What Does “Bodak Yellow” Mean & What’s Next For Cardi B?
If you’ve been paying the slightest bit of attention to pop culture, you may have heard of a little song called “Bodak Yellow.” Even if you've been dragging through this week half-awake, you probably didn't fail to notice that Cardi B’s chart-climbing bop made it to the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100. Which is a pretty big deal, seeing that she is the first solo female rapper to top the tally in 19 years.
However, you may still be wondering - what exactly is a “Bodak Yellow?” Fear not, we’ve got you covered. Below you'll find everything you need to know about Cardi B and what’s next for the Bronx rapper after her hit song.
What does “Bodak Yellow” mean?
Cardi B’s record-breaking hit was inspired by Kodak Black, specifically his 2014 song “No Flockin.’” Cardi borrows his flow, and named the track “Bodak Yellow,” changing Kodak to “Bodak” because of the “B” in Cardi B. "My sister's name, her name is Hennessy, so everybody used to be like Bacardi to me... then I shortened it to Cardi B, and the 'B' stands for whatever ...depending on the day," she explained on The Wendy Williams Show in July. “Black” is changed to “Yellow,” as she says she’s yellow in an interview with MTV News, which you can watch below.
Who is Cardi B?
Cardi B was born and raised in the Bronx, New York. She began to gain attention for her no-holds-barred personality while working as an exotic dancer, becoming an internet celebrity thanks to many videos posted to her Vine (RIP) and Instagram accounts, such as the classic “A hoe never gets cold” clip of November 2014.
In 2015, she became a cast member of VH1’s reality series Love & Hip Hop: New York. She made her musical debut in November of that year, on a remix of Shaggy’s “Boom Boom” with Popcaan. A month later, Cardi released her first solo single and accompanying music video “Cheap Ass Weave.”
In March 2016, she released her debut mixtape Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 1, featuring incredible album artwork, and notable tracks like “Foreva” and “On Fleek.”
Less than a year later, in January 2017, Cardi dropped Gangsta Bitch Music Vol. 2 featuring her Offset collaboration "Lick."
In February, the Bronx rapper signed her first major recording contract with Atlantic Records. “Bodak Yellow” was her debut commercial single, released in June via digital distribution. The song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 in late July, and by August reached number 2. Finally, on Monday, September 25, it was reported that “Bodak Yellow” took the number 1 spot, knocking Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” from the top position. It officially achieved Platinum status on Tuesday, September 26. Cardi has made history, as she's the first female rapper in 19 years with a number 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who’s on team Cardi?
Basically everyone ever, but if you insist on details, several members of rap royalty including Nicki Minaj, Lil Kim, Missy Elliott, Offset and more congratulated her on her #1 song.
Taylor Swift even sent Cardi B flowers to congratulate her on her big achievement.
What’s next for Cardi B?
So far, we know that she’s planning on dropping her debut album in November. In addition, Cardi B tweeted an impromptu cover of SZA’s “Love Galore,” with SZA’s full support for an official remix.
Quavo recently claimed that Cardi will also feature on Migos’ upcoming album Culture 2.
On Tuesday, September 26, after performing "No Limit" with G-Eazy on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Cardi previewed a brand new song via Instagram live.
Listen to "Bodak Yellow" for the 36th time below.
And don't forget the Latin Trap Mix!
And finally, the Kodak Black remix:
For more Cardi B beyond "Bodak Yellow," check out our list of her 10 best songs aside from her number 1 hit right here.