Key Takeaways:
- Cardi B’s second album, Am I the Drama?, is set to drop on Sept. 19.
- Cardi says the project marks the death of her old self and the rise of a bolder, unfiltered version.
Cardi B is done being humble and instead embracing the drama. The Bronx rapper says her sophomore album, Am I the Drama?, is a “big, big project” that signifies a new era of her sound and how she deals with haters.
On Friday (June 27), she hopped on X Spaces and addressed discourse about her single, “Outside,” accusations that the rollout for her music is backed by gimmicks, and more. The LP has been held up by delays and finally received a Sept. 19 release date on Monday (June 23). During her candid message to supporters, she revealed that the name of the forthcoming body of work was inspired by the never-ending conversations surrounding her craft and personal life.
She expressed, “Why did I name my album Am I the Drama? is very f**king obvious. It’s very obvious. I’m a f**king topic. It’s been seven f**king years, I’m still relevant for a reason. Whether I'm in my bed, whether I’m asleep, whether I’m talking, [or] whether I’m opening my mouth, it’s pure drama. Like, come on now, I graduated as [the] most dramatic. I was voted [the] most dramatic in high school. It just makes f**king sense … It speaks for itself,” the “Bodak Yellow” artist said.
Furthermore, the diamond-certified hitmaker made it known that she is in control of her artistic vision, not label executives or fans who sometimes eagerly suggest what her next move should be. “Nobody can pick how I want to represent myself,” said Cardi. She continued to affirm that it’s been that way since her debut album, “When I picked Invasion of Privacy, I picked Invasion of Privacy because… I was pregnant, [and] I just started dealing with fame, so everybody was in my face. Seven years later, I picked Am I the Drama? because, it’s like, godd**n, I’m always in some f**king s**t whether I avoid it or not.”
Cardi B reveals the meaning and visuals behind her second album, Am I the Drama?
Cardi disclosed that some album artwork was shot in 2024 and that a different title was chosen, but in about six months, her life changed and caused a shift with the project. “I feel like something died in me,” she told those gathered in the X Space. That symbolism is depicted on the cover, where she posed with crows and ravens as dark, dreary, storm-like clouds filled the backdrop. “It represents loss, but it also represents strength,” she explained of the imagery.
Among those changes was choosing to block out the noise of critics and her tumultuous marriage to Offset. She filed for divorce from the Migos member in July 2024. She announced her third pregnancy around the same time. Their daughter, Blossom, joined big sister Kulture and big brother Wave in September.
“That s**t, like, 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 continued, “I’m reborn again, and this time I ain’t taking s**t from nobody.”
With Am I the Drama?, Cardi is no longer running away from the drama — she’s shutting it down.