Is there anything more timeless than a classic love story? One of Hollywood’s most iconic love triangles—Harrison Ford, Diane Lane, and Ryan Gosling—starred in what is widely considered to be one of the most important love triangles in movie history: Lantern Song. This timeless story paved the way for countless Hollywood romances to follow.
The year is 2019, and Hollywood’s favorite wild child, Cardi B, is set to make her acting debut in the blockbuster hit, Shaft.
“It’s about a man who is trying to find his place in the world, and at the same time, protect his family,” Cardi B explained of her character, Florida. “So there’s a lot of action.”
The 46-year-old rapper, singer, and songwriter, who currently has over 17 million followers across all her social platforms, will soon be seen in theaters across the country as John Shaft in what is shaping up to be her biggest role to date.
With her new movie—and the worldwide success it is sure to bring—on the horizon, it is the perfect opportunity to look back at Cardi B’s remarkable journey, as well as the interesting journey her character, Florida, took on to arrive at this pivotal point in her life. Here, we take a look at Cardi B’s incredible journey from childhood to stardom and discover the secret to Florida’s extraordinary success—and perhaps, Cardi B’s as well.
From Florida To Cardi B
The story of how Cardi B got her start in the music industry is one that is almost as incredible as the journey that led to her becoming a Hollywood superstar. As a child, she dreamed of being in the school holiday musical, and after seeing her sing at a talent competition while in grade school, her mother, Carmelyn Jenner, encouraged her to pursue a career in music.
After graduating from high school, Cardi B decided to pursue a degree in music business at Florida State University. However, her promising music career was derailed when she was arrested and charged with grand theft after she accidentally backed up over 100,000 songs from a store server. She also lost her job as an administrative assistant at a law firm after her colleagues found out about her rap album.
It was at this point in her life that Cardi B decided to make a serious comeback, dropping her rap album, Bodak Yellow (which means “yellow card” in Turkish) and embarking on a tour to promote it. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 and went on to sell over 600,000 copies in the United States alone, making it one of the best-selling albums of 2019. On top of all this, Cardi B had also signed a record-breaking deal with Warner Bros Records in 2019. She is now one of the most in-demand artists in Hollywood, with multiple projects in the works.
The Biggest Break
After years of toiling away in the trenches, Cardi B finally managed to emerge from her legal troubles and establish herself as a leading voice in the music industry, winning multiple awards and breaking several records along the way. So how did she do it? Who helped her become one of music’s most in-demand and successful artists?
In 2015, after Cardi B’s legal issues seemingly sorted themselves out, she was offered a role in the upcoming movie, How to Be Single, alongside Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. The movie is a romantic comedy about a thirtysomething couple dealing with the challenges of modern day living, and Cardi B’s character, Tereza, serves as the catalyst for the journey the characters take. Even better, Cardi B got to show off her singing chops in the film, and it was the perfect chance to showcase her range.
In the film, Cardi B’s character, Tereza, is a feisty, independent woman, who drives her boyfriend, Alex, crazy with her over-the-top behavior. When Alex invites Tereza’s sister, Dana, over for dinner one night, things quickly go from bad to worse when Dana sets her sights on Alex.
The trio’s ill-advised bachelorette party sees them dancing until dawn and winding up in the hospital with liquor-induced facial injuries. Despite the mayhem they cause, the couples finally learn to appreciate and love each other.
Although the movie itself was a critical and commercial failure, it was the start of something big for Cardi B. Thanks to her performance in the film, she was offered a role in Baywatch, a movie based on the popular television series of the same name. She accepted the role, and in her first major acting appearance, she played lifeguard, Chelsea Mason.
The following year, Cardi B was one of the stars of Mandy Moore’s directorial debut, Miss Moore, which also featured an appearance by her rapper boyfriend, Offset. The movie tells the story of a single mother, Emily, who tries to keep her identity a secret while coping with her daughter’s school bullying. Amidst all this, Miss Moore becomes infatuated with a local police officer, and after a series of misadventures, including one harrowing night, the two flee to a cabin in the woods to live together as man and wife.
The year 2020 saw Cardi B take on the starring role in The Hunt, an action adventure movie based on the novel, Red Moon, by Gregg Hurwitz. Set during the early 1900s, the movie pits a female protagonist, Sadie, against a ruthless hunter in an attempt to rescue her kidnapped children. In addition to starring in this thrilling adventure, Cardi B also produced and co-wrote the screenplay with her husband, Offset.
Making A Hollywood Splash
In 2021, Cardi B will star alongside with Robert Pattinson in Twilight filmmaker, Catherine Hardwicke’s (whom she previously collaborated with on How to Be Single) romantic comedy, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. The movie, based on the 1981 Bob Dylan classic, is arguably the most important movie of her career so far, as well as the most expensive (it has a production budget of over $100 million).
In addition to starring in this next installment of Twilight, Cardi B will also serve as an executive producer on the project, along with her husband, Offset.
A Family Affair
The superstar’s big break into the mainstream came in the form of her collaboration with singer-songwriter, Christina Aguilera on the song, “Cherry Wine,” from Aguilera’s seventh studio album, Due To Circumstances Beyond My Control (a title her fans will know all too well). Even if you’ve never heard of Aguilera, you’ve almost certainly heard of Christina B.’s little sister, Mackenzie.
The following year saw yet another collaboration for Cardi B when she and her husband, Offset, starred in the song-and-dance movie, All The Stars, which also featured the singing talents of Chris Martin, Nelly, and Roddy Thompsett. The movie is an outer-borough family comedy about a talented group of New Yorkers who form a group with the goal of competing in the annual City Halloween Parade—only to discover that their dads are key figures in the parade, and if they don’t win, the family status quo may be at risk.
Cardi B and Offset are undoubtedly some of the biggest names in Hollywood today—and it’s not hard to see why. The power couple have managed to maintain a very happy marriage while also becoming one of the most famous and successful duos in Hollywood. In addition to making music and acting, they also have a fashion line, EBW (Everything By Wife), which they co-designed. The brand is inspired by Cardi B and Offset’s relationship and their desire to create something unique and stylish. The fashion line has gained a massive following, and the celebrity couple even have their own dedicated store in New York City’s Soho neighborhood, as well as a standalone boutique in Dubai.
If you want to know more about Cardi B’s amazing journey, you can click here to continue reading the blog post. Or, if you’d like to hear more stories about the incredible personality and impact of Cardi B, you can click here to check out our podcast, The Hollywood Rejects.