According to Billboard, Cardi B has officially hit no. 1 on the Hot 100 chart with “Bodak Yellow.” She is the first solo female rapper to do so since Lauryn Hill topped the chart with “Doo Wop (That Thing)” over 18 years ago. She is only the sixth female rapper overall to top the chart; previous performers to hold that distinction include Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Shawnna, and Iggy Azalea.
Cardi won the top spot after a prolonged battle with Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” which debuted at the no. 1 spot when it was released during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards. Meanwhile, “Bodak Yellow” has seen a slow but steady climb, propelled by cosigns and celebrity covers that continued to build the buzz around Cardi’s do-it-yourself work ethic and charismatic wit.
Despite Taylor Swift’s label dropping the price of “Look What You Made Me Do” ahead of the weekend, it dropped to no. 3 after Post Malone’s new single “Rockstar” debuted at no. 2. “Look What You Made Me Do” spent three weeks at no. 1.
Despite the heated race for the no. 1 spot, Cardi was gracious with her competition; she revealed on Twitter that she “loves” Taylor Swift, even as their respective singles were vying for the top spot. Cardi B’s accomplishment is the perfect cap to a whirlwind year that has seen her go from beloved social media personality to a rap icon in a matter of months, and her star keeps rising. Anticipation for her debut on Atlantic will be high, but if she just follows J. Cole’s advice from this weekend, she should be just fine.
