Cardi B now holds more RIAA Diamond certifications than any other female rapper in history, but the internet is split on whether the milestone tells the whole story.

Cardi B has officially become the most Diamond-certified female rapper of all time, edging past Nicki Minaj after WAP, her blockbuster 2020 hit with Megan Thee Stallion, earned its Diamond plaque in early August. The Recording Industry Association of America hands out Diamond status once a song or album crosses 10 million certified units, and it took nearly six years for WAP to get there. The update didn’t stay quiet for long — a viral post on X paired portraits of both women and declared a changing of the guard, racking up tens of thousands of likes almost instantly.

The Four Songs That Sealed It

Cardi’s Diamond résumé now includes:

• Bodak Yellow
• I Like It (with Bad Bunny and J Balvin)
• Girls Like You (with Maroon 5)
• WAP (with Megan Thee Stallion)

Three of the four are collabs, a detail critics online were quick to point out. Bodak Yellow made her the first female rapper ever to land a solo Diamond single back in 2021, and her debut album Invasion of Privacy became the first LP by any artist to have every track certified at least platinum. Minaj, for comparison, holds three Diamond records of her own: Super Bass, Starships, and Bang Bang alongside Jessie J and Ariana Grande.

A Feud That Never Really Ended

None of this is landing in a vacuum. Cardi and Nicki have been at odds since 2017, a rivalry that once turned physical when Cardi tossed a shoe in Minaj’s direction at a New York Fashion Week event. The tension flared again last September around the release of Cardi’s sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, subliminal shots have continued — including Cardi bringing out Meek Mill, Minaj’s ex, during a live show earlier this year.

How the Internet Reacted

Reactions split into predictable camps. One side treated the milestone as a straightforward win, flooding timelines with graphics of Cardi’s four plaques and praising her as the first woman to score a lead-artist Diamond single. Another camp fired back with context: Minaj’s stronger pure album sales, the different commercial eras each artist rose in, and the fact that most of Cardi’s Diamond hits involve other artists. A third group simply braced for the fallout, predicting Minaj’s fanbase would spend months dissecting the narrative online.

The Diamond Debate: Streams vs. Sales

Part of the disagreement comes down to math. Diamond certifications now lean heavily on streaming-equivalent units, where 150 on-demand streams count as one sale. Minaj built her early catalog in an era dominated by physical and digital purchases, while Cardi‘s biggest records peaked when streaming ruled the charts. That shift means newer songs can rack up units in ways older hits simply couldn’t at the time. Supporters of Minaj argue that makes today’s certifications easier to reach; supporters of Cardi maintain the RIAA’s current standard is the only one that matters now.

The Crown Stays Contested

At its core, this isn’t really about plaques — it’s about whose formula for greatness counts. Features versus lead credits, streaming math versus album-era sales, and two devoted fanbases who’ve spent years arguing over the same throne. Cardi has the number. Minaj has the catalog depth. Both things can be true at once, and neither is likely to quiet the debate anytime soon. The RIAA will keep certifying songs, streaming totals will keep climbing, and eventually someone else — Minaj included — will be the one adding a new plaque to the conversation.

Source: Hip-HopVibe.com