It’s been over seven years since Bronx sensation Cardi B exploded onto the scene with her electrifying debut, “Invasion of Privacy.” That album was a confident, hit-packed declaration of her unique style, solidifying her as a superstar and making her the first solo female artist to snag a Grammy for Best Rap Album. Despite its swift creation following her massive breakout hit “Bodak Yellow,” its urgency was a key part of its charm. Cardi’s candid tales of newfound wealth (“just checked my account, turns out I’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich!”) and her infectious flow painted a vibrant picture of overnight stardom.
While Cardi has kept busy through the 2020s dropping sharp singles and delivering memorable (and sometimes less so) collaborations with artists like Megan Thee Stallion, and making impactful guest appearances, a follow-up album from Belcalis Almánzar, now 32, took a significant amount of time. Citing creative struggles, she also navigated a whirlwind of personal events: ending a turbulent seven-year marriage to Offset, engaging in public disputes with other female rappers, and welcoming three children. Just last week, she revealed she’s expecting her fourth child, her first with N.F.L. star Stefon Diggs. More recently, she faced a civil trial over a 2018 incident where a security guard accused her of assault, though she was found not liable earlier this month.
Cardi’s courtroom appearances, marked by striking wigs, exaggerated expressions, and spontaneous, quotable remarks, quickly became a viral sensation. From her origins as a Vine creator and reality TV personality, she has always mastered the art of the shareable moment, skillfully blending music and meme culture. In essence, her dramatic testimony served as the most compelling preview for her fiercely anticipated second album, “Am I the Drama?” She even capitalized on this by releasing various “Courtroom Editions” of the album, adorned with images from her time on the stand.
The album’s second track, the lively and confident “Hello,” perfectly illustrates Cardi’s ability to thrive in that unique space where news headlines transform into musical hits. Its title cleverly references a standout moment from her trial: “Because I’m pregnant … Hello?” With her distinctive vocal delivery, capable of turning even mundane words into catchy phrases, Cardi makes a straightforward yet powerful reintroduction on this track with an insistent hook: “Hello? It’s me.”
Across 23 tracks that swing between moments of brilliance and occasional repetition, Cardi explores various facets of her persona. She’s provocatively sensual on the explicit “On My Back,” featuring Lourdiz; vulnerably heartbroken on “Shower Tears,” one of two collaborations with R&B artist Summer Walker; and extravagantly boastful on tracks like the powerful “ErrTime,” where she raps, “I’m somewhere on the Amalfi Coast, tannin’ somewhere naked.” However, Cardi truly comes alive when channeling her fiercest, most vengeful side, a theme powerfully set on the menacing opening track, “Dead.” Here, she delivers a sharp warning: “I’m collecting body bags like they purses, I don’t even rap no more, I drive hearses.”
While Cardi subtly alludes to her adversaries on the sharply crafted “Magnet,” she confronts them head-on in “Pretty & Petty.” This track is an unbridled, furious diss aimed directly at rapper Bia, who previously challenged Cardi with the 2024 track “Sue Meee?” Cardi’s wit shines brightest when she’s taking down a rival, and she’s in top form here, unleashing playground-style taunts and delightfully absurd jabs, like “look, meatball, you Italian.” Even when the beat fades, her verbal assault continues (“told you, don’t ever mention my kids”), resembling a boxer who refuses to quit long after the bell has rung.
Much like many albums that face long delays (and those with a sprawling list of producers), “Am I the Drama?” exhibits a somewhat scattershot approach, and not every moment lands perfectly. Its predecessor, the concise 13-track “Invasion of Privacy,” offered a more focused statement. In the latter half of “Drama,” songs like “Check Please” and the Tyla-featuring “Nice Guy” feel like recycled ideas. Guest appearances from Selena Gomez on the generic “Pick It Up” and Janet Jackson (seemingly just a sample on the unremarkable “Principal”) come across as unnecessary. The album’s nadir is “What’s Goin On,” a confused breakup anthem that squanders some of Cardi’s most heartfelt lyrics on a truly questionable concept: Lizzo’s expletive-laden rendition of the 4 Non Blondes hit “What’s Up.”
Nevertheless, at its finest, “Am I the Drama?” brilliantly showcases why Cardi B remains an utterly captivating and charismatic figure, even when she dials back the intensity.
The album’s emotional core, “Man of Your World,” features Cardi candidly reflecting on her failed marriage against a sparse, melancholic steel drum beat. With a nuanced vocal delivery, she transitions from initial anger to a poignant sense of forgiveness, rhyming: “I really hope you find love, I hope you find a good spirit / I hope she satisfy your needs and everything that I didn’t.” It’s truly a dramatic and impactful confession.
Cardi B
“Am I the Drama?”
(Atlantic)