20 Facts About The Fiery And No-Nonsense, Cardi B

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months, not listening to any music and not paying attention to pop culture at all, chances are, you know of Cardi B. She made a huge splash on the scene with her single "Bodak Yellow" and then followed it up with other hits, fantastic interviews, great social media content, and just basically made the world love, well, Cardi! Not only is her music amazing, she's also just unapologetically real, and that's exactly what the world loves about her.

It's hard to believe that she's just recently released her actual debut album, Invasion of Privacy, but trust us - it was worth the wait. We've got new Cardi songs, new Cardi interviews, and a whole lot more Cardi - and we couldn't be happier. Honestly, we'd love to just hang out with her for an afternoon and see what it's like - we have a feeling it would be an absolute blast.

She's definitely had an interesting story, and her journey to rap fame wasn't the same as everyone else's, but she did things on her own terms, and now she's at the top of her game. Here are 20 things you may not have known about the steamy, spicy, fiery, incomparable Cardi B.

20 She Announced Her Pregnancy On SNL

People have been speculating for weeks now about Cardi B possibly being pregnant, especially given her engagement to Offset. Well, rather than simply making an announcement on social media, she confirmed it in the most fabulous, Cardi way possible - live on SNL. And she didn't even say the words - she just selected a tight white dress to rock while performing her song "Be Careful," and partway through the song, the camera panned from her upper body to a full body shot… complete with a big, unmistakable baby bump.

The audience cheered, the internet went crazy, and everyone had more Cardi fever than ever before!

Honestly, we're pretty sure that baby, whether a boy or a girl, will come out of Cardi with some serious flow. I mean, her level of talent is just insane. It may seem a little crazy to start a family and have a child right when your career is truly heating up, but we have no doubts that if anyone can make it work, Cardi can. She'll probably get a few pairs of noise-canceling headphones and bring her little bundle of joy right along with her for the ride - and we can't wait to see what a cutie he or she is.

19 She Got Super Fired Up When Fans Questioned Her Decision To Stay With Offset After He Was Caught Slipping

One of Cardi B's trademarks is that she's not afraid to tell it like it is - even if it means clapping back at her fans a little bit. When rumors started swirling about Offset cheating, her fans were absolutely irate that she, a strong, powerful and talented woman, would decide to stay with him after learning of what he'd done. However, she just fired back.

As she told Cosmopolitan, "it's like everybody is coming down my neck, like, 'why are you not leaving him? You have low self-esteem.' I don't have low self-esteem… I know I look good. I know I'm rich, I know I'm talented. I know I could get any man I want - any basketball player, football player. But I want to work out my [stuff] with my man, and I don't got to explain why. I'm not your property. This is my life," and kept right on going, saying "since when are all these women dating pastors and deacons? I'm going to take my time, and I'm going to decide on my decision." Go, Cardi!

She's totally right - whatever she decides to do, it's her private life and, ultimately, her call. Even though the public feels like they know her, they're not involved in her personal life.

18 She's Not Afraid To Take Big Style Risks On The Red Carpet

Cardi B has proven time and time again that she's totally unafraid to take style risks on the Red Carpet.

I mean, just take a look at her personality - it would hardly be fitting for her to wear some boring, beige shift dress or plain jane gown on the Red Carpet.

I mean, she's Cardi B! We can't imagine her in anything other than over-the-top silhouettes, crazy colors and prints. She's the type of person that pushes the edge in everything she does, so why on earth wouldn't that apply to her sense of style? Sure, sometimes her looks are a hit and sometimes they're a miss, but that's all part of the game.

We'd far prefer her to take a risk and absolutely hit it out of the park than to just pick a safe option like many actresses do - something pretty, but not too controversial. We're not sure if she's working with a stylist or still has an input on the looks she rocks, but either way, we hope she continues to do what she does - we absolutely love the energy and creativity and straight up Cardi she's been bringing to all her red carpet events so far.

17 The World Loves Her Distinctive Accent, But She Hates It

There are many, many reasons why Cardi B is such a success, but we feel like one of the major reasons is that she has such a distinctive voice and style. Anyone can put together fantastic lyrics with the help of a team, but if you can't deliver it with style, no one will listen to your song, plain and simple.

