The five LPs up for best rap album at the 2019 Grammys constituted a stacked category: Cardi B’s Invasion of Privacy, Mac Miller’s Swimming, Nipsey Hussle’s Victory Lap, Pusha T’s Daytona and Travis Scott’s Astroworld. But Cardi B managed to nab the honor in the highly competitive category with her smash debut.
When the award was announced, Cardi freaked and hugged Offset, grabbing him by the hand and guiding him up to the stage with her.
“Babe I can’t breathe,” she said after taking the stage. “The nerves are so bad — maybe i need to start smoking weed.”
In addition to industry folks, Cardi thanked her child with husband Offset. “I want to thank my daughter. I’m not just saying thank because she’s my daughter. When I found out I was pregnant, my album was not complete. I had three songs I was for sure having. And you know how I was. We had to have this album done so I could shoot these videos but I’m still not showing. It was very long nights.”
Though Lauryn Hill nabbed the best rap album award in 1997 as part of the Fugees for The Score, Cardi B is the first solo female to win best rap album at the 2019 Grammys.
Watch Cardi’s full speech below.
