Cardi B just broke the attendance a record at the Houston Rodeo, and she says it’s all thanks to the late Selena Quintanilla who giving her courage to make it happen. And backstage at her performance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Stadium on Friday, the “Please Me” rapper covered one of the Latina music legend’s songs. On Saturday, Cardi posted a video of herself in her pink and blue cowboy outfit, and poiting to a photo of the Queen of Tejano, saying "I was so nervous to perform in front of 70,000-plus people, but when i saw this picture, like, out of all the outfits that she wore, for me to see this picture with this outfit—this was the inspiration for 'Please Me'—I knew I was going to be alright." The “Please Me” video is set in a taco shop, where Cardi meets fellow Grammy award-winning artist Bruno Mars. Cardi wore a black and purple outfit that looks a lot like the one Quintanilla wore during her iconic performance at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1993. At the end of the Instagram video, Cardi sang​ and danced to to the singer's hit song "Como La Flor." Watch below.<doc-sep>"I was so nervous to perform in front of 70,000-plus people, but when i saw this picture, like, out of all the outfits that she wore, for me to see this picture with this outfit -- this was the inspiration for 'Please Me' -- I knew I was going to be alright," the rapper said, pointing to a photo of Quintanilla hanging on the wall. On Saturday, Cardi posted a video on Instagram from backstage at the rodeo, where she credited the success of her performance to the late Queen of Tejano. Cardi B & Bruno Mars Take Over an After-Hours Taco Joint in 'Please Me' Video: Watch Cardi concluded the IG clip by shouting out her love Quintanilla before singing and dancing along to the singer's hit song "Como La Flor." Cardi's record-setting Houston Rodeo performance coincided with the release of "Please Me" music video with Bruno Mars, where she and the crooner meet up at an after-hours taco spot in Los Angeles. In the "Please Me" video, Cardi is wearing a revealing black and purple outfit resembling the one Quintanilla donned during her iconic performance at the Memorial Coliseum in Corpus Christi, Texas, in 1993. See Cardi B's Instagram post and "Please Me" video below.<doc-sep>A lot goes down months, weeks and even days before the GRAMMY awards every year. From the events leading up to the telecast during GRAMMY week and finding new ways to take viewers behind the scenes to events after the GRAMMYs, including the Latin GRAMMYs and special tribute specials like the upcoming Aretha! A GRAMMY Celebration For The Queen Of Soul, the Recording Academy is busy year-round finding ways to connect with audiences and the music community. Teams in marketing, development, digital media and beyond work tirelessly to make sure it all runs smoothly. Forbes recently sat down with the Recording Academy's Executive In Charge of Production and Chief Business Development Officer Branden Chapmen to talk about what happens behind the curtain around the Biggest Night In Music and surrounding events. Here are some of the fun-facts and insights he shared: On How GRAMMY Week Came To Be: "Many years ago, when I first started with the Academy, we actually had something called Grammy Fest, which was a month-long series of events. But ultimately we did not control or produce all of them. We decided approximately a year or two into Neil Portnow's term that we wanted to have greater control and greater focus on amplifying the message around the Grammy Awards and all of our good causes and the people that we go to support, the music community. So we decided that we would no longer do a Grammy Fest, where somebody could simply apply to affiliate with us. We said let's narrow the scope, make it Grammy week and make everything owned or operated by one of us or one of our affiliates at MusiCares or the Grammy Museum Foundation currently. So that's what became Grammy week. So we ultimately made a very strategic decision that we know when the world's eye is focused on us... Therefore we spend a lot of time focusing our projects initiatives and mission on other events that can amplify and promote the message for the Grammy Awards. But also call attention to all the good work that the Recording Academy and our affiliates at MusiCares and the Grammy Museum Foundation do." Some Events During GRAMMY Week Are Just For The Music Community: "At this point you can't stop social media. I believe that one of the reasons that people clamor to get into this room and attend the pre-Grammy gala is because we don't announce who the talent is before the event. We don't talk about the guest list before the event. It has become one of the industry's most preeminent events, where everybody wants to get inside to see and witness something that is likely only gonna happen once in a lifetime. I personally don't think we'll ever see Beck performing at the lead singer with the surviving members of Nirvana ever again. We put experiences on there that you can only see if you're in the room. There is social media, so people will put snippets up, put pictures up. But this isn't for worldwide consumption like the Grammy Awards. It's a unique event and I think that's why it's made such an impact on the industry and continues to stay relevant. Some of what we do should only be the industry, for our fellow musicians. Our voting is established on a peer-based system." On How The Recording Academy Highlights Music Beyond The GRAMMYs: "Since I joined the Academy, we've gone from one telecast to five. We now have the Grammy Awards, the Latin Grammy Awards, typically it's our fourth quarter special, this year is a little more unique where we taped it and we're gonna play our Grammy salute to Aretha Franklin in March and then we have our post telecast special. Then one of the shows that is not on CBS, but PBS is when we celebrate our Lifetime Achievement Awards. Our Grammy salute to music legends. So we have expanded our presence not only to the industry, but to the world at large by developing and producing multiple telecasts that would call worldwide attention to us and our Academy. So that has been a strategic decision as well as many as local