Since this Latina firecracker stepped onto the rap scene, she’s topped headlines, made us cry from laughter and flooded our Instagram feeds with honest and hysterical videos baring it all for her followers to see. From a gang member to a former stripper, Cardi hasn’t always been the Cinderella of hip-hop but her big personality and red carpet antics are why we all love her.

To find out more about her cray cray life and how she made it in music, here are 21 crazy Cardi B facts you probably didn’t know until now…

1. Her Real Name is Belcalis Almanzar

Cardi’s name comes from her Trinidadian and Dominican descent – but her parents nicknamed her Bacardi (like the famous rum). When she hit the social scene, several of her accounts on the Gram got shut down due to her name’s similarity with the beverage company, so she decided to take a spin on her childhood handle and call herself Cardi B. In case you were wondering what the ‘B’ stands for, Cardi said “whatever, depending on the day…beautiful or bully,”.

2. Cardi’s First Language is Spanish

There’s a reason why Cardi has such a unique and cute New York accent. Her first language is actually Spanish! She told GQ that growing up in the Bronx with a Dominican father who only spoke to her in Spanish and a Trinidadian mother resulted in her “broken” English. As a matter of fact, the star revealed that her accent is a real “bad pet peeve” of hers.

3. She Rose to Fame on ‘Love & Hip Hop’

Cardi first stepped into the spotlight by becoming a social media personality but she really rose to fame when she appeared on the reality TV show, Love & Hip Hop. She survived two whole seasons before she quit the show to focus on her music.

4. Cardi’s Net-Worth is in the Millions

Here’s a fact about Cardi B that’ll have you saying “okurr”. Just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past year or so, urm, Cardi B is one of the most successful female rappers of our time and that’s earned her a net-worth of $4 million!

5. She’s Not Shy of Going Under the Knife

Unlike many other celebs, this rap queen isn’t shy about talking about her plastic surgery. She openly admits that she’s gone under the knife a number of times, as she felt insecure about her looks. Her first procedure came at the young age of 19 when she started stripping and felt like she needed bigger boobs. After making some money from her show, Love And Hip-Hop, she underwent butt injections and spent $20,000 on teeth veneers.

6. Stripping Saved her Life

The Bodak Yellow rapper is far from being ashamed of her life as an exotic dancer – in fact, she admitted that this lifestyle choice saved her life. After being fired as a cashier, stripping got her out of an abusive relationship, paid her debts off to college (that she never managed to finish) and funded for her expensive rent in New York City.

7. Cardi’s the Second Female Artist to Ever Top Billboard 100

After Lauryn Hill in 1998, no other female artist has managed to top the Billboard 100 list – until this Hispanic hitmaker came along. This big personality overtook Taylor Swift to reach the top of the charts with Bodak Yellow becoming the first rap artist to reach the top of the influential list.

8. The Feud with Azealia Banks Forced Her off Insta

Azealia’s ongoing feud with Cardi recently reached new heights forcing Cardi to be the bigger person and delete her social media account. Banks accused Cardi of being “a caricature of a black women that can’t spell.” We’re sensing a bit of jealousy from big-mouthed Banks! Cardi then left this heartfelt response before deleting her Instagram account. She returned to social media in a jiffy though!

9. It Costs a lot to Book Cardi B

This young entrepreneur knows how to make a penny or two. Did you know that she was paid $170,000 to perform at Coachella? She later revealed in a recent interview that the mega deal didn’t actually make her any profit. On the contrary, she spent over $300,000 on her set, which she sees as an investment for her career. Cardi has also revealed that she would want at least $300,000 per show in order for her to leave her daughter. Kids come first, right?

10. Her Engagement Ring Cost over $500,000

Rapper, Offset from the popular trio, Migos sent the internet into a frenzy when he got down on one knee and put a ring on it while the pair were performing on stage in front of thousands of people in Philadelphia. But, it wasn’t just any old ring – Cardi’s 8-carat stunner with pink encrusted diamonds shaped in a teardrop costs over $500,000! Kudos to Offset for getting this one right.

