Cardi B on Her Long-Awaited Album, Sacrificing for Her Kids & Why America Is ‘Paying for Bad Karma’

It’s well past midnight at New York’s Daylight Studio, and Cardi B is fighting to stay awake. Five hours into her Billboard photo shoot, a slight wardrobe malfunction with her black dress is prompting a quick timeout. “S–t, I got a wedgie,” she groans, dropping into her seat with a smirk. But like a true New Yorker, she toughs it out — chewing ice and cracking jokes like she’s headlining her own late-night set.

Clutching a Chick-fil-A cup, she rattles off a story about the fast-food chain botching her order. Then she seamlessly swerves into her recent social media spat with WWE’s Naomi. A couple of days earlier, Cardi had hosted SummerSlam at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium — and in the run-up to the event, she’d threatened on X to shave Naomi’s head and use her hair as a wig. “I just be talking s–t because I know these b–ches can really fight,” she gags, eyes gleaming.

Cardi’s jokes and swagger never clock out. But behind the antics, she’s focused — and eager to reassert her hip-hop dominance. Seven years after her Grammy Award-winning, multiplatinum-selling, culture-shifting debut, Invasion of Privacy, she’s finally ready to launch her next act with her long-awaited second album, Am I the Drama?

“I’m really one of those artists that people ask for their albums the most every year,” Cardi says matter-of-factly. “I wouldn’t be confident if nobody asked me for my s–t. Imagine nobody asking for an album of yours? Imagine nobody asking for your music? That’s why I’m so confident.”

She has only released one album, but Cardi B already boasts a Hip-Hop Hall of Fame-caliber résumé. She became the first female rapper to win best rap album at the 2019 Grammys. She has five Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s and 13 top 10 hits. She’s also the first female artist to have every track on an album certified platinum or higher by the RIAA.

Along the way, Cardi evolved into one of music’s most sought-after collaborators, partnering with pop giants Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 for Hot 100 chart-toppers, as well as hip-hop upstarts such as Latto and GloRilla.

“What’s special about Cardi is that she knows her audience, her fan base and how to stay relevant,” says Shawn Holiday, her manager at Full Stop Management. “She hasn’t put out an album in seven years, but she knows how to stay current because she knows how to do features that keep her in the marketplace.

“GloRilla was a new artist at the time [they collaborated],” he continues. “Cardi didn’t care. She was really trying to empower other females in hip-hop. It wasn’t about the money for Cardi; she did it because she loved the song and knew she could add value to it.”

While her music wins are undeniable, it’s Cardi’s triumphs outside of the studio that have solidified her legacy. Since releasing Invasion of Privacy, she has become a global brand force, securing partnerships with Fashion Nova, Reebok and Whipshots; her deal with NYX Professional Makeup culminated in a Super Bowl commercial in 2024.

It’s hard to believe, given all this enormous cultural influence, that she still has yet to embark on her own headlining tour. “A lot of people say I got comfortable because I make money, but the most money I make is when I go and do shows,” says Cardi, who tweeted in 2022 that she’d netted $1 million for a 35-minute show at a private event during Miami’s Art Basel. “I could rush and put out music like it’s nothing and then pick up millions of dollars per show, but it’s not about that. I want the music to be great. I want it to be amazing.”

Cardi will finally hit the road in February when she embarks on her first-ever headlining tour. Produced by Live Nation, the arena run will hit more than 30 North American cities through April.

“The market’s been waiting on a Cardi tour for a while, so we’re excited to be involved with her first headlining run,” says Mike G, her booking agent at UTA. “The strategy for someone who’s never headlined is first and foremost making sure she’s healthy on the road. We’re limiting the schedule to no more than four shows a week to give her the proper rest for the entire run.”

Though international demand has surged, Cardi’s immediate focus is on this U.S. leg.

“It’s like a domino effect when it comes to strategy,” Mike adds. “We’re very conscious of ticket pricing, what the market looks like and who would pay for a Cardi tour. Scaling and pricing are a very important thing for your first headlining run, but she’s been in the market for a while. We’re confident it’ll do extremely well.”

