RIAA: Cardi B’s ‘Invasion of Privacy’ Breaks Tie with Nicki Minaj’s ‘Pink Friday’ For Highest-Certified Female Rap Album of the Century

Published: Wednesday 12th Apr 2023 by Rashad

As anticipation for Cardi B‘s yet-titled sophomore album mounts, the Rap diva’s fans – affectionately called #BardiGang – are still spinning her jams from yesterday to tide them over in the meantime.

Just four months ago those ongoing streams and sales hoisted the Hip-Hop hitmaker (born Belcalis Almánzar) into the history books of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) when her singles ‘I Like It’ and ‘Bodak Yellow’ hit 11x Platinum apiece and tied for highest-certified female Rap singles of all time.

More recently, the tunes’ 2018-released parent album, ‘Invasion of Privacy,‘ invaded the RIAA’s history books for another honor.

Details inside.

On Thursday (April 6), the RIAA took to press to announce Cardi was the recipient of multiple certification upgrades including a 3x Platinum award for the Kehlani-asissted song ‘Ring‘ and a 4x Platinum award for the song ‘Be Careful.

Even more noteworthy is the new 4x Platinum award attached to the tunes’ parent album, ‘Privacy.’

With the refreshed stat, ‘Privacy’ breaks a two-way tie with Nicki Minaj‘s top-selling debut album, 2010’s triple Platinum-certified ‘Pink Friday,’ for highest-certified female Rap album this century.  When it comes to the all-time count, the only female Rap LP to be certified higher is Lauryn Hill‘s Diamond-christened solo debut album ‘Miseducation’ (1998).

As if that news wasn’t enough for Cardi to celebrate, the RIAA followed on Friday (April 7) with news her hit ‘Bartier Cardi’ was lifted to 4x Platinum status.

With the updates, the GRAMMY winner’s cumulative certified single sales in America now sit at 57 million – making her the highest-certified female rapper of all time.

Among all rappers, only Drake (184 million), Eminem (166 million), Kanye West (140.5 million), Lil Wayne (92 million), Future (86 million), NBA YoungBoy (78 million), Lil Baby (69 million), XXXTentacion (63 million), and J. Cole (61.5 million) have sold more singles than Cardi in the United States.

Note: “Platinum” denotes sales equivalence of 1 million units in the U.S.

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  1. Dog April 12, 2023

    Nicki is a FAT ASSSS FLOP. Bardi wins!!!

    • Nicki Minaj is The Queen April 12, 2023

      Your Mother doesn’t even believe these lies , take your medication 💊

      • Q April 12, 2023

        Right

  2. THE TRUTH 🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨🧨 April 12, 2023

    A classic rap album with classic HITS

    • Drucilla April 12, 2023

      STOP…LOL

  3. Gworl Bye April 12, 2023

    But how many albums did she actually SELL? Lol streaming saved so many careers.

    • DaAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaa April 12, 2023

      There is no need to buy albums today.
      If she was in the 90s she would have SELL like the top artists of that era.

      She’s a top artists in this era, things are different.

      • Theman April 12, 2023

        There is though. I’m a way. When you’re a top popular artist you can do both.

      • Theman April 12, 2023

        In a way*.

    • Dc April 12, 2023

      Queen came out during streaming era but failed to hit Nicki coulda for the same her time is up

      • True Tea April 12, 2023

        Nicki’s time never started. She is a washed, botched, bad-plastic-surgery flop

  4. Lou April 12, 2023

    Payola Queen!

    • Fancy BISH 🤣 💎💋 April 12, 2023

      Your right, Nicki is the payola queen.

      • Lou April 12, 2023

        Lol you’re in denial

  5. True Tea April 12, 2023

    Cardi is the GOAT. Nicki and Lauryn don’t hold a candle to her PURE TALENT

    • I DONT CARE April 12, 2023

      I bet you said that with a straight face, lol. Just like Cardi saying she influenced the new girls in the game, who ALL are better rappers than her even the City Girls….(well atleast …JT). her and Caresha on the same level.

    • Drucilla April 12, 2023

      YESSSSSSS SAY IT AGAIN

  6. Jamar April 12, 2023

    Chile please. This article only tells yall what they want you to know and not the full truth.
    You mean to tell me Cardi has sold more records than Nicki? Remember, Nicki has been in this industry around 15yrs now.
    As of current Billboard stats: 126 entries
    Top 10: 21
    Number 1 singles: 3

    Number of records sold worldwide?: Well over 100 million.

    Let’s not forget Atlantic paid a number of “streaming farms ” to boost her sales of Invasion of Privacy. I guarantee you that without those streams, her album wouldn’t even hold a candle to Pink Friday especially since when Pink Friday was released, people still had to actually buy the album in order to listen to it in full length.

