By Angel Diaz
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The doubters have been silenced, the fans have been fed; at long last, Cardi B’s sophomore album is finally here.
Seven years after Cardi B shaped the game in her image with Invasion of Privacy, the Bronx-bred rapper is back for seconds with Am I the Drama? The 23-track project will feature both of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits: 2020’s “WAP” and 2021’s “Up,” and will include her most recent singles “Imaginary Playerz” and “Outside.”
Cardi has been meticulously rolling out the project for weeks now. She hit the streets of New York City to sell off various copies of her new project, interrupted Jimmy Fallon’s opening monologue to promote said project, and even utilized her own pregnancy announcement to further roll out the album.
“Go support my album because I’m a mother of four now,” she joked in an interview with Gayle King after announcing she was expecting a new baby with her boyfriend Stefon Diggs.
With all eyes on Cardi, there is an incredible amount of pressure resting on the shoulders of Am I the Drama? Her debut album was a blockbuster hit, debuting atop the Billboard 200 with 255,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with 103,000 coming from pure album sales. Cardi’s debut album earned the second-biggest first-week sales of 2018 at the time, with Cardi becoming the first female artist to chart thirteen songs simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100. The accolades kept coming later that year, as Cardi B became the first solo female rapper to win the Best Rap Album Grammy award.
With features from Janet Jackson, Cash Cobain, Lizzo, Kehlani and more, and a massive headlining tour right on the horizon, Am I the Drama? on its face seems poised to be an equally substantial moment in Cardi B’s career. But how does the drama sound?
Check out Billboard’s ranking of Cardi B’s highly anticipated new album below. (Note: The two lowest tracks are ranked where they are due to them having been released so long before the album, and thus of course not feeling as fresh on first Drama listen.)
Cardi B’s 2021 warning shot still sounds great four years later. The refrain is still catchy, the bassline is still unsettling, and Cardi B’s quippy wit like when she dedicates bars to girls whose “breath smell like horse sex,” still elicits a chuckle. It’s still “Up.” — MACKENZIE CUMMINGS-GRADY
“WAP” (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)
The nasty bop that started it all. Five years after “WAP” flustered and frustrated conservatives everywhere, Cardi and Meg have continued to dedicate their careers to empowering women in every facet. They remain unfazed by slut-shaming and modern-day political tropes, and continue to be a beacon of sexual empowerment for everyone. The song still slaps, too. — M.C.G.
“On My Back” (feat. Lourdiz)
An R&B slow jam for her boo, Cardi B’s sultry “On My Back” is aided by an equally sticky hook from Lourdiz. She mostly keeps the bars about sex with her man and tosses in a few odd, kinda funny one-liners along the way like, “I’m on your d—k, I wanna hold it when you pee,” but it’s clear the appreciation is genuine. — M.C.G.
“Killin You H—s”
Cardi puts the nail in the coffin with “Killin You Hoes,” a reflective flex that focuses on her power as an MC. While she doesn’t name names, she celebrates the power of the Cardi B brand — from her looks to her talents on the mic. “It’s too late, b—h, I’m a whole success story,” she raps with a sparkle in her eye. It’s a fitting closer to an album almost entirely dedicated to the people in Cardi’s life who did her dirty. — M.C.G.
“Man of Your Word”
Some of the best art comes from vulnerability and an artist like Cardi has always worn her heart on her sleeve. She’s never been shy about addressing her personal life with her fans. That’s why they’re able to ride so hard for her. You’ll always have a fanbase if you’re relatable and that’s been her greatest asset since she first popped off on Instagram. There’s no getting out of Cardi’s group chat. — ANGEL DIAZ
“Bodega Baddie”
First of all, I’m a bit disappointed in this one because it feels like an interlude when the song title has all the makings of becoming a viral sensation — and secondly, we could’ve used a feature from another New York artist like Ice Spice and Chucky73 to really bring this one home. — A.D.
This is yet another banger that I can see being popular on various social media platforms, with shorties lip-syncing and making funny faces and maybe doing those funny dances that they be doing. It’s gonna be funny when they highlight that one particular line. You know the one that I’m talking about. — A.D.
From jump, Cardi puts her heel on her enemies’ throats and digs right in. “Trophies” throttles the listener like a battering ram, as Cardi incinerates her foes with bars like, “I could make a n—a rich, I could get a n—a robbed.” The line doubles as a cheeky nod to a controversial IG video from 2019, proving that when it comes to owning the narrative, Cardi is always in control. — M.C.G.
“Dead” (feat. Summer Walker)
This is a great way to set things off.
Cardi’s talking heavy, with lines like, “Guess who make sure that she play nice when we in person?/ And guess who done bodied up more b—es than they surgeon?/ I’m collecting body bags like they purses/ I don’t even rap no more, I drive hearses,” and Summer sounds great. They really should consider linking up more often. Cardi had to address the hectic life she’s been living since rising to superstardom and dropping Invasion of Privacy seven years ago. We had to know where the hell she’s been — and now we know. — A.D.
