Cardi B becomes first female rapper to top US charts for 20 years as she usurps Taylor Swift

Bodak Yellow has knocked Look What You Made Me Do off the top spot
Record-breaking: Cardi B is the first female rap star to top the US charts in 20 years
Rob Kim/Getty Images
Jennifer Ruby27 September 2017
The Weekender

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Cardi B has become the first female rapper to top the US Billboard chart in 20 years, knocking pop powerhouse Taylor Swift off the number one spot.

Her new song Bodak Yellow shot straight to the top of the charts this week, which is the first time a female solo rap track has done so since Lauryn Hill’s Doo Wop (That Thing) back in 1998.

As well as receiving congratulations from a host of hip hop stars, Cardi B – real name Belcalis Almanzar – was delivered a bunch of flowers by chart rival Taylor Swift.

The New York rapper shared a video of the delivery on Instagram, writing: “Sooo beautiful and lovely. Thank you Taylor Swift for the flowers… and I freaking love your music.”

Nicki Minaj was also quick to congratulate the rising rap star, writing on Twitter: “Congratulations to a fellow NEW YAWKA on a RECORD BREAKING achievement. Bardi, this is the only thing that matters!!! Enjoy it @iamcardib.”

Missy Elliot added: “Congratulations @iamcardib for having a #1 record in the country that's not as easy as it seem this huge May u have continued blessings.”

Clearly overwhelmed by the support from her peers, Cardi B described the outpouring of congratulations as the “best feeling”.

“Every single FEMALE RAPPER CONGRATULATED ME TODAY .Is the best feeling cause I listened to ALL OF THEM,” she wrote on Twitter.

Not every one of her fellow musicians were complimentary, as controversial rapper Azealia Banks branded her a “poor man’s Nicki Minaj” in a Twitter rant.

Still fairly unknown in the UK, Cardi B rose to fame by documenting her former career as a stripper on social media platforms including Vine.

She joined reality show Love and Hip Hop: New York in 2015 and left after two seasons to pursue her music career.

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