What is Cardi B’s real name? We had no idea, but we’re in love

It’s only March, but we’re calling it: 2018 is The Year of Cardi B. In January, the “Bodak Yellow” singer performed at the 2018 Grammys with Bruno Mars. In February, Mars announced that she would be joining him on his 24K Magic World Tour. And in March, Cardi B won Best New Artist at the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards. Yep, the rapper is having a seriously great year and showing no signs of stopping. So, since her name is everywhere, you might be wondering: What is Cardi B’s real name?
It turns out that Cardi B’s real name is Belcalis Almanzar. She was born in the Bronx, New York and is of Dominican-Trinidadian descent. So, how did the stage name Cardi B come about? She says it has to do with her sister and alcohol brands.
“My sister’s name is Hennessy, so everybody used to be like ‘Bacardi’ to me,” Cardi B told PEOPLE in November of 2017, referencing Hennessy cognac and Bacardi rum and spirits. “Then I shortened it to Cardi B. The ‘B’ stands for whatever, depending on the day…beautiful or bully.”
Cardi B even tweeted the very same tidbit almost two years ago in July of 2016. But at the time, she wasn’t the household name she is today. And as a result, the tweet only received about 2,000 likes. If Cardi B were to tweet the same thing today, we bet her over 2.5 million followers would be all over it.
My name is Belcalis ,Growing up people called me Bacardi cause my sister name is Hennessy ..FYI
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) July 21, 2016
But if you ever get the chance to meet Cardi B, don’t worry about remembering her real first name.
"No one calls me Belcalis except for my family, my mother and my daddy," she continued.
So, what is Cardi B’s real name? It’s Belcalis Almanzar. Mystery solved.