Cardi B Becomes RIAA’s Most Certified Woman Rapper, Surpassing Nicki Minaj
Bardi Gang should be proud! Cardi B has recently hit another milestone. In two years, with one album and 31.5 million-plus singles sold, the Bronx rapper has now become the RIAA’s most certified woman rapper ever, surpassing her nemesis, Nicki Minaj.
In 2018, Cardi B, born Belcalis Almanzar, made headlines by becoming the first woman artist ever (of any genre) to see every single track from one particular album be certified Gold or Platinum. Now, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper is making waves in the RIAA record books again.
Thanks to Cardi B’s single “Press,” and her song “She Bad” from her debut album Invasion of Privacy, hitting new RIAA certifications as of Tuesday (Sept. 3), the rapper has reached over the 31.5 million mark (for singles).
The songs surpassed the RIAA’s threshold for Gold (500,000 units shifted SPS) and Platinum (1,000,000 units shifted SPS), giving Cardi the nudge that was needed for her to bypass her longtime nemesis, Minaj, who recently announced her retirement on Twitter.
LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 17: Recording artist Nicki Minaj performs during the 2015 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 17, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The leader of the Barbz’s history can’t be re-written. Minaj had 104 entries on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, as That Grape Juice reports. However, unlike Billboard, the RIAA doesn’t attribute the leverage of an artist’s features on other people’s records within their overall career stats. Although Minaj may have helped a myriad of the decade’s major hits become certified Multiplatinum, Platinum, and Gold, she will only receive attribution by the RIAA for tracks that she leads.
HOLLYWOOD, CA – NOVEMBER 14: Cardi B performs onstage during the Fashion Nova x Cardi B Collaboration Launch Event at Boulevard3 on November 14, 2018 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images for Fashion Nova)
