Cardi B’s Rise to Stardom: How Her Bilingualism Shapes Her Global Success

In recent years, Cardi B has emerged as one of the most successful and influential artists in the global music industry. Each song she releases quickly becomes a hit, often dominating the charts for months.

Beyond her music, Cardi B is known for her bold and unapologetic personality, unafraid to speak her mind and indifferent to criticism.

Hennessy Carolina and Cardi B turned heads at the 2016 VH1 Divas Holiday in glamorous black gowns, with Cardi showcasing a sultry high-slit dress and blue heels on December 2, 2016, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City (Credit: Patricia Schlein / WENN / Ivan Nikolov / News Pictures / Derrick Salters)

The American rapper and songwriter always tries to focus on herself and on working hard to achieve whatever goal she has on her mind. For this reason, her interviews are always interesting to watch and listen to.

She has even created her unique slang of words and noises that have actual meaning behind them.

When she started to become famous during her Social Media influencer days (even before her established rapper career), her followers couldn’t fail to notice the influence of the Spanish language whenever she talked, and of course, that made them very intrigued regarding her background.

Cardi B commands the stage with vibrant red hair and a bold black outfit during a live performance

Many started wondering if Cardi B speaks Spanish. To her fans’ surprise, she later revealed that Spanish is her first language. Cardi B explained that she grew up speaking Spanish at home thanks to her dad, who is of Dominican descent. So, it was normal for her family to speak Spanish.

Not to mention that the population in the neighborhood where she lived, Highbridge, located in the South Bronx of New York City, was mainly Latino.

This means she spoke Spanish not only with her family but also with her friends and pretty much everyone in the surrounding area.

The Impact of Bilingualism on Cardi B’s Career

Speaking Spanish is a significant advantage for Cardi B, both professionally and personally. Research shows that being bilingual not only offers cognitive benefits but also opens up more opportunities, expanding her reach and appeal.

Cardi B dazzles in a pink feathered ensemble and matching sunglasses as she performs, effortlessly switching between singing in both Spanish and English, showcasing her bilingual talents

We have all witnessed this last example, not just with Cardi B but also with other multilingual artists. Spanish has almost 500 million speakers worldwide and is the second most spoken language. This alone is a huge potential market for the music industry.

While Spanish speakers still listen to music in English, they are more likely to prefer listening to music in Spanish because many of them don’t speak English at all, meaning they won’t understand the lyrics.

Cardi B is frequently interviewed in Spanish and credits her grandmother with giving her “such a thick accent”

In addition, it is more likely that they will feel represented and identified with someone who speaks their own language. That’s why Cardi B is so popular among the Latino community.

She is constantly invited to Spanish-speaking TV and radio shows, where she can simply be herself and express what she’s really thinking without the need for an interpreter.

From a business point of view, the Bodak Yellow rapper’s decision to make songs in Spanish or featuring Latino artists was the right move. It reaches a bigger audience, and she already knows the language, making it quite easy for her.

Cardi B stuns in a dramatic lavender feathered outfit, making a bold statement with her matching purple hair and striking accessories

Cardi B’s popularity grew exponentially in a short amount of time. But she has wasted no time, and over the last few years, she has released some features and full-length Spanish songs.

While her main genre is rap, she started experimenting with Latin sounds in her tracks, and they have been widely accepted by her fans, such as the highly acclaimed song “I like it” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin.

Cardi B’s Top Spanish-Language Hits

Cardi B – Bodak Yellow (Latina Trap Remix) – Bodak Yellow was the song that launched her career into stardom, so she thought creating a Spanish version of it was appropriate.

Cardi successfully translated the song on her own while keeping a couple of the original lines intact. The final result was simply great because it wasn’t just a literal translation.

Cardi B commands the stage in an all-red fringed ensemble, delivering an electrifying performance with her signature bold style and energy

Everything rhymed perfectly and still maintained the original meaning, which is the main objective of a good translation.

Collaborations with other artists:
Anitta – “Me Gusta” (Feat. Cardi B & Myke Towers)
Ozuna – La Modelo Ft Cardi B
DJ Snake – Taki Taki ft. Cardi B, Selena Gomez & Ozuna
Chris Jeday – Ahora Dice (Remix) ft. Cardi B, J Balvin, Ozuna, Anuel AA, Offset & Arcángel
El Alfa Ft. Cardi B – Mi Mama

All these collaborations have led to multiple Latin Awards Nominations and Wins, such as the Billboard Latin Music Awards, Latin American Music Awards, Lo Nuestro Awards, Juventud Awards, and Soberano Awards.

They have also placed on top of the Latin charts and broken established records previously set mainly by male artists.

Cardi B started gaining publicity in 2013 when her videos started going viral on Vine and Instagram

Cardi B has become an essential artist that the Latino and Spanish-speaking community loves. She is a smart businesswoman, and her fluent Spanish language will only help her grow as an artist even more!

She is a clear example of how beneficial it is to know a second language and how it can improve our lives in many ways, even if we are not famous celebrities.

Cardi B continued dominating the music charts and red carpets with her career soaring and growing fanbase. After welcoming her daughter, Kulture, she returned to the spotlight, showcasing her style and resilience.

In August 2018, Cardi B looked stunning while making her post-baby comeback at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was her first public appearance since July 10, 2018, when she gave birth to her baby daughter, Kulture Kiari Cephus.

Cardi B sported a black pixie cut at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on August 20, 2018

The then-25-year-old “Bodak Yellow” rapper was joined by Jennifer Lopez, Blac Chyna, and Amber Rose. In addition to opening the show, she was nominated for 12 prizes, including Video of the Year for “Finesse” with Bruno Mars.

Rocking a black pixie cut, Cardi B transported us to the ’80s in a custom dark fuchsia asymmetrical gown from Nicolas Jebran, a Lebanese fashion designer famous for haute couture.

Cardi B exudes elegance and confidence in a striking velvet fuchsia gown with a daring thigh-high slit at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards

She accessorized with colorful jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz and finished off her outfit with sky-high sandals by Casadei.

Cardi B shows off her perfectly polished toes in fuchsia open-toe heels (Credit: Patricia Schlein / WENN / Ivan Nikolov / News Pictures / Derrick Salters)