Artist of the Year

This isn’t about whether you like her or not. This isn’t about whether you think that she is musically talented or not; after all, she is a trap artist, not the next Sade. I encourage anyone who thinks that there is another artist who has had a better year than Cardi B to challenge me.

Many people have been following the Bronx-born rapper since her early days on social media, most notably, since her legendary “a hoe never gets cold” post.

https://www.instagram.com/p/vz6zX5zHbv/?hl=en

My first time seeing Cardi B on screen was her debut on season 6 of Love & Hip Hop: New York. I remember hearing her talk for the first time and watching the way she was acting and thinking: this cannot be a real person. I could not understand how she developed such a way of speaking, I could not stop looking at her teeth, and I despised that wig with the straight bangs that she seemed obsessed with. Nonetheless, I was intrigued because despite all of that, she seemed genuine.

I would say that Cardi B’s biggest and most shocking accomplishment is that she was able to go from starring on Love & Hip Hop: New York to actually developing a successful career in mainstream music. As someone who used to watch Love & Hip Hop religiously, I never thought that any “new up and coming artist trying to make a name of themselves” would actually be successful outside of the show, as I saw the show as solely for entertainment. After all, the show produces more drama and fights than no. 1 hits.

Who would have thought that this former stripper and reality TV star would have become a household name in the span of a year? Okay, Cardi B might not be a household name per say, but she is definitely something. Her debut single “Bodak Yellow” was an overnight sensation and has been mentioned in almost every major “best songs of 2017” list. It is the first no. 1 single from a female rapper since 1998 and went triple platinum.

Cardi B has proven that she does indeed have talent and knows exactly what the mainstream music industry is craving right now, making it difficult for haters to question her success. Trap music dominated 2017, so it is no surprise that Cardi came out on top. Her second single “Bartier Cardi” featuring 21 Savage seems like it’s about to have similar success to “Bodak Yellow,” and listeners must admit that it is her and predecessor Nicki Minaj who liven up the Migos collaboration “MotorSport.” She’s so charming but confident that she never has to tame her personality for mainstream media, like in her interview with Jimmy Fallon, and we overlook choices like her rhyming of “Offset” with “upset.”

On top of her musical success, she was a prominent figure in New York Fashion Week, saw her net worth skyrocket, and became engaged to Migos member Offset. Cardi B had a great year and with her debut album most likely to be released next year, she is definitely the artist to watch for in 2018.

Listen to her latest single, “Bartier Cardi,” below.