Cardi's delivery is distinctive, but while her fans love it, she's extremely self-conscious about it. In a GQ interview, she dove deep into her issues, saying that her accent is "my biggest problem, that it takes me a long time in the booth. I be trying to pronounce words properly and without an accent. Each and every song from my album, I most likely did it over five times because I'm really insecure about my accent when it comes to music. In person, I don't care." Well, everyone is self-conscious about different things, but we have to admit - we love her style, and we can't imagine her sounding any different!

Hopefully, she continues to get good advice and isn't told by anyone that she needs to fix her pronunciation in the sound booth - that would just eliminate everything that makes Cardi so unique.

16 She Was On Point At The Recent Met Gala, Proving She Can Rock Couture With The Best Of Them

For anyone in the fashion world, or interested in fashion even a little bit, the Met Gala is an absolutely huge deal. People look forward to the gowns that are on the carpet for weeks leading up to it, and people rush to check out all the looks as they're hitting the Red Carpet. Singers and actresses and celebrities of all kinds partner up with designers and take on whatever that year's theme is with style. This year, Cardi B managed to score a ticket to the Met Gala because, well, she's a big deal, and the look she ended up rocking was absolutely stunning.

She walked the Red Carpet with designer Jeremy Scott by her side, and everything about the look was extra -in the best way!

From the bedazzled headpiece to the choker to the jeweled gloves, the scoop neck that was insanely scandalous, the bejeweled details on the gown itself, the full skirt surrounding her with yards and yards of cream-colored satin… I mean, we still can't get over it. Many may have assumed that she really wouldn't know how to play by the Met Gala's rules, but she brought it way more and engaged with the theme far better than some others (ahem, the Kardashians) did.

15 Her First Language Is Actually Spanish

Many people know that Cardi B grew up in the Bronx, but did you know that Spanish was actually her first language? According to Hollywood Life, she grew up with an Afro-Trinidadian mother and a Dominican father and spoke primarily Spanish growing up. She obviously speaks English too, but she's admitted that she doesn't speak it that well. We'd agree to disagree, but that's up to her.

However, knowing that her first language is Spanish, we have to admit - we kind of hope that at some point she decides to tip a hat to her roots and record an all-Spanish album. There are several musicians who have done so, like Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, so who knows - perhaps Cardi will follow in their footsteps. Putting her own twist on it, though, of course.

We haven't seen too much of her Spanish skills at work, but now that she's blowing up even more than she was before, she may be doing more international tours and traveling the world to promote herself. Honestly, though, everything we learn about Cardi makes her seem even more interesting - she's definitely a multi-talented woman with a whole lot more to show the world. We can't wait to see what she's got up her sleeve.

14 She Worked As A Dancer At Just Age 19 To Escape A Bad Relationship

Okay, at this point, most people know that Cardi B once worked as an exotic dancer - after all, she hasn't exactly been secretive about it. In fact, she's proclaimed it loud and proud as something that helped her get to where she needed to be.

It turns out, one of the main reasons she turned to dancing was because she was in a bad relationship and she wanted to earn her own money so she could pursue her dreams.

She discussed the story with The Guardian, saying that "I was dictated to and had to do things I didn't want to do because I was living under a man's roof, in his mom's house, in an apartment with two pitbulls and bedbugs and I didn't have money. I was living in a space where I couldn't even pay rent and people threw that in your face all the time."

There are some people who might just accept that kind of situation and assume that they could never get enough money to escape it, but Cardi wasn't about to let anything limit her - she earned her own money and got out of that situation, and that just proves how strong and amazing she is.

13 She Got Her Stage Name From A Beverage Brand

Cardi B's real name, for those who don't know, is Belcalis Almanzar. And you may wonder - how on earth did she get Cardi B from that? We could see Belle, we could see Calis, but what's the story behind Cardi B? Well, it turns out, it's partially based on her sister. She told the story on the Wendy Williams show, saying that "my sister's name is Hennessy, so everybody used to be like 'Bacardi' to me, then I shortened it to Cardi B. The 'B' stands for whatever, depending on the day… beautiful or bully. No one calls me Belcalis except for my family, my mother and my daddy."