11. Her Daughter was Born Raising her Middle Finger

That’s right! Cardi’s baby girl, Kulture Kiari Cephus entered the world in July 2018 in the funniest way possible! The rapper revealed on Twitter that little Kulture was ‘sticking out her middle finger’ when she was born. It looks like she’s not far off from having her mommy’s attitude!

12. There’s a Reason Why Cardi named her ‘Kulture’

Ever wondered why Cardi and Offset named their baby girl, ‘Kulture’? Well, it turns out Offset’s trio, Migos, released an album with the exact same name back in 2017. They released Culture II in January 2018 so it made sense for the couple to name their daughter after Migos’ album. OKAY THEN…

13. Drake and Beyoncé are her Biggest Fans

Cardi B’s huge personality is loved by everyone; including the most famous of stars! Both Drake and Queen Bey have backed the I Like It rapper and have shown their love through supportive posts.

14. Cardi Once Offended Martin Luther King’s Family

When a skit of the rapstress playing the role of Martin Luther King Jr’s wife, Coretta Scott King leaked, her daughter, Dr. Bernice King had something to say about it. The TMZ clip which showed Cardi back in the day saying “All the hussies wanna sleep with my husband, but it’s alright, ’cause I know he marches home to me,” led Dr. Bernice King to clap back and tweet (and delete), “On the 55th anniversary of #IHaveADream,’ a clip on @TMZ depicts my parents (Cardi B playing my mom) & great women of the CRM in a repulsive, false light. They paid an extraordinary price so people of color can have a platform- & this is how you use it. @iamcardib: Let’s talk.” Ouch.

15. She’s a Front Row Queen

This likeable star has quickly earned her fashion icon status. After sitting front row for the likes of Helmut Lang, Fenty x Puma, and Christian Siriano’s shows, she’s been named “New York Fashion Week’s Undisputed Front Row Queen” by US Vogue. She now has her own collaboration with the affordable shoe brand Steve Madden and is set to become a Nova Babe; her new line of clothes is rumored to drop soon!

16. Cardi Admits to Drugging and Robbing Men

Eek. This fact about Cardi comes as quite the shocking news. In a resurfaced Instagram live video, Cardi was heard admitting that she drugged and robbed men who wanted to have sex with her during her stripper days. Despite the backlash, Cardi responded in a more recent video saying, “I did what I had to do to survive… I never claimed to be perfect or come from a perfect world… I’m not proud of it and feel a responsibility not to glorify it…I made the choices that I did at the time because I had very limited options.”

17. Cardi B Still Shops from the Bronx

Although she’s usually dripping in designer gear from Gucci ensembles to Louboutin heels, this fashion icon admitted that she still likes to shop from her hometown to get her one-of-a kind sneakers and dresses.

18. Her Pop Idols are Lady Gaga and Madonna

It’s really no surprise that this crazy celeb idolizes Gaga and Madonna who are also favored for their big personalities and inspiring outfit choices. Cardi loves Gaga that much that she once posted a rendition of Applause and sang Bad Romance at a high school talent show.

19. She’s all About Feminism

This fierce feminist isn’t shy to talk about her strong views – she can’t stand the fact that feminism has a stereotype of well-educated women. She said that, “you don’t need a degree to be a feminist”. We hear ya Cardi!

20. Cardi Once Broke a Guy’s Nose By Sitting on His Face

In one of her many outspoken videos, this reality star revealed that she once broke a guy’s nose by sitting on him during an ‘intimate session’ by putting her whole body weight on his head. They then had to rush to the hospital and told the docs that he got jumped. Ouch!

21. She’s a Softy – Deep Down!

Although Cardi B has built a thick skin after receiving backlash online, she admitted that the negative comments still affect her. In an exclusive interview with Cosmopolitan, she said “sometimes, I’m feeling like I get a lot of hate, then when I see people getting my name and my face tatted, it reminds me that I’m also extremely loved.”

This funny AF celeb has made a real mark on the music scene in just a few years so we are really excited to see what’s in store for her bright future! Let us know what you love most about Cardi B in the comment section below…