Few artists have revolutionized the commercial landscape of female rap as dramatically as Cardi B, whose album sales have shattered industry records and reshaped market expectations since her mainstream debut. The rapper has amassed an impressive 4.3 million albums sold worldwide, with approximately 4 million of those sales coming from the United States market alone. Her unprecedented commercial success has earned her RIAA certification for 100 million equivalent units in the U.S., establishing her as the highest-certified rapper in American music history.
Cardi B’s 2018 debut studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,” stands as a cornerstone of her commercial dominance, becoming the best-selling female rap album of the 2010s and the most streamed female rap album in Spotify history. The album achieved a remarkable milestone when every track received Platinum certification, a feat previously unheard of for female rap artists. The single “Bodak Yellow” further cemented her place in music history as the first female rapper with a Diamond-certified song. Before this breakthrough, Cardi had released three mixtapes between 2016 and 2017, including “Gangsta Bitch Music, Vol. 1” and “Vol. 2,” building a foundation for her mainstream success.
Invasion of Privacy shattered barriers, transforming female rap’s commercial landscape with unprecedented streaming success and industry-wide platinum recognition.
Her chart performance has been equally impressive, with five Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles—the most by any female rapper. One of her collaborative singles, “Girls Like You,” was certified as one of the top five best-selling singles globally in 2018, moving 11.9 million units. She became the first female artist to earn multiple Diamond certifications with both “Bodak Yellow” and “Girls Like You” achieving this rare status. Digital streaming has played a vital role in Cardi’s commercial success, contributing considerably to her equivalent album sales through massive audio and video stream numbers. Her strategic use of playlist pitching on various streaming platforms has significantly expanded her reach beyond traditional fan bases and helped maintain her commercial momentum between album releases.
Beyond sales figures, Cardi B’s commercial impact has transformed industry perceptions about female rap’s market viability. Her unprecedented success has elevated female rap from a niche category to a commercially competitive genre, inspiring a new generation of female artists. Her extensive catalog has also opened doors for lucrative sync deals with major movies and video games, providing another significant revenue stream beyond traditional album sales.
TIME magazine recognized this cultural shift when they named her one of the world’s most influential people in 2018, acknowledging how her sales success translated into broader cultural impact and helped establish her as a business powerhouse in a historically male-dominated industry.