Well, one thing is for sure - Cardi B is definitely a quicker, catchier, easier name than trying to say Belcalis Almanzar before every performance.

Even from the beginning, even if it was unintentionally, she definitely knew how to brand herself for success. She's one smart cookie, that Cardi! We wonder if her sister ever tries to steal the credit for being the inspiration behind her unique stage name - after all, without Hennessy, there likely would have never been a Bacardi, at least in the name. A good stage name is tough to come up with.

12 She Was A Legendary Cast Member On VHI's 'Love & Hip Hop: New York'

Before she made it big, Cardi had some serious hustle. She wasn't just going to sit around and wait for a record deal to come her way - she was going to go out there and try to raise her profile in whatever way she could, even by appearing on a reality television show. She appeared on the sixth season of Love & Hip Hop: New York, and ended up staying on until the end of the seventh season because fans absolutely adored her.

She was packed with personality, was unafraid to tell it like it was, and was always clear about her goal of making it in the music industry.

Plus, she was always looking for inspiration. According to Vulture, she ended up turning her iconic line "if a girl have beef with me, she gon' have beef with me… foreva" into a song, "Foreva." We have to admit, since she's obviously not opposed to appearing on reality television, we kind of hope that she ends up getting her own show now.

Can you imagine the amazing content that would arise if a camera were on Cardi almost 24/7? That would make for some amazing television. Who knows, perhaps it's something she's already been offered and is still contemplating.

11 She Knows A Surprising Amount About U.S. Presidents/Political Science

Cardi B is basically the perfect example of why you should never judge a book by its cover. She always just seems like she's having a great time, and doesn't seem too interested in intellectual issues. However, in a recent interview with GQ, she proved that she has seriously expert-level knowledge about U.S. presidents. As she told the writer, "I love political science, I love government. I'm obsessed with presidents. I'm obsessed to know how the system works."

When the writer admits she didn't know that Roosevelt started Social Security, Cardi drops some knowledge: "from the New Deal. It was a system to get us back from the world Depression - then, on top of that, while he was president, there was a war going on. World War II was going on. So all this [stuff] going on in the United States, while recouping the country from an economic tragedy, making sure that America won the war - and his wife? I would say she was almost like Michelle Obama. She was such a good humanitarian and we both got the same birthday, October 11."

Uh, call us impressed! She also named the only president who was a bachelor (Buchanan, for those who weren't sure).

10 She Got Some Sketchy Cosmetic Procedures When She Was Younger

Everyone knows about Cardi B's cosmetic alterations - she's been totally open about the fact that she decided to get a few changes to her body in order to increase her success as a dancer. However, one of her alterations was, well, not exactly done in a doctor's office. She discussed it with GQ, saying that she went to a basement apartment in Queens and, for only $800, a woman added some fillers to give her some extra curves.

According to theglowup.com, Cardi told GQ: "They don't numb [you] with anything, it was the craziest pain ever. I felt like I was gonna pass out. I felt a little dizzy. And it leaks for, like five days." And, as if that wasn't enough, when she went back for a touch-up she discovered that the woman who had done the injections had allegedly been locked up because of an appointment that went south. Uh, talk about crazy!

Hopefully - now that she has far more money - if Cardi ever decides to make any more changes she'll go to a doctor and get an official surgery done rather than going to someone's basement apartment for a less-than-professional procedure.

Still, it's a pretty wild story to tell - we can't imagine anyone but Cardi going through something like that.

9 She Spent Nearly All Of Her Dancing Money On Launching Her Rap Career

Okay, this is exactly why we love Cardi so much. She initially started dancing to get out of a bad relationship, and then when she had a bit more money and independence, she didn't fall into the trap of spending crazy cash on designer clothes and a nicer apartment and other luxury goods. Instead, she took nearly all that money she made, saved it up, and invested it in herself. That's right - according to Daily Dot, she spent around $60,000 of her hard-earned money from dancing to promote her music.

At the time, it was probably incredibly frustrating to spend so much money and not get the results she wanted, but we have a feeling she has no regrets now. Presently, people are paying her to feature her and promote her music, not the other way around!

