They are young, talented and, according to Time, two of the 25 most influential people on the internet.
For its fifth roundup, Time "evaluated contenders by looking at their global impact on social media and their overall ability to drive news."
Atlanta rappers Lil Nas X and Cardi B made the cut.
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, developed his online fanbase by curating memes on Twitter, Time said. Now, he has more than 2 million followers. Much of that success is likely owed to his hit country rap song "Old Town Road," which has now spent 15 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.
The Lithia Springs High School grad has two other songs from his debut EP "7" on Billboard's charts — "Panini," which led to the rapper getting a cooking lesson from Gordon Ramsay, is at No. 27; and "Rodeo," featuring Cardi B, is at No. 51.
Lil Nas X first made headlines when Billboard quietly removed “Old Town Road” — which has elements of trap music, country and R&B — from its Hot Country Songs chart, saying it wasn’t country enough. He remixed the song, asking Billy Ray Cyrus to join him on the track. Now “Old Town Road” is setting streaming records.
Last week he remixed the song again, adding Atlanta's Young Thug (aka Jeffery Lamar Williams) and 12-year-old Mason Ramsey, best known for yodeling Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" in an Illinois Walmart.
The 20-year-old has reached out via Twitter to Mariah Carey and Dolly Parton, saying he'd like to remix the song with each of them.
His biggest headline, however, came on the last day of Pride month, when Lil Nas X announced he was gay.
The rapper said he wanted fans to “feel more comfortable” with their sexuality, because “within the country and the hip-hop community, (homosexuality) is not really accepted in either.”
Cardi B
Cardi B’s past 12 months have been life-changing.
She had a baby in July 2018; announced she had split from husband Offset in December; reunited with Offset in January; and made Grammys history in February.
The rapper, who lives in Atlanta with her husband and daughter, Kulture, won the Grammy for best rap album for “Invasion of Privacy.” She is the first solo woman to receive the award. Cardi has been nominated seven times, but this was her first win.
She has more than 47 million followers on Instagram and more than 6 million Twitter followers, so pretty much anything she posts on the internet quickly spreads.
Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almanzar, has made headlines for more than just her music, however.
She's involved in politics, criticizing President Donald Trump for a government shutdown and supporting Democratic candidate for president Sen. Bernie Sanders.
She’s also made headlines with legal trouble.
The rapper was arraigned in June for allegedly attacking two bartenders on Aug. 29, 2018, at a Queens strip club. She pleaded not guilty in state court to two counts of attempted assault and various misdemeanor charges, including harassment, criminal solicitation, conspiracy and reckless endangerment, the Associated Press reported.
She and husband Offset, who is one-third of the group Migos, enjoy not only professional success but also financial success.
The couple recently shelled out $201,840 for five houses and an additional $48,080 for an adjoining plot of land on a street in Jonesboro in Clayton County.
And the 26-year-old recently spent nearly $80,000 buying new jewelry for her daughter, Kulture.
MORE LIL NAS X NEWS
» How many times can Lil Nas X remix 'Old Town Road'? Twitter imagines possibilities for decades
» Twitter reacts to Atlanta rapper Lil Nas X coming out on World Pride Day
» Lil Nas X calls mother of nonverbal autistic boy who sang 'Old Town Road'
» Billboard removes rapper Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road' from country charts
» Atlanta rapper Lil Nas X's removal from country music chart sparks controversy
» Lil Nas X receives support from Miley Cyrus
» Atlanta's Lil Nas X thanks Billy Ray Cyrus with a $150K gift
MORE CARDI B NEWS
» Cardi B makes history with 2019 Grammy for best rap album
» Cardi B makes history again with new Rap Snack flavors
» Report: Cardi B and Offset reunite; Offset vows to 'no groupies' rule
» Cardi B pleads not guilty to new charges in strip club brawl
» 'I will dog walk you': Cardi B responds to Tomi Lahren over government shutdown comments
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