Seven years after her Billboard No. 1 and Grammy award-winning debut album, “Invasion of Privacy” (2018), hip-hop artist Cardi B returns with her second studio album “AM I THE DRAMA?” The record includes 23 tracks, including two of Cardi B’s old hits “WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion)” (2020) and “Up” (2021). Within an album runtime of 70 minutes, Cardi B explores her reputation, her experience with unrequited love and her self-image through explosive beats and witty lyrics with the help of contributors including Selena Gomez, Lizzo and Janet Jackson.
The album begins in the middle of a press warzone, featuring audio clips from news segments criticizing Cardi B’s private life and past mistakes in “Dead (feat. Summer Walker).” With an angelic tone, R&B Singer Summer Walker lifts the listener out of the chaos of media criticism as Cardi B laments how the media’s lies keep her up at night. In this vengeful track, Cardi B emphasizes that she is finished apologizing to and hiding from the world: “I tried to come in peace, they tore me into pieces / Now I gotta R-I-P it.” This track serves as a meaningful opener as Cardi B expresses how her intrusive thoughts about the world haunt her, which resonates in Walker’s wispy, spirit-like vocals.
This momentum builds to the second track, “Hello,” in which Cardi B makes it clear she is ready to sit on the throne of hip hip music once again, “Hello, it's me (Yeah), hello, it's me (I'm back).” In the song’s pre-chorus, Cardi B reemerges like a phoenix, embracing strength in the face of scrutiny, “It be mе, my body tea, I'm b*tches' goals, look (It be me) / It be me with my skin glowin' in the sun (It be me).” The subtle brass instrumentals behind these vocals sound like a fire alarm warning Cardi B’s enemies to watch out as she tells her story.
“Imaginary Playerz,” the album’s fifth track and fourth single, dives into more hardcore rap as Cardi B talks directly to the listener. Cardi flexes her success, status and spending to draw attention to her long road to fame: “It's really easy for me to talk this sh*t, ‘cause I live this sh*t (Why these b*tches hatin'?),” she raps. Cardi B celebrates the icon she has become, from being featured on magazine covers to Grammy wins. The lyrics are clear — if you are a critic, remember Cardi B is the Queen who revolutionized fashion and music and beware of Cardi B: “Fixin' y'all mouth to talk fashion with me / I'm the one who showed these girls what fashion could be / The first rap b*tch on the cover of Vogue.” However, this track also reveals the insecure side of Cardi B, showcasing her as a legend who feels violated by the world intruding into her private life.
The 10th track on the album, “What’s Goin On (feat. Lizzo),” is the turning point of the record’s story. With the help of Lizzo, Cardi B reaches a key epiphany in her journey to self-realization: She can live without lovers and followers who have mistreated her instead. Lizzo stands by Cardi B’s side with jazzy riffs amid an electric undercurrent of percussion and ADJ guitar licks as the two sing about learning to stand by their hopes and dreams even when lovers and critics try to hold them down, “I let sh*t slide so many times that he got comfortable (Yeah) / What's going on? / sh*t almost tore a b*tch down, see, that's what love could do.” Cardi B rises in volume and excitement as she moves on from this former version of herself: “But then you did too much and you crossed that line / Now I scream from the top of my lungs, ‘The f*ck is going on?’”
“Principal (feat. Janet Jackson)” is an electric celebration of Cardi B’s success as she balances upholding her principles, like respect and authenticity, while taking on the role of a “principal.” “You know a b*tch is badder when she raised up out the gutter,” Cardi B raps. Janet Jackson’s vocals provide a euphoric synth-pop sound as the two sing about discovering their power in the wake of their darkest moments. In “Trophies,” Cardi B raps with wit and fierce speed as she gives her final testimony to her haters, telling them there are no excuses for how people have talked about her. She comes back stronger to defy those who have tried to tear her down: “B*tches tried to gaslight me, now I'm back with kerosene.” Cardi B revels in success during this anthem of liberation and empowerment that reflects the perseverance she displays on this record.
While “AM I THE DRAMA?” addresses ideas of vengeance and redemption, the album is not about Cardi B’s critics, but is about Cardi B’s harrowing journey to find inner strength and lasting love in the face of media scrutiny and failed relationships. Even so, the album’s titular question remains relevant: Is Cardi B really the drama? If you are a hater or a critic, then the answer is probably yes. However, Cardi B makes it clear through the progression of the album’s storyline that through focusing on the things that she cares about, like her family, her career, her success and her artistry, she can prevail above the drama beneath her and the crows swirling around her, as illustrated in the album’s unapologetic cover.
Cardi B experiments with hardcore percussive beats and provocative hooks that underscore her confidence as she faces the world with a newfound resilience, proving that reinventing your story is possible. No one claps back at culture like Cardi B.
Jacob Muscolino (he/him) (28C) is a News Editor at The Emory Wheel. He is from Long Island and plans to major in History and Psychology. Outside of the Wheel, he is involved in Emory Reads and Emory Economics Review. You can often find Jacob watching the newest blockbuster for his Letterboxd, dissecting The New York Times and traveling to the next destination on his bucket list.