Still, it just proves how devoted she was to her dream - even though it would have been nice to live a more luxurious life, she wasn't tempted by material goods. She had her eyes on the prize, and now, she can get all the designer goods she wants with her hard earned money. I mean, talk about an inspiration! Cardi B is definite goals.

8 Her Wedding Just Might Be Televised

Everyone knows that Cardi and Offset have been dating since 2017 - she even references him in her song "Bartier Cardi." I mean, a shout out in a hit song? That's love. In October, Offset decided to go big and declare his love for her in front of 19,000 people at a concert in Philadelphia - and her reaction was absolutely adorable.

They've definitely had their ups and downs, but they seem to be working through their issues and building a strong relationship.

And, don't think that televised weddings are just for Royals or A-List actors or reality television stars, like Kim Kardashian. Apparently, according to Daily Dot, there are a few offers already on the table from VH1 and BET, to name a few, to host a television wedding special. I mean, can you just imagine the television gold that would result from Cardi preparing for a wedding? We would watch that without question.

Plus, Cardi B has proven that she has no issues with doing reality television - we're not sure if her perspective has changed now that she's more famous, but if not, we'd love to see her return to her reality television roots with Offset by her side. I mean, it would be amazing.

7 She Still Shops In The Bronx (Sometimes)

Cardi B may be dressing in designer clothes on the red carpet and for events like the Met Gala, but that doesn't mean that she's lost touch with her roots. In fact, as she confessed to Daily Dot, she still shops in a lot of the same stores in the Bronx she did before she was famous. "As long as it's a good quality shoe, you can wear a [freaking] $10 dress. As long as it fits you good. I still shop in the Bronx, always in Fordham. That's where you find all the thotty dresses and everything else."

Hey, whatever she's doing, her style is definitely working for her. We absolutely love that she's not limiting her shopping to luxury department stores and Rodeo Drive now that she's famous - she can certainly afford to pick up luxe pieces now and invest in some seriously quality shoes, but she has absolutely no issue with finding pieces that are a bit of a bargain. Honestly, we'd love to get a tour through Cardi's closet (hosted by Cardi, obviously) to see just what kind of gems she has. We have a feeling she has some absolutely insane pieces that she hasn't yet worn in public.

6 The First Albums She Bought Were By Tweet And Missy Elliott

You might be able to guess this based on how long she's pursued her dream and how focused she was on achieving her goals, but we'll say it nonetheless - Cardi has been super into music for years and years now. And she didn't just jump on the rap bandwagon because someone told her she'd be good at rhyming. She's admired strong, talented female rappers for years, and according to Complex, the first albums she ever bought were by Missy Elliott and Tweet.

She got a chance to meet Missy Elliott at an event when she was a rising star, and the resulting pictures are absolutely adorable.

Cardi is an absolute force to be reckoned with, but she's still fangirling all over Missy like she's just your average rap-loving girl. We love that she's so humble around her icons - given how fast she rose to the top and the kind of feedback she's been getting, it would be easy to let all the success go to her head, but that's not what's been happening with Cardi. She's the kind of celebrity who we have a feeling will never, ever forget her roots - and that's just one of the reasons we love her.

5 She Has A Sister, Hennessy, Who Is A Lot Like Her

Okay, we know that Cardi's stage name came from her sister's name, but did you know that her sister Hennessy is actually a whole lot like Cardi? And no, we're not talking about her abilities as a rapper (although, who knows, perhaps she'll start putting together her own music in the future, like when Taylor Bennett followed his older brother, Chance the Rapper, into the music game). No, we're talking about her personality - Cardi's sister Hennessy is also all about sharing her hilarious rants on Instagram.

We have a feeling she'll be following in Cardi's footsteps at some point, whether in the music industry or by appearing on reality television. Actually, we kind of hope that they decide to join forces at some point and bring their sisterly hilarity to a reality television show together. After all, it worked for the Kardashians, why not for the Almanzar sisters? That would make for some seriously amazing television. It would probably take a pretty big chunk of change to convince Cardi to add that to her busy schedule, but we have a feeling she could be convinced. After all, the only thing she would need to do is be herself, which she's a pro at.

