Top 10 Cardi B songs that defined her career

Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, or Cardi B to the world, forged her own way to success from web-celebrity flash-in-the-pan to bulletproof queen of modern hip-hop. Instead of conforming to the industry template, she used her rough-around-the-edges demeanor and in-your-face attitude as a mic-wielding giant. Her evolution from reality TV personality to Grammy-winning recording artist wasn't only unexpected, it redefined what crossover appeal might be.

With her unapologetic Bronx attitude and a list of worldwide hits, Cardi B did not just come to the top; she rose to the top, setting a new standard for ambition and authenticity in hip-hop. The buzz from her big-label signing soon turned Cardi B into one of the most hyped new artists in hip-hop.

Cardi B at the 67th GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals - Source: Getty

Cardi B showed she was more than just a reality TV personality but a clever, focused artist with the drive to match. Her activity in the music industry picked up speed as she started working with recognized artists, gaining performances at big stages, and receiving positive reviews for her pure energy and unfiltered performance.

It was during this time that her transformation truly took off, from online success to an emerging artist in rap, with the industry beginning to take her seriously. With each successive single, she was growing larger, Cardi B continuing to drop singles that showcased her depth and unapologetic attitude.

Tracks like Bartier Cardi with 21 Savage and Be Careful offered both sides of her music- one indulging in braggadocious posturing, the other a hurt, introspective human being.

All of these pointed towards the next drops of her debut album Invasion of Privacy, released on the shelves in 2018 to critical acclaim. Singles I Like It, a club-friendly track alongside Bad Bunny and J Balvin, and Ring with Kehlani, demonstrated how she was skillfully genre-hopping as much as pleasing different fan bases.

With each new album, Cardi B emphatically proclaimed that she wasn't a fluke but a force to be reckoned with in hip-hop now.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. The reader's discretion is advised!

Here are the top 10 Cardi B songs that defined her career

The following are the top 10 Cardi B songs that set her career, top-notch hits, but also watermark tracks that spoke to her emergence and influence on the music market. Each reflects a new dimension of her work, from provocative and combative rap rhymes to introspective and emotionally frank lyrics. They trace her path from novice provocateur to powerhouse force to reckon with in the mainstream hip-hop landscape.

They assisted in cementing her reputation as a bold, unapologetic performer who brings personality as well as talent to each show, and demonstrated her capacity to evolve, mature, and continue to attract a broad base of fans.

1) Bodak Yellow

Bodak Yellow in 2017 was the song that placed Cardi B on rap music's map, its catchy beat equaled by her raspy, bossy vocals. The success of the song wasn't simply chart success; by the time it was released, it had become an anthem for female empowerment, something that people were reacting to because of its in-your-face attitude and pure confidence.

Cardi B at the Beacher's Madhouse New Orleans - Source: Getty

Rising to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, it was the first solo female rap song to peak at No. 1 on the chart in nearly two decades. Cardi cemented herself as a rapper with the album, showing she wasn't a one-hit wonder but a force to be noticed in the music industry.

2) Lick

The one-hit Lick, released alongside her sophomore album on January 20, 2017, introduced a brand new couple into the hip-hop world. Backed by a glitzy, retro-fitted casino setup, the video compares the visuals directly to the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde relationship, resonating with the urban mythological power couple of the Beyoncé-Jay-Z image.

In the video, Cardi B and her partner have a hip, thuggish aura, sporting furs and encrusted in diamonds, glaring at each other with a ferocity that enhances the brash, defiant air of the song. The song itself caught on with listeners, who were drawn to the new combination of style and substance that they were impressed with, and soon it became a hip-hop overnight sensation.

3) WAP

When WAP was released in 2020, it was a worldwide sensation right away, crossing boundaries and causing uproar wherever it went. It is not a track: it is a declaration of unapologetic female s*xuality. With its profanities and tongue-out lyrics, the song raised eyebrows, empowering and dividing the fans in equal proportions.

Cardi B at the 67th Annual GRAMMY Awards - Show - Source: Getty

Its number one chart debut on the Billboard Hot 100 sealed Cardi B's reputation as a star of the times within pop culture. In hindsight, it is impossible not to observe how drastically WAP changed in 2020 and altered the language of empowerment and boldness within music.

4) Get Up 10

Get Up 10 from Cardi B's 2018 album Invasion of Privacy is a witness to her unapologetic rise. The track is co-written by Maurice Jordan, Meek Mill, and Jermaine Preyan, fusing the fragments of dreamworld fantasies and nightmares. Cardi B first brought the song to life with an epic live performance at the 2018 BET Hip Hop Awards.

From the very start, the track oozes raw energy, Cardi rapping bars without holding anything back. She narrates her story, raw and unapologetic, about her hardships, including her stripper days, on a gritty, hard-hitting beat.

The track is a dedication to perseverance, where Cardi neither apologizes for the past nor looks at any challenge as anything but who she is. It is a testament to her courage and victory in being true to what it is that makes her who she is.

