Cardi B, rapper and entertainment star, has just released her sophomore album “Am I The Drama?” seven years after the release of her six-time-platinum certified debut album, “Invasion of Privacy.”
“Am I The Drama” follows the theme of coming back into the rap game and taking what Cardi believes she is owed: respect.
Throughout the album, Cardi illustrates how experiences in her love life and in the rap space have made her into the strong woman she is today.
The opening track, “Dead” featuring Summer Walker sets the tone that the Grammy-winning artist strives for with this album. Her message: You can’t compete where you don’t compare.
The song begins with sirens and mentions of Cardi B being linked to a crime spree involving “bloggers, journalists, and several female rappers”. The piece continues to paint the picture of the rap star ending the careers of everyone daring to threaten hers.
Ayannah Davis, a junior journalism student, believes Cardi did just that with this album. “I think she cleared, she came on the beat and did what she needed to do,” said Davis.
In addition to Summer Walker, the album features collaborations with several well-known artists such as Selena Gomez, Lizzo, Kehlani, Cash Cobain, and Tyla.
While fans are excited about the album’s features, the samples Cardi used are also piquing the interest of her listeners.
Two of the most notable samples in the tracklist are from Janet Jackson’s 1986 hits “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” on Cardi’s track “On My Back” and “The Pleasure Principle” on the track “Principal,” on which Jackson is also listed as a feature.
Paying homage to her Dominican heritage, the New York native sampled the popular merengue song “Ta Buena” by Magic Juan, and “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee in the song “Bodega Baddie”.
One of the most exciting elements of the album is her response to rapper BIA and the accusations she’s made against Cardi over the past four years, in the track “Pretty and Petty”.
BIA, known for hits like “Whole Lotta Money,” was initially a fan of Cardi and would often make tweets congratulating her on her success.
However, after BIA collaborated with rapper Nicki Minaj in July 2021, things started to change, and she instead began to shade the artist in her music.
Cardi has mentioned BIA in her music before, in songs such as “Like What (Freestyle)” and “Wannabe” with GloRilla and Megan the Stallion. However, unlike her verses in these songs, in “Pretty and Petty”, she doesn’t mince her words at all.
Ayanna Iovieno, a senior liberal studies student, feels Cardi did what she had to do to set the record straight when it comes to BIA. “She got her get back,” she said.
While fans across the world are happy to see Cardi step back into the music game, some feel she didn’t need to do so, given how much fame she’s gained during her “hiatus”. Junior journalism student, Jaleah Booker, is one of them.
“I don’t think the album was necessarily needed, but for true fans it was probably much appreciated,” says Booker.
While the album debuted with 200,000 album-equivalent sales in its first week, according to Billboard.com, the project will be certified Platinum due to its inclusion of the singles “WAP” and “Up,” which were released in 2020 and 2021.
Furthermore, the album ranked No. 1 on US iTunes and Apple Music within hours of release and racked up 14.7 million first-day streams on Spotify.
Cardi B plans to tour from this album. The “Little Miss Drama Tour” starts Feb. 11, 2026, in Palm Desert, according to Rolling Stone. She’ll be performing in North Carolina in April. Speculation of guest appearances and the set list has already begun to take place on social media.
