Cardi B finally released her sophomore album, Am I The Drama?, after a long seven years, and it brought all the drama and tea. Kicking off the rollout with turn-up singles like “Outside” and the 90s-inspired “Imaginary Playerz,” fans couldn’t wait to hear what Cardi had been cooking up all this time. And it’s safe to say our girl didn’t flop! According to Chart Data on X, the project is now projected to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 with more than 200,000 units in its first week. But is the music giving what it’s supposed to give?
Am I The Drama? kicks off with the menacing intro, “Dead,” featuring Summer Walker, where Cardi makes it clear she’s coming for her competition’s necks. The track opens like a news broadcast announcing her killing spree, immediately setting a dramatic tone. With lyrics like, “And guess who done bodied up more bitches than they surgeon? Uh / I’m collecting body bags like they purses / I don’t even rap no more, I drive hearses,” Cardi wastes no time reminding everyone of her dominance. At the same time, Summer’s melodies, reminiscent of SZA, bring a smooth and almost serene contrast to the chaos.
There are a few lighter moments, too. On “Pick It Up” featuring Selena Gomez, the bubblegum pop energy is in full swing, as Cardi gushes over a crush and begs him to hit her line. The cutesy cell phone dings and ringtone-style production make it feel like a flirty throwback to the early 2000s. Then there’s “Bodega Baddie,” which carries the same Latin hip hop sound as her 2018 hit “I Like It.”
Switching gears, “Salute” taps into a heavy H-Town drill-inspired sound. Here, Cardi establishes herself as the blueprint: “I am the reference, yeah, I am the vision board/ I put that shit on these bitches, they can’t ignore/ Hustle too hard to ever be unemployed/Just like a Honda, got things in accord.” With bars like this, Cardi is exactly who she thinks she is.
Cardi Starts More Rap Beef
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Cardi album without a little beef. On “Pretty & Petty,” she takes direct jabs at Bia, clapping back at the 2024 diss track “SUE MEEE?” She doesn’t waste a second, opening with: “Name five BIA songs, gun pointin’ to your head / Baow, I’m dead.” You can tell Cardi was waiting for her moment to get her lick back. To keep it real, though, she took things to the extreme with the line: “I’d rather die on the surgery table before I gotta walk around here lookin’ like you.”
She doesn’t stop there. On “Magnet,” Cardi slips in some not-so-subtle shade toward JT. The line “Ricky O the only fashion house you know ass bitch” makes it pretty clear who she’s aiming at. JT celebrated her birthday at Rick Owens’ Miami store in 2024, even linking up with Owens and his wife Michèle Lamy earlier this year—and she’s known for repping the brand hard. So while Cardi never says her name, the subliminal hit is loud enough to catch.
Since they’ve been going back and forth for a while now, JT took to X and Snapchat to go off on Cardi. Things got messy fast. Both of them made odd accusations about each other’s boyfriends’ sexuality, screenshots leaked, and Cardi even accused Lil Uzi Vert of making JT get abortions. What a complete mess. At this point, it feels like the back-and-forth would hit harder if they kept it in the music instead of blasting it all over socials.
So What’s New with Cardi?
As the album unfolds, Cardi pivots from the petty to the personal. The middle section of Am I The Drama? spills tea on her marriage and ongoing divorce from Offset. On “Safe” featuring Kehlani, Cardi paints a picture of longing for protection in love, pairing heartfelt lyrics with Kehlani’s buttery vocals. That transitions into one of her most vulnerable moments yet on “Man of Your Word.” Instead of playing the victim, she admits to her own flaws, rapping: “Seven years, admit it wasn’t all bad/ There’s skeletons in my closet too, it wasn’t all bags/ As a wife, I should’ve realized when you was hurt/ But instead, I put my music first, damn.” The lullaby-like production gives the track an almost haunting quality, making it one of the emotional standouts.
But just as the album dives deep, Cardi pulls us back into her present life. A day before the album dropped, she revealed to Gayle King that she’s expecting a baby with her NFL boyfriend, Stefon Diggs. While the news wasn’t exactly shocking, given months of blog speculation, she made it official. And she even drops hints about her hopes for the future family on “On My Back.” Over a sultry beat, she raps: “Hope our kids have your whole face … I told my girl I’m ’bout to give this man a boy.” Whether her wish comes true or not, it’s a cheeky way to blend her personal life into her art.
Outside of the music, Cardi also announced her first tour in years, the Little Miss Drama Tour. With 34 dates, Bardi Gang is already hyped. The only concern? It kicks off after she gives birth. Hopefully, everything runs smoothly and she’s able to bring that same high energy to the stage.
Was Am I the Drama? Worth the Wait?
Overall, Am I The Drama? is a very decent album, but there’s nothing particularly innovative about it. As a fan, I’m reminded of all the things I love about Cardi: her mouth is lethal, her emotional transparency is relatable, and her songs are full of affirmations that make anyone feel like a baddie. But musically, we don’t get anything new. We already know she’s a fashion “it girl.” We know she’s a lover girl. We know she’s rich. And we definitely know when people go low with her, she’ll take it to hell! What we don’t get is a different sound or side to her. While she kept fans fed with 23 songs, the project felt more like a playlist than a cohesive album.
That being said, Cardi’s sophomore effort isn’t bad—it just plays it safe. Some of the beats sound dated, almost like 2019 throwaways, sticking to her usual formula. But her flow switches, hilarious wordplay, and playful energy still shine through. At the end of the day, it’s the perfect listen when you need a confidence boost or want to shake off your ex.
So tell me, N Crowd—was it worth the seven-year wait?
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