It seems like just yesterday that Cardi B was a bubbling rapper slowly watching the success of "Bodak Yellow" spread amongst the country. Now, almost a year since the release of her breakthrough No. 1 smash, the MC opened up our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Sunday (March 11) and, let's just say, that the five-minute performance was the biggest award show spectacle of her career.
Kicking off the DJ Khaled and Hailey Baldwin-hosted ceremony, Bardi stormed The Forum stage in a spiked biker top with a matching black tutu dress. With a crew of dancers and accompanying bikes, 2017's breakthrough star decided to fly through her meteoric 2017 with a string of her hits from the past year.
After starting off with her new solo single, "Bartier Cardi," the rapper sped through her string of star-studded collaborations. We're talking "Motorsport." We're talking "Finesse." And while G-Eazy was on-site to deliver a verse for "No Limit," the rapper held her own without Bruno Mars by her side. However, everything Cardi has accomplished has been entirely on her own accord, so it felt only natural that she end her medley with solo breakthrough hit, "Bodak." Prancing down the heart-shaped catwalk, the rapper took center stage grungy sounds of her smash infiltrated the venue. If you want more from Cardi, stay tuned because the 25-year-old star is nominated for a number of awards later in the night, including Hip-Hop Song of the Year, Best New Hip-Hop Artist, and our socially voted Best Lyrics category.
In related news, Cardi is the April cover girl for Cosmopolitan and opened up about her success, particularly reflecting on her pole-dancing days. "People say, 'Why do you always got to say that you used to be a stripper? We get it.' Because y'all don’t respect me because of it, and y'all going to respect these strippers from now on… Just because somebody was a stripper don’t mean they don't have no brain," she told the magazine.
Whether you're looking for a full list of winners from the jam-packed affair or recaps of the show-stopping performances, we have you covered with all that there is from our 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards. If you missed out on the action, click here for all the up-to-date highlights from the DJ Khaled and Hailey Baldwin-hosted ceremony.
Photo: Getty Images