4 Her Reference In "Bodak Yellow" Tripled Her Dentist's Business

If you've only recently become a Cardi B fan, you might assume that she always had such an amazing smile - but that's definitely not the case. In fact, she used to have some pretty messed up teeth - and when she got a bit of money, she decided to prioritize fixing them. After all, her music career was well underway, she didn't need to invest her own money in that anymore - so she invested in her teeth.

She referenced the decision in her smash hit single "Bodak Yellow," rapping "got a bag and fixed my teeth." And apparently, according to Complex, her dentist said that business has more than tripled since Cardi made that reference in her song. Hey, why not spread the love?

Cardi is obviously happy with her new smile, so why not send some Cardi B fans to Dr. Austin to take care of their own dental issues?

Obviously, the woman knows what she's doing, because Cardi looks totally amazing. Every little glimpse into Cardi's personality just convinces us more and more that she's a total sweetheart on the inside, even though she sometimes lets off a kind of tough exterior in performances and interviews. You just need to get to know her a little.

3 She's The First Female Rapper To Have A Solo Number One Song Since Lauryn Hill - In 1998

Okay, you know that the success of "Bodak Yellow" was pretty insane, but you might not know just how big a deal it actually is. You see, Cardi B isn't just one of the very few successful female rappers - she's actually the first female rapper to have a solo number one song since Lauryn Hill had one in 1998. That's right - Cardi B is the first artist in nearly 20 years to reach that achievement. "Bodak Yellow" was, without doubt, a smash hit, but we had no idea just what a significant achievement it is.

We sincerely hope that someone told Cardi all about it because that's totally insane. Not to mention, that gives her some major bragging rights. We wonder if she was a Lauryn Hill fan back in the day - given how she's expressed her love of earlier female rappers like Missy Elliott and Tweet, we have a feeling she totally grew up on Lauryn Hill. Who knows, she might have been playing those songs back in 1998 when she was just a kid. We have a feeling she'll be getting a whole lot more records in the years to come - her career is absolutely red hot and shows no signs of slowing down.

2 Before Becoming A Dancer, She Worked At An Amish Market

Cardi B's career trajectory is pretty amazing, but her job before she became a dancer is pretty hilarious. Apparently, according to Narcity, Cardi worked in an Amish Market in Manhattan before she ended up leaving to earn more cash as a dancer. Now, it wasn't exactly a long-term job - she was only there for about a week before a manager allegedly said she'd make better money across the street dancing.

So, in typical Cardi fashion, she hung up her apron and headed across the street to make those money moves.

Nowadays, she's successful enough that she probably doesn't even go to the market herself, but we have a feeling that all that time spent working different jobs has given her a humble perspective. She's extremely outspoken about the fact that she's hustled to earn everything she has, and she's definitely not afraid of a little hard work. That's one of the reasons we have a feeling she'll be even more insanely successful than she currently is - unlike many artists who feel like they're entitled to success because they're naturally talented, Cardi B combines her natural skill with an insane work ethic to ensure that she stays on top now that she's made it in the industry.

1 She Almost Became A Social Media Influencer Because Of Her Hilarious Personality

Cardi B has had her eyes on the prize for years now, and always knew she wanted to make it in the music industry. However, if she didn't have that goal, we have a feeling she would have had a very specific career path as an influencer. Before she was a reality star, before she was a rapper, she earned a ton of fans just by being Cardi on social media.

She shared hilarious quotes and videos and basically just made everyone fall in love with her personality from the very beginning. She had absolutely no filter, and that's exactly what everyone who loved - plus, she was all about ladies hustling and doing it for themselves.

In fact, her Instagram fame is one of the reasons she had the confidence to start pursuing her other passions more seriously. She could have easily just remained a dancer for years, but the fact that so many fans around the world loved her personality and loved just finding out what was going on in her life gave her the motivation to start hustling even harder to achieve her dreams. Now, people can enjoy her music as well as her personality on social media, although she just recently deleted her personal Instagram account.

References: hollywoodlife.com. gq.com, dailydot.com, narcity.com, complex.com, axs.com, cosmopolitan.com, vulture.com