It may have already been common knowledge among hip hop fans, but it recently dawned on me that the famous rapper Cardi B derived her stage name from the renowned rum brand Bacardi. Allegedly, her sister’s name is Hennessy, so as a playful nickname, everyone referred to her by another alcohol brand name that sounded similar to her real name, Belcalis. However, whenever she tried to create an Instagram account with the name Bacardi, it would get deleted. This led her to adopt the moniker Cardi B, which ultimately suited her well. The Bacardi brand was established in Cuba in 1862 by a man named Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, and the surname possibly has roots in the French word Picard, meaning “someone from the French region of Picardy”. Interestingly, Picardy originates from pic, an Old French term for “pike”, as the people from that region were known for using pikes in battle.