With 23 tracks set to appear on Am I the Drama?, including two Hot 100 No. 1s — 2020’s “WAP” and 2021’s “Up” — Cardi’s aiming to prove it was worth the wait. Slated for release on Sept. 19, Cardi’s second act features a tougher storyline: Expectations are sky-high, her divorce from rapper Offset is pending, she’s raising their three kids on her own and she’s navigating the new Atlantic Music Group (AMG) regime under CEO Elliot Grainge.

“Cardi B is synonymous with the excellence that has made Atlantic Records a historically significant record label,” Grainge tells Billboard. “She is a real vanguard and a groundbreaking career artist who continues to push hip-hop and popular music culture forward in surprising and inspiring ways. There is no one like her. We are fortunate to be in her orbit.”

In June, Cardi released the album’s first single, “Outside,” a trunk-rattling track where she defiantly shakes off the shackles of her marriage and steps into singlehood. The song debuted in the top 10 of the Hot 100, a reminder that even amid chaos, Cardi can still storm the charts.

But if “Outside” was Cardi coming out swinging, it’s the René & Angela-sampling “Imaginary Playerz,” released in mid-August, where her pen first draws blood. Jay-Z famously flipped the R&B duo’s 1982 single “Imaginary Playmate” for his own “Imaginary Players” in 1997, and on her version, Cardi makes the beat her own as she fires shots with sniper-like precision. “My flop and your flop is not the same/If you did my numbers, y’all would pop champagne,” she snaps.

“Cardi remains at the top of her game,” AMG COO Zach Friedman says. “She released a great record with ‘Outside,’ marking another exciting milestone for her. The entire AMG family is here to support her vision for the new album. She continues to be one of one.”

It’s 2 a.m. when Cardi finally steps off-set, the 11-hour shoot behind her. She exhales, eager to trade couture for pajamas and finally fix that pesky wedgie. These marathon days, the kind that test your patience and prove your stamina, are the grind she has been craving — the same grind that helped her become an overnight icon. Now, seven years after Invasion of Privacy forever changed the rap game, Cardi is ready to be the headline, the plot twist and the finisher all over again. This time, she’s walking straight into the drama, daring anyone to even match her smoke.

It has been seven years since Invasion of Privacy. How have you grown since then?

Since then, I’ve experienced a lot. The good and bad of fame, the hate, jealousy, drama, balancing my career with my personal life and growing up and maturing. I’ve learned to control my emotions and understand how life works and how to play chess better.

With all you’ve accomplished, what still motivates you to chase greatness?

I’m passionate about winning and everything that I do. If I’m learning something, I want to be the best I can be. I love the game, I love evolving. I don’t love listening to my own music.

Really?

No, it’s not that I don’t like it, but I’ve heard it a million times. Now I hear so many things and I’m like, “Ooh. Why do I sound like that?” So I like evolving, the way I pronounce things and the way I come up with things. I really love it.

Did you ever have a moment where you questioned whether this second album would actually come together?

Never. I always knew that I was going to drop a second album, I just didn’t have a project well put together.

My fans be like, “Oh, you should have put a project together when ‘WAP’ and ‘Up’ was out,” but I only had four records that I liked. I didn’t have an album done around that time. I’m not the kind of person that’s going to lock in in two months and complete an album. I’m very picky with my music.

But in this era, you can drop one-off singles like you did with “WAP” and “Up” and be OK.

Yeah, but I want to put out this whole project because I have a lot of songs. I recorded 60 songs. Every other day, I’m a different person, I change my mind [about everything]. My team is always like, “I hope you don’t change your mind about your songs.” I’m like, “Nope. I’m settled.”

Since you broke out, the world of talented female rappers has become more competitive than ever. How do you stay confident and clear in your lane amid all that?

So many girls come and go. They’re great, but yet [the fans are] asking for my product. Every year there’s a debate on social media about when is my album dropping. They’re not saying that about other people, so y’all need to ask them. That’s why I’m so confident.

