Cardi B is no stranger to breaking barriers, but her latest milestone might be her most audacious yet: the Bronx firecracker has officially dethroned Nicki Minaj as the best-selling female rapper in RIAA-certified units in the United States, clocking in at a whopping 77 million equivalent sales with just two studio albums to her name. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) dropped the bombshell on October 7, coinciding with the release of Cardi’s sophomore effort Am I the Drama?, which itself snagged platinum certification on day one—the fastest album ever to do so. Leapfrogging Minaj’s 65.5 million and Doja Cat’s 60.5 million, Cardi’s tally—bolstered by fresh plaques for smashes like “WAP” (9x platinum), “Up” (5x platinum), and her breakout “Bodak Yellow”—solidifies her as the undisputed sales queen among female MCs. It’s a flex that has fans cheering and rivals seething, reigniting the long-simmering Cardi-Nicki feud just as Am I the Drama? storms the charts.

The numbers don’t lie, but the backstory? That’s pure Cardi chaos. Born Belcalis Almanzar in 1992, the former stripper turned reality TV vixen exploded onto the scene in 2017 with “Bodak Yellow,” a gritty trap banger that topped the Billboard Hot 100—the first solo female rap No. 1 since Lauryn Hill’s “Doo Wop (That Thing)” in 1998. That track alone, now diamond-certified (10 million units), kickstarted her ascent, but it was her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy that turned her into a juggernaut. The Grammy-winning LP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, went six-times platinum by September 2025, and made history as the first female rap album with every track certified gold or higher. Singles like “I Like It” (with Bad Bunny and J Balvin) and “Girls Like You” (Maroon 5 collab) both hit diamond status, netting Cardi three total—tying her with Minaj for the most among female rappers.

Fast-forward to 2025, and Cardi’s second act is even bolder. Am I the Drama?, dropped September 19, bowed at No. 1 with 200,000 equivalent units—the biggest debut for a female R&B/hip-hop album this year—and went double platinum by month’s end. Featuring re-ups like the explicit “WAP” (Megan Thee Stallion) and “Up,” plus new cuts like lead single “Outside,” the 23-track behemoth drew flak for its length and recycled hits—Cardi clapped back on X: “They deserve a home.” Critics were mixed (Pitchfork called it “a strong return to form” but bloated), yet it racked 18 Hot 100 entries, tying her own record for a female rap album. The RIAA’s timely audit—upgrading “Bodak Yellow” as the highest-certified traditional single by a woman of color—pushed her totals over the edge, landing her at 14th among all female artists overall.

Minaj, the Trinidadian trailblazer who’s held the crown since her 2010 debut Pink Friday (triple platinum), has long lorded over rap sales with over 100 million global units and five studio albums. Her 2023 Pink Friday 2 went platinum, and tracks like “Super Bass” (12x platinum, the highest-certified female rap single) and “Starships” (diamond) keep her in the convo. But RIAA tallies favor leads only (no features), and while Minaj’s at 65.5 million certified U.S. units as of late 2024, Cardi’s streaming-era smashes—fueled by TikTok virality and pop crossovers—have surged ahead. “Two albums vs. five? That’s Cardi magic,” one fan tweeted, while Barbz (Minaj stans) cried foul: “Outdated certs—wait for the update!” Minaj, fresh off a 2024 detention drama in Amsterdam, stayed mum, but her silence speaks volumes amid their 2018 shoe-throwing NYFW brawl.

Cardi’s win isn’t just stats—it’s a cultural quake. As the first female rapper with two No. 1 Billboard 200 debuts, she’s redefined success in a male-dominated game. Her catalog, blending Bronx grit with trap-pop hooks, has amassed 100 million RIAA units total (including features), ranking her sixth among female digital artists. Off-mic, amid divorce drama with Offset and custody wars over kids Kulture, Wave, and baby Blossom, Cardi’s unfiltered X rants keep her relatable: “I came from nothing—sales prove it.” Peers like Megan Thee Stallion (“My sis did THAT!”) and Lizzo (“Queen energy!”) flooded her comments, while haters on Lipstick Alley debated: “Streaming inflated it—Nicki’s the blueprint.”

Looking ahead, Am I the Drama? eyes a second week at No. 1, potentially making Cardi the first female rapper since Lauryn Hill to hold the Billboard 200 summit consecutively. With a rumored Invasion of Privacy 2 in 2026 and Super Bowl halftime buzz, her empire—Fenty collabs, beauty lines—balloons. Minaj’s Pink Friday 3 looms, but for now, Cardi’s reigning. In rap’s endless beef, sales are the ultimate diss track. Cardi just dropped the mic.