Carlos Alman is a name used online for Carlos Almánzar, the Dominican father of rapper Cardi B. His daughter has described him more fully as Carlos Julio Almanzar. He worked as a New York cab driver, raised a family with connections to the Bronx and Washington Heights, and became part of Cardi’s account of her life before fame. Her interviews reveal a father who spoke Spanish with her and preferred work to an allowance. They also explain why helping her parents became a personal priority as her entertainment career began to pay.
Carlos Alman at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Name used by Cardi B | Carlos Julio Almanzar |
| Also identified as | Carlos Almánzar |
| Known for | Being Cardi B’s father |
| Country of origin | Dominican Republic |
| Past occupation | New York City cab driver |
| Daughters with Clara | Cardi B and Hennessy Carolina |
His Name and Move to the United States
The spelling matters when identifying Cardi B’s father. PEOPLE uses Carlos Almánzar, while a statement from Cardi reproduced by HOT 97 gives his name as Carlos Julio Almanzar. “Carlos Alman” is the search term associated with him; the longer surname connects the biography to the person Cardi has identified.
In that statement, published by HOT 97 in May 2020, Cardi said her father came to the United States from the Dominican Republic in 1990. She also said he had worked as a cab driver for nine years. Those details come from his daughter’s account of his background.
His migration belongs to the family story Cardi has discussed since the early stages of her career. In The FADER’s 2016 interview, she described growing up between Washington Heights and the Bronx with a Dominican father and a Trinidadian mother.
Dominican Roots and Family Life in New York
Spanish at Home
GQ’s 2018 interview offers a specific glimpse of the relationship: Carlos spoke to Cardi exclusively in Spanish. The profile described her as having grown up bilingual in the Bronx.
Cardi also told GQ that she sometimes recorded songs repeatedly because she felt insecure about her accent. The interview connects the language of her childhood to her experience developing a recording career.
Her Paternal Grandmother’s Home
The family’s Washington Heights connections continued after Cardi became famous. Vogue’s 2019 profile took place at her paternal grandmother’s apartment, described as a longtime gathering place for relatives.
The profile recalled crowded nights with relatives. Cardi explained that being around people helped her avoid the anxious thoughts she experienced alone. The apartment remained somewhere she could return to familiar company while navigating a much larger professional life.
Cab Driving and the Shop Cardi Considered Buying
Carlos’s cab-driving work appears in interviews conducted before his daughter’s biggest musical breakthrough. At the end of The FADER’s 2016 profile, Cardi was preparing to look at a bodega she was considering buying for him because he wanted to leave his driving job.
The proposed purchase was tied to her discomfort about their different circumstances. She was living in an Edgewater condominium while her parents continued working regular-wage jobs in the Bronx. Her mother had worked as a cashier, and Cardi wanted to help both parents develop another way to earn a living.
“I have a big pressure on my shoulders,” Cardi told The FADER while discussing her wish to help her parents.
A later FADER profile returned to the plan and supplied its outcome: Cardi decided against buying the shop because she worried about the financial risk. The article also explained that the idea had originated with her father.
When Cardi proposed giving him an allowance instead, he declined, she said. He wanted her help finding work. That exchange gives the story its character: her wish to provide for him met his preference for continuing to earn.
The two interviews document a proposal that changed as Cardi weighed the practical consequences. They do not establish that she bought him a bodega.
His Relationship With Clara and Their Daughters
Carlos and Clara have two daughters together: Cardi B and Hennessy Carolina. They divorced when Cardi was 13. After Kulture’s birth in 2018, Cardi thanked her parents for their help and described Carlos running errands for her in New York.
Why Cardi B Objected to Her Father Being Filmed
A street encounter in June 2019 made Cardi’s concerns about her father’s exposure explicit. Remezcla covered an exchange in which Gelena Solano, a reporter for Univision’s El Gordo y la Flaca, approached Cardi while she was out with her father and daughter.
Cardi objected to being interviewed in that setting. When the reporter tried to speak with her father, she intervened and asked the crew not to put him on television.
Her explanation centered on his safety: he did not have the daily security protection associated with her life as a celebrity. The encounter shows why an appearance beside his daughter should not be treated as an invitation to interview him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Carlos Alman?
Carlos Alman refers to Carlos Almánzar, Cardi B’s father, whom she has identified as Carlos Julio Almanzar.
Where is Carlos Alman from?
He is from the Dominican Republic. Cardi said he moved to the United States in 1990.
What did Carlos Alman do for work?
He worked as a New York City cab driver. His daughter said he held that job for nine years.
Is Carlos Alman also Hennessy Carolina’s father?
Yes. Carlos and Clara are the parents of both Cardi B and Hennessy Carolina.
Did Cardi B buy her father a bodega?
She considered it, but The FADER’s follow-up interview states that she decided against the purchase.
Conclusion
Carlos Alman’s story is rooted in migration, work, and family life in New York. Cardi B’s accounts offer concrete glimpses of their relationship: conversations in Spanish, a proposed business, and help after childbirth. Together, those moments give a clearer picture of her father than a list of unsupported biographical claims.