Cardi B Makes History on Hot 100 With Third Career-Opening Top 10

12/19/2017 by Xander Zellner

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Cardi B performs on stage during the 2017 iHeartRadio Canada Jingle Ball at the Air Canada Centre on Dec. 9, 2017 in Toronto, Canada.

"MotorSport" bounds from 15-6, making Cardi the first female rapper to land her first three Hot 100 entries in the top 10.

Cardi B makes history among female rappers, becoming the first female MC to send her first three entries on the Billboard Hot 100 to the top 10.

On the newest Hot 100 (dated Dec. 30), Cardi B's third Hot 100 entry, "MotorSport," with Migos and Nicki Minaj, surges from No. 15 to No. 6, following the first full week of tracking after its official video arrived Dec. 7. The collab zooms 9-5 on the Streaming Songs chart, up 40 percent to 31.7 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen Music; 43-25 on Digital Song Sales (15,000 downloads sold, up 44 percent), as it posts the Hot 100's top gains in streaming and sales; and 37-34 on Radio Songs (35 million in airplay audience, up 10 percent).

"MotorSport" follows G-Eazy's "No Limit," featuring A$AP Rocky and Cardi B, at No. 10 this week after reaching No. 7, and Cardi B's former three-week debut No. 1, "Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)" (at No. 11).

Cardi B passes two other female rappers who each sent their first two Hot 100 entries to the top 10.

Lil Mama first achieved the feat, as her debut hit "Lip Gloss" climbed to No. 10 in 2007 and her second and so-far final entry, "Shawty Get Loose," featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain, also peaked at No. 10 almost a year later.

Iggy Azalea became the second female rapper to go two-for-two from the start, as her debut smash "Fancy," featuring Charli XCX, spent seven weeks at No. 1 in 2014. Her second hit, Ariana Grande's "Problem,"featuring Azalea, reached No. 2 the same year. As "Fancy" and "Problem" charted in the top 10 concurrently, as have "Bodak Yellow" and "No Limit," Azalea and Cardi B are the only female rappers to chart their first two Hot 100 entries, respectively, in the top 10 simultaneously.

Beyond female rappers, how rare is it for male rappers to have reached the top 10 in their first three Hot 100 visits? Only four have earned the honor.

MC Hammer sent his first three Hot 100 entries to the top 10, all in 1990: "U Can't Touch This" (No. 8 peak), "Have You Seen Her" (No. 4) and "Pray" (No. 2). Chingy followed with "Right Thurr" (No. 2), "Holidae Inn," featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg (No. 3), and "One Call Away," featuring J. Weav (No. 2), in 2003-04.

Juelz Santana tripled up next with two Cam'ron tracks on which he's featured, "Oh Boy" (No. 4) and "Hey Ma," featuring Santana, Freekey Zekey and Toya (No. 3; both in 2002), and his own "There It Go! (The Whistle Song)" (No. 6; 2006).

Fetty Wap joined the exclusive club with "Trap Queen" (No. 2), "My Way," featuring Monty (No. 7), and "679," featuring Remy Boyz (No. 4), all in 2015.

Further, Cardi B becomes just the sixth female rapper with three Hot 100 top 10s. Nicki Minaj leads with 15, as she extends her record among female MCs with "MotorSport." She's followed by Missy Elliott, with nine, Eve and Lil' Kim, each with four, and Iggy Azalea, also with three.