events. We have summer events in most of our chapter offices and we have a presence in Washington, DC to promote our advocacy and all of that is really year round." You can read the full interview at Forbes. Sneak Peek: Patti LaBelle, John Legend, SZA, Alicia Keys, Common & More Celebrate Aretha Franklin<doc-sep>When Kacey Musgraves was announced as this year's RodeoHouston opener, it was a pleasant surprise, a much-needed shift from genre norms. But in the wake of four Grammys and an appearance at Sunday's Oscars ceremony, it felt like a brilliant bit of serendipity. "I have always wanted to play RodeoHouston ever since I was a little girl," Musgraves told Monday night's crowd of 53,031. "We have a lot to celebrate." COUNTRY QUEEN: Kacey Musgraves talks loving drag queens and singing with Janelle Monae Musgraves, who hails from East Texas, has become one of music's hottest commodities in recent days. Never mind that she's been putting out terrific albums since 2013. (Seriously, check out "Same Trailer, Different Park" and "Pageant Material.") Her debut RodeoHouston performance was also a testament to this year's lineup, the most diverse and youthful in years. She looked every bit the retro superstar in a lacy white jumpsuit with bell-bottoms, her hair blown out in a kitschy '60s bouffant. The outfit took on added significance later in the set. RodeoHouston shows usually find performers bellowing outward to the crowd. But Musgraves frequently demanded they lean in for songs like "Slow Burn" and "Butterflies." Her lyrics are wry and thoughtful. Her voice is sweet, lilting and a welcome bit of subtlety. Something clicked into place when she launched into "Merry Go 'Round," a biting rumination on life in a small town. Golden, Tx. to be exact. She had the crowd completely on her side, leading them through a gentle singalong. She strummed through a solid take on "Mama's Broken Heart," a song she co-wrote that was made famous by Miranda Lambert. Kacey Musgraves RodeoHouston setlist "Slow Burn" "Wonder Woman" "Butterflies" "Lonely Weekend" "Merry Go Round" "High Time" "Mama's Broken Heart" "Space Cowboy" "Neon Moon" (Brooks & Dunn cover) "Velvet Elvis" "Como la Flor" (Selena cover) "Follow Your Arrow" "Rainbow" "High Horse" See More Collapse SHE READY: But is RodeoHouston ready for Cardi B? Musgraves' best songs turn country cliches on their head. She's also a fierce proponent for the LGBTIA community, who latched on to several of her songs, including self-empowering ballad "Rainbow" and "Follow Your Arrow," a free-to-be anthem that urges listeners to "Kiss lots of boys/Kiss lots of girls/If that's something you're into/When the straight and narrow/Gets a little too straight ..." That unique appeal was also exemplified later in the set. Musgraves' own "Space Cowboy" was an achingly clever, country-pop dream. She recast Brooks & Dunn's "Neon Moon" as a pulsing electro groove. And, in a truly magical moment, she ably covered Tejano classic "Como la Flor." "I love the queen Selena just as much as you do!" Musgraves shouted as the crowd roared. Suzette Quintanilla, Selena's sister, posted a video on Instagram confessing it made her "wanna shed a tear" and thanking Musgraves "for the love." Suddenly, the bell bottoms made total sense. She even mimicked Selena's hustle dance during the disco swirl of "High Horse." Country has a new queen, y'all. And she's so much more than we deserve. Joey Guerra writes about music and pop culture for the Houston Chronicle. He will be writing about every single RodeoHouston concert. Follow him on Twitter. Send him news tips at joey.guerra@chron.com.<doc-sep>
Cardi B just broke a Houston Rodeo record -- and she's giving thanks to Selena Quintanilla for making it happen. The "I Like It" rapper took the stage at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Stadium in Texas on Friday in a sexy pink cowgirl outfit to perform for 75,580 people -- the venue's most-attended show of all time. Garth Brooks held the previous record with 75,577 attendees, but it was Quintanilla whom Cardi credits for her recent success. As the mom of one told fans on Instagram on Saturday, she was sick before taking the stage and wasn't even able to rehearse. However, once she saw a photo of the late Tejano singer backstage, she knew it was going to be a good night. "Hey guys, I just want to say that I'm honored for beating the Houston Rodeo show [record]. I was so nervous to perform in front of 75,000 plus people, but when I saw this picture, out of all the outfits that she wore, for me to see this picture with this outfit, this was the inspiration for 'Please Me,' I knew I was going to be all right," she said, pointing to a photo of Quintanilla on the wall in front of her dressing room. "I love you, b**ch!" Cardi yelled, before singing and dancing along to "Como la Flor." Houston holds a special place in Cardi's heart, as the rapper revealed that it's the first place she and husband Offset went on a date. She also felt welcomed by the city for her other talents. "I remember the first time I came to Houston, I came out here to strip and people showed me maaaaaa love," she wrote on Instagram. She couldn't help but give a shout-out to her past as an exotic dancer during her set on Friday. “The purpose of the rodeo is to collect money, to give scholarships out,” Cardi told the crowd. “Any job you pick, whether it’s a doctor … or a f**king stripper, you gonna need some education.” Cardi isn't the only artist who paid tribute to Quintanilla at the Houston Rodeo. Kacey Musgraves, fresh off her success at the GRAMMYs, covered "Como la Flor" at the event on Monday -- and earned the approval of the icon's family. "Awww this makes me wanna shed a tear! Takes me back," Quintanilla's sister, Suzette, wrote on Instagram. "A Big Big Thank you @spaceykacey for the love at the Houston Rodeo tonite with that SELENA Y LOS DINOS Jam!" See more on the undying love for the Queen of Tejano music in the video below. RELATED CONTENT: Kacey Musgraves Covers Selena Quintanilla-Pérez at Houston Rodeo -- and Twitter Is Here for It! Cardi B Flirts With Bruno Mars in Seductive 'Please Me' Music Video -- Watch! Cardi B's Makeup Artist on the Surprising Reason She Glams Up the Rapper While Sleeping (Exclusive)