When Cardi B stepped onto the Saturday Night Live stage on Saturday, January 31, the assignment could have been simple. Deliver two high-energy songs, remind viewers why you dominate pop culture, and exit to applause. Instead, during the show’s landmark 1,000th episode hosted by Alexander Skarsgård, Cardi treated the moment like a cultural declaration.
Cardi used one of American television’s biggest stages to center Dominican identity with precision, pride, and zero dilution. The result felt intentional enough that it demanded a closer look.
© Will Heath/NBC via Getty ImagesTwo songs, two moods, one message
Cardi’s musical guest slot focused on “ErrTime” and “Bodega Baddie,” but the second performance is the one people keep replaying. “Bodega Baddie” was not framed as a novelty or a playful genre experiment. It was presented as a fully realized fusion of Bronx attitude and Dominican tradition.
That framing matters. SNL performances often flatten cultural references for mass appeal. Cardi did the opposite. She layered meaning into the sound, the styling, and the collaborators, trusting the audience to meet her there.
The Dominican flag outfit was heritage, not a costume
For “Bodega Baddie,” Cardi appeared in a look inspired by Dominican national dress and the Dominican Republic flag colors. The design came from Candice Cuoco, who pulled from folkloric silhouettes associated with Dominican traditional wear, including the pollera shape.
This was not just symbolic color blocking for television. The structure of the outfit referenced movement, volume, and rhythm, which are central to folkloric fashion. On a live TV stage, that matters.
The fabric moved with the music, reinforcing the cultural story rather than distracting from it. To a casual viewer, the look read bold and patriotic. To Dominicans watching closely, the references were unmistakable. That dual readability is what separates homage from surface-level styling.
“Bodega Baddie” runs on Perico Ripiao DNA
Musically, “Bodega Baddie” lands with impact because it pulls directly from Perico Ripiao, also known as merengue típico. This is one of the oldest living forms of merengue, traditionally driven by accordion, tambora drum, and güira.
© Will Heath/NBC via Getty ImagesPerico Ripiao is not background music. It is celebratory, fast, and technically demanding. It is meant for dancing, for storytelling, and for showing musical skill. By embedding that sound into a modern rap performance, Cardi was connecting the cultural environments that shaped her life.
Many people took to social media to share how they just discovered that Cardi has Dominican heritage at home.
Why El Prodigio changed everything
The performance crossed from inspired to authoritative when El Prodigio and his band joined Cardi onstage. El Prodigio is a respected figure in merengue típico, known for technical mastery and deep cultural roots. Bringing him into the performance did something crucial. It grounded the sound in lived tradition.
Instead of sampling Dominican culture from a distance, Cardi shared the spotlight with someone who carries it professionally. That choice flipped the usual power dynamic. The tradition was present, visible, and leading the rhythm.
Fashion fans clocked the details. Music fans clocked the intent
Post-show reactions split along familiar lines, but they all landed on the same conclusion. Fashion watchers focused on the craftsmanship of the custom look and its Dominican references. Music fans focused on the Perico Ripiao structure and El Prodigio’s presence.
What did not happen is just as important. This was not framed as a vague Latin moment. It was read as specifically Dominican and specifically deliberate.
Cardi’s “Bodega Baddie” set stands out because it treated Dominican culture as the foundation.
Between the Dominican flag-inspired fashion, the merengue típico musical backbone, and the decision to feature El Prodigio on one of the most visible live TV stages in America, Cardi sent the clear message that cultural roots are not something to reference quietly once success is secured.
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