    • stop playing in nicki minaj face like that April 12, 2023

      nicki facts …word.

    • Dc April 12, 2023

      57 million RIAA one album stay mad

      • MM April 12, 2023

        From lackluster singles that got less views and attentiom with every drop. No need to stay mad, when your fav couldn’t maintain hype for a 2nd album cycle, lol.

      • Megan The Stally April 12, 2023

        Nicki is the queen of lackluster. Y’all hype her up so much but the NUMBERS don’t match.

      • NikoleT April 12, 2023

        Cardi B is traaaaasssh.. those numbers were inflated, bought….PERIOD… and I don’t mean by fans…give Nicki her flowers…Cardi B is childish, hopefully one day she knows what she wants to be when she grows up… she’s so fckn dumb and clueless.. but hey, that’s who y’all rock with…clownssszzz😂😂😂😂

      • Meg The Stally April 12, 2023

        Nicki p**** stink she cat fishing LOL

      • True Tea April 12, 2023

        @NikoleT

        Exactly!

        Cardi chose violence starting with her REALITY TV to her entrance in Hip-Hop. Cardi came looking for smoke. Instead she ALLOWED Nicki to get a #1 on her watch.

        Cardi hasn’t dropped NOTHING since Nicki been out and Nicki ain’t even in her PRIME anymore. Clearly ppl are still streaming and buying Cardi’s music, so I don’t understand the delay.

  7. Tuentaideme April 12, 2023

    see

  8. True Tea April 12, 2023

    True Tea is always right and no other female rapper alive or dead can touch Cardi. She is queen. Now THAT’S the True Tea!

    • Q April 12, 2023

      Ur delusional

    • Dahling April 12, 2023

      Yaaassss True Tea! State facts!!

  9. KeyLoLo April 12, 2023

    Why can’t they just be happy for each other? If they got along I believe a lot of stuff (musically) would be soooo different..if their fans joined forces it would be historically epic. Smh..are they going to beef forever? Sometimes you just have to let stuff go (Nicki)…Cardi you too!

  10. Audra Bradley April 12, 2023

    Congrats you worked hard for this & prayed for this God is good & I love that album it was so needed I also love GB vol1&2 you did the damn thing videos on point your mission is complete now give me more I know you got some more 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥😁😅 congrats on all your success family & all!!!!

  11. Big Kim April 12, 2023

    Karma

  12. True Tea April 12, 2023

    A Queen with 1 album?

    Bye!

    While Cardi is busy being a public spokesperson no one asked for…

    Nicki is dropping NEW music and extending her Successful and INFLUENTIAL career.

    Now THAT’S the True Tea!

    • Diabetes UNBOTHERED April 12, 2023

      Grammy For RAP ALBUM OF THE YEAR goes to…

      Bodak Yellow — 12x platinum
      I Like It — 12x platinum
      GLY — 12x platinum
      WAP — DIAMOND
      No Limit — 9x platinum
      Finesse — 9x platinum
      Money — 8x platinum
      Taki Taki — 7x platinum
      Please Me, Bartier Cardi & UP — 6x platinum

      • True Tea April 12, 2023

        She’s doing these numbers but can’t drop a 2nd album?

        Sound like someone is OVERHYPED

  13. kai2dasuan April 12, 2023

    According to RIAA none of Nicki Minaj Album have been 4x platinum or higher. We don’t want to hear about Eligible for 4x platinum.

    Nicki Minaj Pink Friday
    3x Multi-Platinum | March 22, 2016 SOLO
    Standard 3 Million R&B/HIP HOP
    2x Multi-Platinum | March 22, 2016
    Platinum | December 17, 2010
    Gold | December 17, 2010

    Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Reloaded
    2x Multi-Platinum | March 22, 2016 SOLO Standard
    2 Million R&B/HIP HOP
    Platinum | June 22, 2012
    Gold | June 22, 2012

    Nicki Minaj Pinkprint
    2x Multi-Platinum | February 10, 2016 SOLO Standard
    2 Million R&B/HIP HOP
    Platinum | February 10, 2016
    Gold | February 27, 2015

  14. True thought April 13, 2023

    Everyday this fraud rapper stay updating her fake numbers every second she breathes,just to keep up with Nicki’s sales
    It’s truly pathetic! All this number talk & yet you can’t sell out festival tickets even for a 19k seat concert,don’t have real fans ,don’t have any impact on a new female rapper, don’t have any real life demand all she do is inflate & update plaques every second
    Pathetic!

