Cardi B Making The 'TIME' 100 List Proves The Power In Staying True To Yourself

Fresh off her huge performance at last weekend's Coachella festival, the announcement that Cardi B made the 2018 TIME 100 list serves as further proof that this year is totally hers for the taking. TIME released its annual selection of most influential people early on Thursday, April 19, and among the many deserving people on highly coveted list, Cardi B's name notably stood out due to her rapid rise to stardom over the past few months.

As per TIME's typical format, the magazine used another high-profile influencer to speak on behalf of Cardi's unmistakable talent. In a piece for this year's issue, Empire star Taraji P. Henson shared what she believes has helped turn Cardi into the household name that she is today and it all comes down to self-confidence. Henson wrote,

"She’s clear on her talent, and she’s not trying to get in anybody else’s lane. She recorded 'Bodak Yellow' because it’s what she loved. Now she’s the biggest thing in music. And even with all those eyeballs watching, she’s still unapologetically herself."

A early fan of the rapper and her success, Henson has often spoken about Cardi in the past, once offering the emerging emcee words of inspiration on Instagram back in June of 2017.

"SHINE BABY SHINE!!!!," Henson wrote as she revealed that she was a fan of Cardi's, way back when she only had 70,000 followers and said it was her "REALNESS" that made her hit Cardi's follow button months ago. She continued, "LOOK AT YOU NOW!!! Proud of you!!! Keep puttin in that WERK you WILL collect your [trophy emojis]."

Further proving that she's had her eyes on Cardi for quite some time, Henson recently did a near-flawless impression of the outspoken performer during an interview with Clevver News earlier this month.

Among the outpouring of praise she shared for Cardi in her TIME 100 feature, Henson pointed out the 25-year-old's ability to "show her soul" as what helps people, like herself, instantly identify with the "Be Careful" rapper. Henson explained,

"I identify with Cardi B... The first time I went on her Instagram page, she was so raw, coming at you, like, whoa! She used words like 'shmoney' and 'shmoves,' and she talked openly about being a former stripper. And she was proud of it—like, So what, I was on the pole, look what I parlayed that into? When she showed her soul like that, I hit the Follow button. I felt like she had the voice of the people, you know what I mean?"

While Cardi's talent as an artist certainly speaks for itself, her transparency and authentic realness have played an undeniable role in making her one of the most relatable and talked about entertainers of current times. Fans who have followed Cardi for years, like Henson, have been well aware of her ability to entertain the masses, and it seems that the rest of the world has finally caught up.

Like legions of loyal "Bardi Gang" fans around the world, Henson revealed how proud she is to have been present for the Cardi's rapid rise to the top of the music industry. Closing her TIME comments with a bit of Cookie-esque swag, Henson added, "Cardi B’s here to stay, baby, and I’m happy to be a witness.”

TIME's 2018 list has become a record-shattering issue for the magazine ,as it reportedly features 45 women which, along with Cardi, include; Oprah, Issa Rae, Roseanne Barr, Gal Gadot, Chloe Kim, Hoda Kotb, Greta Gerwig, Jennifer Lopez, Savannah Guthrie, Kesha, Millie Bobby Brown, Janet Mock, Nicole Kidman, Rihanna, Tiffany Haddish, Daniela Vega, and more.

Cardi B's latest achievement comes just as the entertainer revealed that she's expecting her first child with her fiancé and Migos rapper, Offset. In the past month alone, Cardi also released her debut Number 1 album Invasion of Privacy, performed on Saturday Night Live, co-hosted The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, twerked at Coachella — and now made the TIME 100 list, proving that she's undeniably one of the hardest working people in the music business.