Key Takeaways
- Cardi B reimagines JAY-Z’s 1997 track “Imaginary Player” into an updated anthem flexing on her opps with her signature style.
- The video showcases couture fashion and private jet scenes that match the song’s luxury themes.
- Fans have declared that Cardi B is back as excitement ramps up for her new album, Am I the Drama?
Bardi Gang is praising Cardi B for delivering old-school Hip Hop vibes with her new single “Imaginary Playerz” from her forthcoming album, Am I the Drama? The Bronx princess released the song on Friday (Aug. 15) along with a video to remind haters that rapping about luxury and living it are two entirely different experiences. In her own words, “It's really easy for me to talk this s**t, ’cause I live this s**t, I just gotta make it rhyme.”
She takes a big swing at reimagining a Hip Hop classic — JAY-Z’s “Imaginary Player,” from his 1997 album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1. The diamond-certified hitmaker originally planned to launch her sophomore album with this single, but clearance delays and fan demand for “Outside” led her to switch gears in June.
With “Imaginary Playerz,” Cardi delivers elevated bars that pull no punches and, at times, mirror HOV’s energy with a Bardi twist. On it, she spits bars like, “My flop and your flop is not the same/ If you did my numbers, y’all would pop champagne/ If I did your numbers, I would hop out a plane/ Suicide if I fall from the distance ‘tween you and I/ They gotta be kidding, whatever they smokin’ on, it gotta be hitting.”
The energy of the visual matches that vibe as well. The video features scenes of her lying on the wing of a private jet and jaw-dropping moments in her 2025 Paris Haute Couture Week ensembles. The new music and visual drop have the internet buzzing with reactions. Check out a few of them below.
Everything we know about Am I the Drama?
For starters, “Imaginary Playerz” is track No. 5, and the summer anthem “Outside” is track No. 12 of 23. The “Bodak Yellow” superstar tacked on “Up” and “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. The long-awaited follow-up to Invasion of Privacy promises a different version of Cardi — one without gimmicks and with a thirst for revenge.
“Being the bigger person, that s**t died… The old me is dead. The old, nice Cardi letting y’all live, letting y’all breathe, ignoring shade — that s**t is dead. All of that died last year, and that’s why Am I The Drama?... I'm gonna give you that… The humble me is dead,” she promised during a June X Space. Am I the Drama? rolls out on Friday (Sept. 19).
Cardi B is making some really bold statements from the direction of her new project to flexing on “Imaginary Playerz.” From lyrical jabs to couture visuals, she’s reminding the world that her reign is far from over. In fact, she is entering a chapter that is packing a bigger punch.