Cardi B signals Shift in Persona with New Album, ‘Am I Teh Drama?’
LOS ANGELES, CA – Cardi B is embracing a darker aesthetic and a more assertive attitude as she prepares to release her highly anticipated second studio album, Am I The Drama? The rapper’s recent artistic choices, including unsettling imagery and a defiant tone, suggest a significant departure from the comparatively bright and conciliatory approach of her 2018 debut, Invasion of privacy.
This shift comes as Cardi B navigates a new phase in her career, signaling a willingness to engage more directly with critics and rivals.The album’s rollout has been marked by symbolism often associated with endings - most notably the prominent use of crows – and a willingness to shed the persona of humility she previously cultivated. For fans and industry observers alike, the question is whether this transformation will translate into a new sound and a renewed competitive edge.
During a recent interview with Zane lowe on Apple Music, Cardi B explained the source of this evolving energy, stating, “I really like to do my things very colorful. I’m a very colorful person.But it’s just like this past year, I feel like something kind of was dying in me.” She elaborated that this “something” was her inclination towards avoiding conflict.
“My humbleness, me trying so much to be unproblematic, me trying to avoid drama, avoid the disses, avoid the btches, avoid the talks, it’s like that sht is dying, that’s dying out in me,” Cardi B revealed. “As I’m really about to show you, btch, that you are not fcking with me.”
The rapper’s embrace of a more combative stance was further emphasized when she declared her “cockiness” had been reborn. “It’s like,’Oh,just ignore it,be the bigger person.’ That sht is dying. Now it’s like I feel like I gave y’all too much grace to think that y’all could fck with me. And it’s like that sht is dead,btch. Now I’m going to embrace that.”
Cardi B concluded with a direct challenge to those who may seek to oppose her, stating, “You wanted that, btch. Now I’m going to give it to you,” and adding, “And I hope you could take it when I motherfcking give it to y’all.”
The visual language surrounding Am I The Drama? has also reflected this shift. Last month, at the Schiaparelli Paris Couture Week show, cardi B arrived carrying a live crow as an accessory, a striking image that amplified the album’s thematic undertones. am I The Drama? is slated for release on an unspecified date.
