Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar (born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, actress, and television personality.[2]
During her teenage years, Cardi B was employed at an Amish Market in Tribeca.[24][25] She then began stripping at the age of 19.[26][27] Upon being fired from the supermarket, her former manager recommended she work at a strip club. Cardi B has said that becoming a stripper was positive for her life in many ways: "It really saved me from a lot of things. When I started stripping I went back to school."[28][29][30] She has explained that she become a stripper in order to escape poverty and domestic violence, having been in an abusive relationship at the time, and that stripping was her only way to earn enough money to escape her dire situation and get an education.[31] She attended Borough of Manhattan Community College[32] before eventually dropping out.[33] While stripping, Cardi B lied to her mother by telling her she was making money babysitting.[34]
In 2013, Cardi B began to gain publicity due to several of her videos spreading virally on social media, on Vine and her official Instagram page.[3]