When you’re committed to evolving, the only way to go is up, and that’s Cardi B’s story. 

Before becoming a music star and having a social media following of over 100 million, she was in hustle mode to make her music career pop off.

The Bronx, NY, native has been outspoken about facing many rejections at the start of her rap career. The superstar says she received lowball offers from record labels and was not taken seriously because she had previously been on the cast of the VH1 network’s reality TV series “Love & Hip Hop: New York.” 

So, in true hustler fashion, she decided to bet on herself.

“I invested my own money in everything,” Cardi B shared on “The Jason Lee Show.” “For my videos to my looks.”

Cardi B also recalled paying for artists to collaborate with her when she first started releasing mixtapes and her own music tour.

In addition to initially self-funding her artistry, the “Bodak Yellow” emcee started on the low tier for brand deals when she was known for being a popular social media personality rather than now, as one of today’s most popular Hip-Hop artists.

According to Billboard, Cardi B became the first woman to have five songs in the top 10 of the Hot R&B/Hip Hop song chart in 2018 and the first solo female artist to win a Grammy award for Best Rap Album.

Outside of her music accolades, it was still an uphill battle for Cardi B regarding brand partnerships. Thankfully, that arena has been another accomplishment in her portfolio.

On the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, she shared how starting from the bottom led to huge checks rolling in.

“I got social media famous in 2014…my first brand deal from Fashion Nova was in 2016 and $200 a post,” Cardi B revealed on X. 

Cardi B’s patience, consistency, and drive have paid off. For brand deals, per her tweet, she now makes more than $5 million for doing a brand campaign. Following the success of her debut studio album, “Invasion of Privacy,” in 2018, things have skyrocketed. 

As previously shared by AFROTECH™, one of Cardi B’s big-name endorsement deals was with Pepsi. She has also been seen in campaigns for McDonald’s, Uber Eats, NYX Cosmetics, Reebok, and Knorr, to name a few.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Cardi B (@iamcardib)

Along with working with industry giants, Cardi B is the face of Whipshots, her vodka-infused whipped cream brand. In 2023, it was announced that Whipshots had sold over two million cans since its launch in December 2021, as previously reported by AFROTECH™.

While she may seem like an overnight success, Cardi B admitted on X that all of her accomplishments have taken time.

“You could reach any height no matter how ghetto or where you come from. Just remember the key is to be patient and be humble. Blessings,” she concluded on the platform.