Cardi B first debuted on the scene, or rather our screens in 2013 when the then social media sensation began regularly going viral via videos posted to social media sites Vine and Twitter. Fast forward four years later, and Cardi would end up being the first female rapper (and the first person of Dominican descent) to have a solo single hit #1 on Billboard in 1998. In the last two years, Cardi’s debut album Invasion of Privacy, and the singles released in support of the era have sold an estimated 33 million copies in the United States ALONE, she’s won a Grammy and set the all time attendance record for a concert at The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo (75,580 people for those wondering.) In addition, every song featured on her debut is certified anywhere from gold (500,000 copies sold) to 7x platinum (7,000,000 copies sold) and making her the first woman to achieve this feat. I was supposed to see Cardi twice last year, but the rapper canceled many tour dates leading up to the birth of her daughter Kulture who she shares with Migos member, Offset. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t get the opportunity to see Cardi last year but all was forgiven when a friend of mine presented us with tickets to see Cardi in the best city in the country: HOUSTON, TEXAS!
My friends and I participated in the delicate dance that is Houston traffic (if you know, you know), and arrived to the south gates of the rodeo at approximatley 8 p.m. and the show was schedueld to start promptly at 8:45. We all went to the bathroom, got our drinks, and qucikly settled into our seats right before the show began. Cardi’s DJ began playing a mix of Cardi’s biggest hits as well as the hits of some of her biggest musical icons. Cardi rode in on a town car shortly thereafter and took the stage to breeze through fan favorites including: Get Up 10, Backin It Up, Money Bag, No Limit and Motorsport. After declaring to the packed stadium that her asthma was forcing her to take a quick break, her DJ was once again the star of the show as the crowd continued to sing along to her endless bops. Cardi once again retuned to the stage saving her best for last including Girls Like You, I Like It, and the song that kicked it all off, Bodak Yellow helped close out the show.
After the show, the NRG was still buzzing for a long time, even after the lights had come back on and one thing was clear to everyone in the stadium if it wasn’t previously, and that is the fact that Cardi B is a star. Period, end of sentence. Her charm and talent fill whatever space she finds her self occupying and her infectious spirit somehow manages to connect with every individual. For 45 minutes, Cardi made people forget about their problems as she put on a truly entertaining show that was well worth the wait.
The Sounds of Music 