  15. A&R April 13, 2023

    I know t this comments are wild but without minimizing Nicki’s album, I need to world to know that Cardi’s album was amazing. Bc Lauryn Hill is a singer too, I never saw her album as rap. So besides that, I believe Cardi has thee best femal rap album to date. Deadass. That doesn’t take away from Nick. Just that album has no skips, it’s well produced, it’s all rapping from her, the features were top notch.. there are stories outside drugs and s**… it’s just f****** good lol

    She deserves it.

  16. FlyinBye April 13, 2023

    Ahhhhaaaa😜😜😜
    Y’all pignika, Oinknika fans so madddddd! Ahhhhhaaaa stay pressed Cardi doing so good and y’all the lamest in the game everyone talk about how weird the barbs are but look how weird y’all stank puxzy a** momma who can’t even bag anyone successful gotta marry a roach r***** she dead yo! Your moms is DEAD! Get used to it, she just making it worse for herself every time the lamer she look just like y’all roach a** followers she would pee on ya dusty azzez if you was on fire she USE YALL and you all do retarded don’t even care or think she care she told y’all how she think of y’all when she married that p*** SHE SAIS STAY MAD WEIRDOS THIS MY LIFE MY BED. JUST FACE THE MUSIC. ITS CARDI ERA, STALLON ERA, LOTTO ERA NICKI DEAD DEAD DEAD. AND SHE WILL NEVER BE RESPECTED AGAIN bc of how she act like a spoiled fat sloppy turd she is. Body wackiny out on ha, lawddd Jesus KARMA so real! All that mess she talked on Lil Kim coming back to bite her ill BBL BROKEN BOOTY A** LOOKING LIKE BIG BIRD IN DIS BEECH. BYEEEEEE STAY MAD UGLIES.

  17. Jojo April 13, 2023

    She deserves it! Love me some Cardi B baby!!

  18. JSF April 14, 2023

    At the end of the day can Cardi WRITE A FULL VERSE ON HER OWN?? Numbers are cute or w.e but this is RAP. When u die and u leave behind a LEGACY, people wanna know if u actually rapped. Biggie didn’t have the highest numbers but til this day u know who tf B.I.G is. So before u dumb Cardi fans compare her to the FEMALE GOAT, think about that. No chick in the game past, present, future touching Nicki Minaj’s legacy. Her pen game is unmatched. No matter what u do or say u can’t take that away from her. Ya know that right? Because it seems like ya tryna rewrite history to fit ur narrative. Don’t be a hater, give credit where it’s due. Nicki will be remembered as the goat and Cardi, well Cardi will just be that stripper/Instagram celeb/reality tv girl, who just got famous and dibbled into Rap. She’s not a rapper. She’s an entertainer. U guys need to realize this. Nicki BEEN spittin since she was little. Cardi just decided to get into the music biz one day because she was bored and being a stripper wasn’t enough for her. She wanted more. By any means necessary. Cardi didn’t give af. Even if it meant to taking that VERY SAME deal that Atlantic had on the table for many female rappers. She not different, she not talented. She’s just the dumb one who decided to take it because she just wants “money”. I get it. Do u shorty. But that comes with a price. U can’t compare urself to the ones who really do this. Especially when u were once stripping to Nicki’s music. Don’t ever think u on the same level as her. U guys fell in love with her PERSONALITY. I understand that. Cardi can be likable and “relatable” but fr ya gotta wake up and be on the right side of history. Ya gonna feel stupid in a few years when u realize who the REAL RAPPERS were. Cardi ain’t one of them. Give her all the grammys, etc etc.. U can try as hard as u want but she is NOT a rapper. Idc if NOW all of the sudden she decided to write her own bars (real MC’s never let anyone write for them EVER) she can’t be considered a rapper. Cardi is an entertainer. Stop calling her that. The girl has admitted to having a ghostwriter plenty of times. Nicki wouldn’t even dare. She is the ghostwriter. Real talent will win at the end of the day. Stop tryna play Nicki Minaj. U KNOW DAAAMN WELL that woman cannot be touched. STOP IT.

    • Garbaj April 14, 2023

      Shut up lewser. Garbaj use teenagers like her p.e do husband. Follows them on Twitter

      • JSF April 14, 2023

        Yeah yeah Ion give af about allat. Ion even know wa chu tawkin bout. But get at me when u got MUSIC facts. Cuz at the end of the day this is about music right? They’re both artist, right? (Well one of them at least) so talk to me about RAP. Who’s a better spitter??? Who got REAL MUSICAL TALENT?? Ima answer for u so ur bum a$$ don’t reply to me again. Nicki is better. Have a Gn foggot.

    • jersey proctor August 4, 2023

      i can agree with you n im a cardi fan like yea cardi sale more or whatever but nicki is the better rapper bardi gang not gone listen

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