names for collaborations, including Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Eminem. Two years after, followed the second album Roman Reloaded which created quite a stir worldwide. Next, her third album came out after another 2 years, in 2014 and it stuck to the pink theme, The Pinkprint. The final album was released during the past year and it was simply called Queen.
There are many things that made her stand out, but especially noteworthy are her boldness and unpredictability, something that translated into her music too. Her fast-paced rapping was often done in different accents and she brought the lyrics to life through her different personas.
Over the years, she experimented with different influences, mixing her rap and hip-hop with some pop and tough bass drops to create a signature sound. Another thing, Minaj can be accused of many things, but never of being dull, only maybe a doll. She is always a head-turner with her risky colorful costumes and wigs. So, her spitfire rapping, coupled with some dramatic performances in rainbow costumes makes her quite the wrecking force.
Among her many feats, we should mention a couple… Nicki Minaj made herself quite comfortable on Billboard’s Hot 100, where she had no less than seven songs in the charts at the same time, thus breaking her own record. Furthermore, she is still the one and only female rapping artist who succeeded in entering the Top 10 with a total of 14 songs. She even broke records beyond her genre, gathering the highest number of entries in the Hot 100.
Time and time again she has proven her versatility, testing waters beyond the musical domain. She can add acting (Ice Age: Continental Drift, The Other Woman, Barbershop: The Next Cut) to her resume, alongside modeling, and being a judge on America’s Idol, season 12. Minaj has successfully raised millions from her music coupled with public appearances. So, it is not surprising that she can make money from the feud with Cardi B as well. Following the New York Fashion Week Scandal, Cardi claimed that Minaj is trying to stop her bags. In response, Nicki designed a mini clothing line around the “Nicki Stopped My Bag” “slogan”.
Awards stats:
- 1 Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award
- 4 Billboard Music Awards
- 4 MTV Video Music Awards
- 6 American Music Awards
- 11 BET Awards
Popularity stats – number of followers on social media platforms
Facebook: just over 41M
Instagram: 105M
Twitter: 20,5M
The fight
Oh, the ongoing feud between Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. Who can keep up? It has everything, plenty of drama, photoshopped Instagram posts, alternative truths and what not. Although, there was already some heat between the two, the first major round of the fight dates back to September 7, 2018 and it played down at Harper’s Bazaar Iconic Party.
Some harsh words were spoken, insults flew left and right, and so did shoes… there is even video footage of Cardi B lashing out on someone thought to be Minaj. It seems that the spark that finally ignited a fire was Minaj critiquing Cardi’s parenting skills, although she later refused ever making such a statement.
Things seemed to have quieted down soon enough and a ceasefire was made between the two female rappers. And then came round 2? Recently Cardi B was interviewed by Vanity Fair and to their question regarding the possibility of another future collaboration with Minaj, her only response was a good, long laugh.
There are rumors flying around that the entire feud was staged by the media. And who knows, this might be true. But if it is more possible for this to be the case in the early stages, it is less likely for the later development of the events. Things got pretty real.
For more info and a detailed timeline of the ongoing feud check out: https://www.glamour.com/story/nicki-minaj-cardi-b-timeline
So, in the battle of female rappers, Nicki Minaj has one up on Cardi as far experience and versatility goes, she has been part of the industry for longer and has established herself as a star. Nevertheless, Cardi made a fierce entrance and has the element of freshness on her side. To find out who will be the supreme winner, there is nothing left to do than to wait it out. As unpredictable as they both are, who knows what will come next? Maybe even a collaboration. Meanwhile the feud behind the music scenes offers plenty of entertainment for those who are interested in the artists.
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A student of life and probably for life. She likes putting theory into practice and to challenge norms. Currently on a mission to understand human behavior and interaction. Always on the lookout for the next challenge.