Why do you think people are fascinated with women MCs feuding? Is there a world where everyone can coexist peacefully, or does the game thrive off competition?

No lie, these b–ches be catty. You can’t prevent a b–ch from being shady. Sometimes b–ches want to see what you’re about. They want to test you and they want to test your gangsta. A lot of the b–ches will come in this game and feel like they can challenge you. Some b–ches like to die young. In this game, you need to really know who you’re challenging.

People often refer to you, Nicki Minaj and Megan Thee Stallion as the “Big Three” women in rap. Even without an album in seven years, why do you still feel like you belong in that tier?

Because I do my job well and I take my time with my music — clearly you can see that. But it’s something you’d have to ask the fans. So many [rappers] come and go, and I’m still here. You can downplay my accent, but I put a lot of thought into my work. I don’t half-ass anything I do.

What does success look like for Am I the Drama? A No. 1? A Grammy? Or is the win just in finally delivering it?

Winning a Grammy, the most prestigious award, you can never take that from me. Everybody wants to downplay it, but everybody wants one. [But] times have changed. Success for me will be people saying, “She put out a great album.“ If [at] 3 a.m. people are talking about the album, that’s going to be success for me because people can’t wait to downplay it. I even want the people who don’t like me to be like, “Yo. That s–t is fire.” Yeah, eat your f–king fruits, n—a.

SZA said she owed you a verse for the album. Did she ever send it in?

She did not! I feel like she’s been really tired because she’s been on tour and then on top of that, I don’t know. Maybe she did do the verse. I’ve been hearing other conversations. We’ll see about that.

Can you share any features we can expect on Am I the Drama?

Nah, I don’t want to share it. (Laughs.) You just got to hear it.

What went into the decision to include “WAP” and “Up” — both several years old — on the album?

Because my fans asked for it. My fans always be like, “B–ch, you better not [leave them off the album].” My fans do not stop reminding me of the fact that I didn’t submit “WAP” for the Grammys. I’m not always going to submit [my music to the Grammys], but on top of that, people are crying about that like, “Oh, it’s about numbers.” Those two records are not going to count for the first-week numbers, which everybody cares about. So what’s the issue? [Editor’s note: Any activity generated by “WAP” and “Up” before Sept. 19, when the album is to be released, will not count toward the album’s weekly chart performance.] At the end of the day, so what, you’re going to get 21 new songs. [“WAP” and “Up”] are going to be at the end. So what you’re crying for? You really don’t care.

Other artists do the same thing. You only care because of me. If I’m really doing it for the numbers, I could put “Money” [released six months after Invasion of Privacy] because “Money” is [multiplatinum]. I could put “Press” [from 2019]. That’s platinum. Hold on, I got a lot of successful f–king records. (Laughs.)

How would you compare your relationship with Atlantic now versus when you first started in your career?

It’s a little different because there’s a lot of new people. I started off with different bosses and now I have new ones. S–t, I feel like I had a disagreement on a song with them because I didn’t really want to put it out, but it still worked out in my favor. It’s like, “Alright. Maybe I can trust y’all a little bit with that.” It’s never like, “Oh, I hate my label. I’m [bumping heads] with my label,” and stuff like that. As long as y’all give me my budget, I’m happy. It is a little sad not being with the same people that you started off with, but the new bosses, they’re cool. They’re young. They get it. You just have to have conversations with people and go directly to them. Be direct, say what you want, be direct to me and that’s just that. We’re good.

Your connection to fans, especially through Spaces on X or Instagram Live, has always been strong. How much did those bonds keep your spirit up through the album process?

We have a relationship where I love them. Just like how you love your family and friends, you are going to get into arguments with them. They could be a little bit annoying, like, “Aight. Now y’all doing too much,” but I really love them. They can be therapeutic. It’s so weird because I have somebody new in my life and explaining that type of relationship to my fans [can be weird], but they know me. And I know them. I don’t go by people’s approvals, but I do take my fans’ approval for certain things into consideration. It’s kind of weird. If they don’t like something or somebody, I want them to like them, but it’s like, “Why do I care? Why do I want my fans’ approval?” But that’s because they care about me a lot.