5) Drip

Drip, which includes Migos, is a brazen toast to Cardi B's success, encapsulating the spirit of excess and opulence. Its release as part of her first album makes the song a declaration of victory for her achievement.

Cardi B at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party Hosted By Radhika Jones - Arrivals - Source: Getty

The catchy trap rhythms and the effortless chemistry between Cardi and Migos add a touch of coolness, making it one of the best moments in her catalog. The hook of the song and the luxurious feel are a testament to the rapper's rise from rags to riches, a turning point in her career as she accepted her new fame.

6) Red Barz

Red Barz was a career pinnacle for Cardi B, capturing her fans and critics in awe. The song was at a time when she was gaining control of her life back, and it served as an angry entry back into the rap scene, laying to rest all questions regarding her validity. Over an aggressive AraabMuzik beat, Cardi spits with merciless accuracy, displaying lyrical ability and that she is not just a former reality star-turned-rapper.

Cardi B at the 2016 Santa Slam Concert - Source: Getty

While it is not her biggest commercial success, Red Barz is a career highlight that solidified her credibility within the hip-hop world. To any true hip-hop enthusiast, this track is irrefutable proof that Cardi B can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them.

7) Money

Ever since its release in 2018, Money has been a classic hit song from the word go that captured Cardi B's unbridled energy about money, fame, and independence. With its powerful bass, snappy beats, and infectious beat, the song was able to put Cardi's giant personality in a nutshell. Her fearless, unapologetic style of spewing out her rhymes is characterized by self-assurance, planting her firmly at the center of the rap universe.

Cardi B at the TikTok In The Mix - Show - Source: Getty

Beyond its irrepressible swagger, Money is also a confirmation of her evolution from reality TV show participant to commercial force to be reckoned with, peaking at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, further cementing her status. The success of the song goes beyond the charts; it is a sign of Cardi's growth as an artist, combining catchy hooks with more substantial subject matter of ambition and empowerment.

For a man's world category, Money was an unmistakable signal of Cardi's ability to carve out her own space, to claim her place for her voice and her space in the game. The song also caught the attention of many as an unforced union of crossover appeal and dirty realism, a marker of Cardi's double status as both a pop phenomenon and a street-level artist with a message.

8) Be Careful

Cardi B never holds back when confronting uncomfortable realities, and her Be Careful song is a perfect testament to that. Whether it is criticizing society for issues like racism or pushing back against trolls who overstep, Cardi never holds back on speaking words of warning. With this song, she's describing a picture of anger from the side of a woman who's fed up with everything and serving up some pointed warning signals to her boyfriend to step his game up or ship out.

Cardi B at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards - Arrivals - Source: Getty

The song shows us the extent to which she can work, bringing out a laid-back version of Cardi without sacrificing an iota of the raunchiness she's come to be known for. This song also hints at a more evolved direction with her music, without abandoning the raw s*xuality that helped her rise to fame.

Cardi's Latina heritage shines through, with her accent more prominent than ever, and the message of self-worth resonates, particularly for women ready to demand respect and recognition.

9) Press

Press freezes Cardi B in attack mode, directing her ire at media invasion into a tart, no-holds-barred anthem. Instead of simply venting, she turns her anger, triggered by round-the-clock coverage of her life, into motivation for a blazing dismantling of gossip bloggers and publicity-seeking journalists. This isn't merely a diss record; it's a boundary statement, spoken in her characteristic mix of menace and braggadocio.

Cardi B Celebrates New Year's Eve at E11EVEN Miami - Source: Getty

Where previous tracks merely suggested her contempt for media dramatization, Press brings that attitude to the forefront, with a more assertive, laser-sharp Cardi. Her raps switch between tough-edged threats and lighthearted brags, leaving no doubt that she's not fighting merely to protect her name; she's demanding respect on her own terms.

10) I Do

I Do, by SZA and Cardi B, is an incendiary collaboration, a forceful declaration of empowerment and confidence. Instead of treading cautiously, the song eschews anything less than in-your-face assuredness, each artist bringing its own incisive, unhinged verses and defying preconceptions. SZA's hook is an effortless glide through melody, with a counterintuitive melodic contrast to the commanding presence that Cardi Bares, their chemistry is easy, like two creatives long ago having shared a common idiom.

Cardi B at the HOT 107.9's Birthday Bash 2023 - Source: Getty

The beauty of this song is how two women simply let go of sounding anything like themselves at all and are so freely permitted to provide each other space. This isn't an autograph, this is two powerful voices taking space back, honoring autonomy, and looking utterly ridiculous doing it.

Cardi B's tracks are not merely best-selling singles, they're unapologetic assertions of self, strength, and raw honesty. Her songs embrace the nuance of being female in a universe that always attempts to pin you down, mixing brutal honesty with catchy beats.

Whether she's serving savage bars or displaying flashes of vulnerability, Cardi demands to be heard on every verse. Her discography is a story of self-made success, audacious ambition, and impact on culture. Each song is another chapter to her legacy that shows she's not only making noise, she's making history.