Back in 2017, Cardi B took the music world by a storm with her hit single “Bodak Yellow.” Now, it looks like the song is still dominating playlists and setting records four years later.
This week, “Bodak Yellow” was certified diamond by the RIAA, making Cardi B the first-ever female rapper to achieve this milestone.
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Although Cardi B’s music career started long before “Bodak Yellow,” the 2017 single is what truly introduced her to the mainstream music world. Now, after topping charts and earning over 680 million Spotify streams, “Bodak Yellow” has officially been certified diamond by the RIAA.
This feat means the track has sold more than 10 million units in the U.S. since its release. As well, Cardi B is the first female rapper to achieve this RIAA certification. On March 8, Cardi B’s team shared her reaction to learning about the “Bodak Yellow” certification. After unveiling the new plaque, Cardi B can be heard saying, “It’s diamond? For real?”
A plaque for “WAP,” her collab with Megan Thee Stallion, can also be seen in the video. As of March 3, “WAP” is officially certified platinum by the RIAA. To date, the collab has sold over 5 million units in the United States.
Congratulations to @iamcardib, the first female rapper to achieve a RIAA 💎 single award! #BodakYellow @AtlanticRecords https://t.co/D4gDxJorkR
— RIAA (@RIAA) March 9, 2021
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Of course, this isn’t the first historic RIAA certification for Cardi B. In 2018, every single song on her album Invasion Of Privacy was certified by the RIAA, a feat that had never been accomplished by a female artist before.
Just three months after it was released as a single, “Bodak Yellow” dethroned Post Malone and 21 Savage‘s “rockstar” for the coveted No.1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 2017. This accomplishment made her the first female rapper to top the chart without the assistance of any credited artists in nearly 19 years. Prior to this, Lauryn Hill reached No.1 all of the way back in 1998.
That same month, Cardi B also topped Taylor Swift‘s “Look What You Made Me Do” on the Billboard Hot 100. This feat made Cardi B just the fifth female rapper to earn a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1. In 2018, “Bodak Yellow” earned Cardi B two Grammy nominations for both Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance. However, Kendrick Lamar‘s “HUMBLE.” took home the award in both categories.
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In 2019, Cardi B snagged another four Grammy nominations including Record Of The Year for “I Like It” with Bad Bunny and J Balvin. As well, “Be Careful” was up for Best Rap Performance, her collab with Maroon 5 on “Girls Like You” was included in the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category and Invasion Of Privacy was nominated for Best Rap Album. In the end, she scored her first Grammy win for Best Rap Album that year.
Last year, she earned a Best Rap Performance nomination for “Clout,” her collab with Offset. However, Roddy Ricch, Nipsey Hussle and Hit-Boy‘s “Racks In The Middle” won that particular Grammys category.
Since the release of “Bodak Yellow,” Cardi B’s career has soared. This past year, “WAP,” her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion, took over both the charts and TikTok. After debuting at No. 1 on the Hot 100, the duo quickly earned backlash for their song.
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Tiger King star Carole Baskin raised concerns over the treatment of the wild cats in the luxurious “WAP” video. Soon after, comedian Russell Brand also weighed in on the “WAP” controversy. However, his critiques of the song’s meaning and video quickly sparked some backlash of their own.
Of course, a lot of individuals got creative with “WAP” online this past year. Last September, Biffy Clyro debuted their own version of the chart-topping single. Soon after its release, the cover divided the internet over whether or not white men should be covering a song that’s essentially about female empowerment.
Along with a viral Hannah Montana TikTok remix of “WAP” and Jack Black‘s unforgettable dance routine to the song, Cardi B even got involved with the online “WAP” content. A parody tweet inspired by Plain White T‘s “Hey There Delilah” from Callous Daoboys‘ Carson Pace caught the rapper’s attention, sparking a viral Twitter moment no one was expecting.
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Cardi B’s domination in music is far from over. She is among the performers for this year’s Grammy Awards. Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, HAIM, Harry Styles and Doja Cat are just a few of the other artists scheduled to perform this weekend. The 2021 Grammys ceremony kicks off on Sunday, Mar. 14 at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
WE 👏 ARE 👏 COUNTING 👏 THE 👏 DAYS! #GRAMMYs https://t.co/tSKi9LpO9L
— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) March 7, 2021
What are your reactions to “Bodak Yellow” being certified diamond by the RIAA? Let us know in the comments below.