You’ve built one of the strongest feature runs in rap. In your eyes, what makes a Cardi B verse so special?

First, I got to really like the song. Second, even if I like the song and I don’t hear myself on it, I’ll literally tell an artist, “I don’t want to ruin your song.” If I do it, it’s because I feel very confident. I’m going to put my 100% on it. If you’re putting me on your stuff, I’m going to show love to it. I’m not just going to be like, “Oh, here’s the record,” promote it for one day and goodbye. I really put my all in it and if I can’t do it, I’m going to tell you straight up, I can’t.

You’ve never officially hit the road for a full tour. What would a Cardi B tour look and feel like?

I know I’m a good performer. Well, am I? No, I’m great. I’m actually really great because I was a stripper. (Laughs.) But no, I think my personal tour is not going to be like any other performances that I’ve ever had. From the aesthetics to the look to even the way I perform, I’m going to be doing things that I don’t normally do, like work out, because I want to be the best. I’ve been going to so many different tours. I went to the Madonna show and the Beyoncé show. I can’t perform like Beyoncé, but you can’t half-ass nothing.

You know Beyoncé doesn’t drink water onstage, right? If she does, it’s only a sip.

Yeah, but I got asthma. My fans know I got asthma. They know I’m going to have to take a water break, but I’m going to give it my all. I always say this: I have two left feet, but I’m going to have to get a fake leg. A right one because I’m going to give it my all. This is going to be one of the greatest tours. I’m going to make it the best.

What about the Super Bowl? Is performing at halftime something you see in your future?

Of course. I got asked to do the Super Bowl and I denied it. I feel like soon, if I get to do it, I’m going to have more hits. I’m going to be more experienced and I’m going to eat that up.

Since Invasion of Privacy, you’ve become a ­mother of three. How has motherhood shaped you?

It turned me into a real woman. I was like, “What makes a woman? Her body? Her cooking?” It’s her maturity and her thinking. If I didn’t have kids, I wouldn’t sacrifice so much. This summer, I haven’t even put my feet in a pool. I do everything for my kids. I’m the only provider and you know what? Ain’t no complaining about it. I love them so much and they ground me. Sometimes I be so exhausted and it’s not even about work, it’s just life. If you think when you get rich you’re going to stop working, you’re never going to stop working. My mom used to be a freakin’ cashier and she used to work every single day. To this day, I still talk about how hard my mom worked. I had a very rough childhood, but my mom always made sure we ain’t go to no shelter. I want my kids to be like, “My mom made sure I had everything that I wanted.”

Friendship has always been at the core of your relationship with Offset. Despite the ups and downs, do you envision a lasting friendship with him?

I tried. Next question.

You’re dating NFL star Stefon Diggs. Was it tough at first to not only date again, but go public, especially with someone who’s also in the spotlight?

It was very tough, but it is what it is. It’s tough hiding. It’s tough dating in your 30s, too, but I like him. I love him, today. (Laughs.) I was always scared of dating people [because] I’ve always been in a long relationship since I was like 21.

How has he inspired you to be a better version of yourself creatively or personally?

Personally, I’ll never complain about my job or about lack of sleep. I’m not superdisciplined. I don’t really have a sleep schedule. I don’t ever like to map out my day. I don’t even like to schedule my month. It just overwhelms me. The one thing I’ve been learning is to be more organized and not complain.

He has to do two different things: learn his playbook and get physical. He has to be in bed at a certain time and wake up at a certain time. I’m like, “Oh, my gosh. You’re literally in the military. You really work hard.” I work hard, but I can take a little break. I can lay back and I don’t have to be running, but it’s very inspirational to see how hard somebody works. It’s just like, “Wow. You should be proud of yourself.”

