Album Review: Cardi B's "Am I the Drama?"
With instant platinum status and critical acclaim, Cardi B returns to the rap game with a vengeance
After a seven-year hiatus, Cardi B returns with Am I the Drama, a record that is equal parts triumphant and vulnerable — and already a massive commercial success. Certified platinum within hours of release, the album instantly reaffirmed her status as a dominant force in rap. It’s also one of the strongest albums of the 2020s, a master class in feminizing rap without losing bite: razor-sharp disses, anthemic bravado, and emotional core tracks about Offset and identity sit alongside club bangers and melodic features. Overall, the album is a bold, dynamic, near-flawless comeback that proves Cardi can disappear for nearly a decade and still return to the top on her own terms.
Critics have largely echoed this sentiment. Rolling Stone praised the project as a “massive comeback triumph” that “made up for lost time” and reaffirmed her dominance. Variety called the album “unflinching, raw and refined,” pointing to divorce-driven tracks like Shower Tears and Magnet as some of her most affecting work. The Guardian praised her ruthless wit and musical range but noted the record occasionally drags.
Cardi showcased her growth over the past seven years by expanding her palette. Tracks like Safe showcase a softer, more reflective side, accompanied by a moody Kehlani feature that contrasts with her edgier tracks. Meanwhile, Hello feels like a mission statement — the perfect tone-setter that I think should have opened the record — and Pretty & Petty proves she’s still unmatched when sharpening her pen against opps. Even the weaker cuts, like Principal and Trophies, aren’t bad songs so much as pauses in an otherwise relentless ride.
Ultimately, Am I The Drama reasserts Cardi B as a cultural force who can balance spectacle with substance, heartbreak with humor, and bravado with vulnerability. It may not be flawless, but it doesn’t need to be. The album perfectly captures exactly why Cardi remains one of the defining voices of her generation.
Track Highlights
Favorites
ErrTime: A pure adrenaline rush and the kind of chant-ready anthem only Cardi can deliver. While not her sharpest lyrically, its booming production makes it the album’s immediate hype track. Officially my new hype song.
Hello: I personally believe this track should have opened the album. It perfectly sets the tone, reintroduces her as rap’s dominant voice and indicates the start of a new chapter.
Safe (feat. Kehlani): Kehlani’s ethereal voice perfectly offsets (no pun intended) Cardi’s intensity, creating one of the album’s most vulnerable and affecting songs. Proof that she can do intimacy as well as hype.
Pretty & Petty: Cardi’s diss tracks are always headline-worthy, and here she unloads on rivals like Bia and JT with surgical precision. Her flow is relentless and unflinching and her pen is lethal.
Man of Your Word: A standout among the divorce-inspired cuts, it blends raw emotion with sharp imagery and is surprisingly empathetic toward her ex despite his repeated infidelity.
Least Favorites
Principal: A promising concept that never fully materializes. The Janet nod feels surface-level, and the song ultimately adds little to the tracklist.
Trophies: A flex track that struggles to justify its place. Competent, but redundant next to sharper, more memorable moments.
Even these weaker cuts are more serviceable than outright missteps, making them rare lulls in a project that otherwise pushes Cardi’s artistry forward. Brava!