Some rappers get called out for lyrics that may exceed their actual lifestyles. Hip-Hop is inundated with songs of a flashy lifestyle, flaunting riches in the form of money and other material things, and how they are able to spend said money. While history has proven that some of these rappers that have spewed this rhetoric were actually putting on for their audiences, it appears that you can’t say that about Belcalis, better known as Cardi B. According to the Invasion of Privacy rapper, she’s getting a hefty bag worth millions just from doing shows.
Cardi B’s rise to the top will more than likely go down in the books. The former stripper transformed her life from her previous profession as an exotic dancer to a rapper and television personality. Many came to know her from her hilarious and often racy social media. Others were perhaps introduced to her when she was a standout and breakout star on VH1’s Love and Hip Hop: New York. If not, then you definitely heard about Cardi B via her inescapable 2017 hit “Bodak Yellow.”
The lyrics of Cardi B’s breakout Diamond-selling debut single include just how rich the Bronx native has gotten. Cardi B spits facts in the record, from copping a bag and fixing her teeth to bragging about being paid to walk through a club. “I pay my mama’s bills, I ain’t got no time to chill,” the rapper proclaims in “Bodak Yellow.” Cardi B definitely has put in the work throughout her storied career. From there, she released her multi-platinum debut album along with a string of highly successful chart-topping singles.
In an old tweet, Cardi B expressed her hopes for her music career. “IDK where my music going to take me, I just want people to say she puts out good tracks,” she wrote in May of 2016, concluding it by telling fans to “Respect the talent.” Proving that “if it’s up, then it’s stuck,” Cardi B just hopped on Twitter and expressed just how much she’s bringing in these days.
Cardi B shared a since-deleted tweet with a screenshot with details of upcoming shows in July. Adding some context, she wrote that she was pulling in “Over [a million] a show wit 1 album.” A fantastic feat for any artist or entertainer indeed. The rapper further added that she was awaiting information on three upcoming shows that would be held overseas, with one of them paying her upwards of $2.3 million.
Cardi B continues to shine in her music career. Recently, it was announced that she has amassed two more RIAA-certified Diamond singles in her discography, making her the first female rapper to achieve this feat. Outside of the Diamond achievements, the majority of Cardi B’s other singles have all received Gold or multi-platinum status.
This is also not the first time that Cardi B has spoken about the amount of money she receives per show. In 2019, the rapper provided a breakdown on her social media showing just how much she was guaranteed for the festivals she was scheduled to perform. Her United States shows were paying within the $300k to $750k range.
In Europe, Cardi B’s bag was more significant. In 2019, the chart-topping rapper was slated to receive over $400k to $900k for some festivals, including a private jet provided for her travel to Belgium’s Vestiville festival. All of this was still with just one album under her belt.
But all of the money that Cardi B receives from touring does not go directly to her. In subsequent tweets, Cardi factored in a “massive” stage production that she feels her fans are deserving of, as well as “outfit, makeup, [and] hair.” However, with everything that it takes to make a Cardi B show as extravagant as it is, she shared that her check is significantly less when it arrives to her.
Other artists who have received a massive payout in the millions for performing include Beyonce, who reportedly received eight to twelve million for both Coachella performances. The Grammy-Award-winning singer was offered $6 million to perform for an Uber corporate event, according to multiple reports. However, Beyonce turned it down in lieu of receiving the amount in the company’s stock, which has since multiplied over the years.