“Imaginary Playerz”
Okay, this song was a bit overly hated when she decided to make it a single a few weeks back, but it makes sense as far as the themes we hear on the album go. I still do feel like she should’ve let this be a B-side, however, and waited to tell the story of Jay hitting her back at 4:44 until after the project dropped. All the promo put extra hype on the song and raised everyone’s expectations. We gotta also remember that although this is one of the Jigga Man’s more revered songs, it was never really a single. With that being said, I think the song will grow on people if kept within the confines of the project and not as a single. — A.D.
“Check Please”
Cardi’s nonchalance speaks volumes on “Check Please” as she slows down her flow to a conversational crawl. “I’m the reason b—hes got deals for like the last few years/ You sound anything like Cardi B, b—h, sign right here,” Cardi raps with a shrug, calling out her clones in the most relaxed way. While other tracks aimed at her enemies have opted for a fiery barrage of insults, Cardi’s “Check Please” is so cool, calm and collected that it’s clear how unfazed she really is. — M.C.G.
Cardi B’s lead single still offers up the same fiery confidence and razor-sharp wit it did when it first dropped back in June. The song’s southern thumps still hit hard, as do some of the seething bars, like, “Next time you see your mama, tell her how she raised a b—h.” Now that Cardi’s album is out in full, it’s clear there are better tracks in the mix, but “Outside” served as the right appetizer for the Am I the Drama? drama. — M.C.G.
“What’s Goin On” (feat. Lizzo)
I gotta be honest. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw that Lizzo feature. Is she going to rap? Sing? Play the flute? Never did I expect that she and Cardi would flip this 4 Non Blondes heatrock. The “Cardi B?” comments are already piling in, and the Bardis will soon get the “What’s Up” music vid past the two billion views threshold on YouTube. Let’s hope Cardi and Lizzo recreate the clip and really lean into the nostalgia. — A.D.
“Better Than You” (feat. Cash Cobain)
While Cardi often opts for a thumping bass and trap drums to flex on her opps, this song’s elevated soul loopings actually provide enough space for her snarky bars to really hit. “All my cars is chauffeur/ I ain’t touch door handles in years,” she raps with her full chest. — M.C.G.
“Principal” (feat. Janet Jackson)
With an assist from Janet Jackson, Cardi B blends trap drums with an ’80s-inspired bounce on “Principal,” creating a track that becomes an earworm just as it wraps up. Perfectly suited for a night out with close friends, the song’s biggest flaw is its brevity. It leaves listeners craving more — a testament to its catchiness, but also a slight disappointment for those who wish it lasted longer. — M.C.G.
Now this is an album cut. I’ve grown tired of mainstream rap albums trying to make every song a single or viral or whatever. We need to bring back B-side album cuts that help with album’s cohesion. Salute the trap Selena for fighting the good fight. — A.D.
“Shower Tears” (feat. Summer Walker)
Summer and Cardi are two of the most vulnerable artists out right now and they’re showing great chemistry on the two tracks they have on here. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think that we might need an EP; somebody get Justice and Carlon on the phone! Also, hearing Summer sound so amazing has me hype for Finally Over It. — A.D.
Cardi dives headfirst back into her “Tomorrow 2” bag with a song that almost feels like a solid attempt at completing the trilogy. Cardi is as sassy as ever, as she raps about stealing men and partying with her model friends. However, this track would have gotten a huge boost from a GloRilla feature. — M.C.G.
“Pick It Up” (feat. Selena Gomez)
Cardi shows off her versatility here as she tries her hand at an R&B leaning pop song where she’s singing a little bit. And you gotta give her props for having Selena Gomez singing about getting dubbed (I wonder if she already knew what “dub” meant,) but anyway, not sure why this wasn’t one of the lead singles. Maybe we’ll get a video, hopefully, because this feels like it should be playing on TRL and 106 & Park after school. — A.D.
This track right here sounds like a mid-2000s club banger, before bottle and hookah service made the dancefloor obsolete. I might need to cash my check and make it rain on somebody’s daughter when this comes on. She should consider getting either Jeezy, Gucci or Waka on the remix. — A.D.
“Pretty & Petty”
A fiery diss aimed at none other than BIA, Cardi B’s “Pretty & Petty” pulls some serious punches across the West Coast groove, which gives the track a laid-back, breezy feel. Meanwhile, Cardi’s volatile delivery ensures the diss lands with full impact. “Pretty & Petty” shows that while Cardi is willing to engage in a rap battle on her own time, she’s not willing to sacrifice having a good time along the way. — M.C.G.
“Safe” (feat. Kehlani)
These two have been through their fair share of drama this past year, so it’s cool to see them link up to give fans a hit song. I can definitely see this getting a bunch of radio spins and being used during Valentine’s Day by social media accounts. The music video is cool too; I thought it was a little too dark at first, but the YouTube comments might’ve changed my mind. — A.D.
“Nice Guy” (feat. Tyla)
Not sure why this wasn’t one of the album’s lead singles. “Nice Guy” is such an earworm — and if timed out right, it would have absolutely dominated the radio this summer. Tyla’s contribution makes for the perfect complement to Cardi’s melodic bars, with the rapper dropping off so many catchy ad-libs it’s hard to pick a favorite. Hearing Tyla spit some bars also wasn’t on our bingo card for 2025, but it’s a very nice addition to such a silky-smooth pop song. — M.C.G.
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