Seven years after her triple platinum debut “Invasion of Privacy,” South Bronx native rapper Cardi B released her sophomore studio album, “Am I the Drama?” This album comes after the rapper’s pregnancy announcement during an interview with Gayle King, revealing she is expecting her fourth child with NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
She revealed what inspired the album title during an interview with Apple Music 1, where she discussed the drama she had been in before this album. The album delivers on its title as she goes after many other artists and celebrities, including fellow rapper BIA, on the track “Pretty and Petty.”
The album starts hot with the opener “Dead.” Cardi B opens by cutting up news clips and commentary that creates a darker vibe for a song that sets the braggadocious and reflective tone that Cardi B uses throughout the whole album.
R&B artist Summer Walker’s vocals add a nice touch to the vibe of the song. Walker makes her appearance pay off. The song also finishes on a unique vocal part some fans theorized was an artificially intelligent version of R&B artist SZA, but it was confirmed to be Summer Walker’s vocals pitched higher.
Songs such as “Hello” and “Bodega Baddie” bring high energy and fun vibes as Cardi B raps about herself and her status. Verses in “Hello” reflect her confident energy as every line kicks off with, “It be me.” “Hello” feels like a victory lap to start the album off as Cardi B announces her dominance and place in the rap world.
“Bodega Baddie” has Cardi B reconnecting with her roots in the Bronx and Dominican heritage with Spanish lines such as “Tú sabes que yo soy la más sexy del Bronx,” which translates to “you know I’m the sexiest in the Bronx.” The reggaeton track helps to capture the swagger Cardi B displays on the track.
These songs have the classic Cardi B energy, but with a sense of maturity and claims she can back up with her dominance over the charts over the past 7 years.
The first half of the album also has songs like “Magnet” and “Imaginary Playerz” where Cardi B disses her adversaries. The second verse of “Magnet” seems to be directed at Florida and former City Girl rapper JT, with whom Cardi B has a complex history that dates back to 2018 when they collaborated on the song “Twerk.” The latter, which was one of the lead singles for the album, draws inspiration from the 1997 Jay-Z track that carries the same name. She goes after names like Nicki Minaj and BIA, as well as more digs at JT.
The middle of the album shifts the stylistic tone with a slower three-song run of “Man Of Your Word,” “What’s Goin On” and “Shower Tears.” These songs are about her ex-husband and fellow rapper Offset, with whom she had a publicly tumultuous relationship over the years. The two officially divorced in 2024. She sings about Offset’s many cheating allegations and her getting back with him despite those, expressing regret at those decisions, “Last time you f---ed up, said I was done / F---ed up again, I took you back, s---, I was dumb.”
That run about Offset is contrasted with two songs about her current partner, Stefon Diggs, “Safe” and “On My Back.” Cardi B shared in an interview Diggs makes her feel “very safe.” She launched “Safe” in that same interview, and it reflects her statements about Diggs; the lyrics “I’m feelin’ right at home, safe in your arms, baby, comе hold me down” are reminiscent of her interviews. Although Cardi B has not explicitly stated “On My Back” is about Diggs, the line “I said now come run a route in this p----, spike the ball / End zone, touchdown in this p----,” seems to hint the song was written about Diggs.
Cardi B finishes up the new songs on the album with the track “Killin’ You Hoes,” which slows down to a darker beat like the first track “Dead.” It serves as a nice endpoint for the album, as Cardi reflects on the themes of the album and flexes her status at the top of the female rap world, seemingly shooting some shots at Nicki Minaj, “I say her whole name, I’ll just be doin’ charity.”
The final two songs on the album are ones that Cardi B has previously released, her 2021 chart topper “Up” and 2020 smash hit “WAP.” This drew some initial negativity when the tracklist was announced, which caused her to take to X earlier this year in June to address. She explained, “they deserve a home.” She even addressed some critics’ potential complaints about artificial stream inflation sharing in that same post, “These two songs don’t even count for first week sales.”
Seven years after her first album, with her name mostly filling headlines with drama, amid the occasional hit like “WAP” or “Up,” Cardi B has delivered a phenomenal album. This album offers the classic Cardi B sound, featuring songs like “ErrTime” and “Principal,” while incorporating vulnerability into the middle tracks.
Although many artists avoid going for something as hyper confident as Cardi B has gone for on their sophomore album, Cardi B was able to play out swagger. This album captures everything people expect Cardi B to bring in her songs, but the vulnerability and new takes on beats show a clear growth over her hiatus. Cardi B has returned with a well-crafted album, effectively addressing and incorporating the drama and sharing openly about her emotions in both her current and former relationships.
