I Like It

The Making and Chart History of "I Like It" by Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin

"I Like It" is a landmark pop and hip-hop collaboration featuring Cardi B, Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny, and Colombian reggaeton and Latin pop artist J Balvin. Released in April 2018 as a single from Cardi B's debut studio album Invasion of Privacy, the song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated July 7, 2018, where it held the top position for one week. In doing so, it made Cardi B the first female rapper ever to have two number-one singles on the Hot 100, following "Bodak Yellow" in 2017.

The production of "I Like It" was created by J. White Did It and Benny Blanco, among others. The track's most distinctive musical element is its prominent interpolation of Pete Rodriguez's 1967 boogaloo classic "I Like It Like That," which contributes a vibrant brass-heavy Latin undertone to the otherwise contemporary hip-hop production. This interpolation was a deliberate creative choice that rooted the song in a longer tradition of Afro-Latin musical influence on American popular music while simultaneously positioning it as a thoroughly modern chart record. The decision to sample and build upon this specific piece of musical heritage proved commercially and critically inspired.

The inclusion of Bad Bunny and J Balvin in the collaboration was both artistically significant and strategically brilliant. By 2018, Latin music was undergoing a commercial explosion on mainstream American charts, driven partly by the global success of Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" the previous year and the rising streaming prominence of reggaeton as a genre. Bad Bunny had rapidly established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in Latin trap and reggaeton, while J Balvin had been consistently delivering crossover pop-leaning reggaeton hits for several years. Their presence gave "I Like It" immediate appeal across multiple demographic and linguistic communities.

Cardi B and Bad Bunny had both Puerto Rican heritage connections relevant to the song's cultural framing, as Cardi B's mother is of Trinidadian and Dominican descent, and she had spoken publicly about her Caribbean cultural background. The song's celebration of its Latin musical roots was thus not purely commercial but also carried personal resonance for the artists involved, contributing to its authentic feel despite the calculated cross-genre nature of the collaboration.

"I Like It" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 on the chart dated April 21, 2018, entering at a strong number 8, driven by first-day streaming data from the album release. It moved to number 9 the following week before temporarily retreating down the chart, then began a sustained climb through the late spring and into early summer of 2018. By the chart dated July 7, 2018, the song had climbed to number one after 11 weeks on the chart, a trajectory reflecting growing radio airplay momentum stacking on top of consistent streaming performance.

The song spent 51 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, an extraordinary run that demonstrated the song's genuine cross-demographic appeal and its ability to sustain listener interest across multiple seasons. This longevity was remarkable for a track with such a distinctive and genre-blending sound, and it underscored the degree to which Latin-influenced pop had become a permanent fixture in mainstream American musical consumption by 2018.

Internationally, "I Like It" achieved significant chart success in multiple countries, particularly in Latin America and Europe, where both Bad Bunny and J Balvin already commanded large audiences. The song charted in the top ten in several European markets and topped charts in various Latin American territories. The music video, directed with vibrant visual energy that celebrated Latin culture and Cardi B's personal background, accumulated over 105 million YouTube views and was a frequent presence on MTV and other visual media platforms throughout the summer of 2018.

The song earned Grammy Award nominations, contributed to Invasion of Privacy winning Best Rap Album at the 61st Grammy Awards, and was widely recognized as one of the defining pop records of 2018. Its success further cemented the commercial and cultural integration of Latin music and hip-hop that would characterize mainstream American popular music throughout the subsequent years.