Cardi B sells new album 'Am I The Drama?' on New York streets ahead of release
Courtesy: AFP via Getty Images
Cardi B surprised fans in New York City on Saturday, September 6, by personally selling copies of her upcoming album Am I The Drama? ahead of its September 19 release. According to Sportskeeda, the rapper — whose real name is Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar — was seen on the pavement with vinyls, CDs, and posters displayed on a black cloth, alongside incense sticks.
My label said I gotta get out in these streets and sell this album 😩 https://t.co/C2BtBw8lFQ pic.twitter.com/j6u7CypOIk
The Bronx-born artist shared footage of the moment on social media, captioning it: “My label said I gotta get out in these streets and sell this album.” The unusual promotion immediately drew comparisons to early mixtape culture. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “She’s hustling like it’s 2008 mixtape days. Respect the grind.” Others, however, mocked the move, suggesting it reflected low sales projections.
Most merchandise for Am I The Drama? is also available online through Cardi’s official store, including multiple cover art editions and a “Courtroom Edition.” The collection references her recent civil lawsuit, in which she was accused of assault and battery in 2018 but was later cleared in court.
The upcoming album follows her Grammy-winning 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy. In an interview with Billboard earlier this month, Cardi reflected on how much she has changed over the past seven years, pointing to the challenges of fame, personal growth, and learning to “play chess better” in the industry. She emphasized that while commercial performance matters, her true measure of success is critical acclaim: “Success for me will be people saying, ‘She put out a great album.’”
Am I The Drama? will also feature fan-favorite singles such as WAP and Up, along with Imaginary Playerz, her interpretation of Jay-Z’s 1997 track Imaginary Players.