You’ve inspired a generation of new female rappers. Do you see yourself as a mentor now, and is that a role you embrace?

Have your ever read [Sister Souljah’s novel] The Coldest Winter Ever? (Laughs.) At the end of the book, the main character, Winter, was in jail. She cut a b–ch — or some s–t like that — then they let her out to go to her mom’s funeral. She saw her sister going in her same footsteps and wanted to give her advice. Before she gave her advice she was like, “You know what? F–k it. Let her go through what I went through. Let her learn on her own.” Sometimes you got to let b–ches learn on their own. I have to because there were so many b–ches that I’ve sat down and given advice from the heart. Like, if I see people bullying you because of whatever the f–k, I’m going to go in your DMs and give you advice. But sometimes I got to really hold myself [back] and say, “No, b–ch. Don’t do it,” because these b–ches turned their backs on me, f–ked my man, talked about me and somebody told me about it.

After your first album, you became a force in fashion, beauty and branding. How intentional was that?

Fashion is something I really love. I love clothes. I love style. I like putting things together well. I have an amazing team and we always get a thrill about putting amazing outfits [together]. It’s really a sport to us. Even when it gets intense, like this Fashion Week that just passed. We were always arguing. There were tears shed, but we loved those end results so much. This is why we do it all the time. The lack of sleep, the disagreements [happen], but at the end, I look like a doll and people say I look amazing.

When it comes to branding, if you’re going to put something out, it has to be the best. Imagine somebody f–king you on the first date. They f–ked you but it’s not the best p—y they ever had? You want people to say that’s the best p—y they ever had. You don’t want to give people drunk p—y. Drunk p—y is good, but what happens when you’re not drunk? It’s not good. I want it to be good all the time.

You’ve always immersed yourself in politics. Is that something that you hope to pass down to your kids when they get older?

Yes, please! I hope they take that trait from me. You always have to be aware of what’s happening to the world and what’s happened before, because things really do repeat themselves. Maybe not something drastic like a world war, slavery or the Holocaust, but there’s always shady s–t going on. I just want them to always be aware of what’s going on and what could happen. But there’s something about politics that gets me in a rabbit hole. I remember wanting to say something so bad this week, but I was like, “I can’t.”

You bit your tongue?

I have to bite my tongue. I really, really had to bite my tongue, but you know the reason why I’ve been so silent about politics? It’s because when I used to complain the past four years, I know for a fact that people watch my stuff. I know it. I know the White House watches my stuff. I have a big platform. I know they listen to what I say. I might not say it the prettiest way, but I know they listen to what I’m saying. There’s a president that knows I’ve never supported him and it’s like if I say something, he’s not going to care. I tried to give people warnings and it is what it is. What I can do? What I can say?

There was a time when I said I wasn’t voting for nobody. Everybody’s doing shady s–t. I was like, you know what? I had to pick the lesser evil. People thought it was funny. People made fun of my accent. People made fun of my speech [at a Kamala Harris rally days before the 2024 presidential election]. I was, “Aight. Y’all gonna see what’s funny.” S–t ain’t funny right now, isn’t it? It’s really tough out here. S–t is really rough out here for everybody. I tried to warn ya.

All I’m going to say is America is in a very bad place. No matter who’s in charge, it’s going to stay like that because we’re paying for bad karma. Why [are we] paying for bad karma? Because we have been involved in something morally illegal, morally that God hates, morally that is disgusting. I’m not going to speak about it. Y’all should know why. All I’m going to say is we’re going to be paying for a very long time because there’s no bigger leader than God. We’ve been doing immoral stuff. We’ve been supporting and endorsing immoral, evil things. Not one person is going to pay for it; the whole country is going to pay for it.

If you could pick one word to title this chapter in your life, what word would that be and why?

At first, I was going to say “confusing.”

How so?

It felt like a reset. Maybe that’s the word. I’m resetting again in my career. I took a break and I’m about to go back again. I’m about to be heavy on tour and I haven’t been heavy on the road in a long time. That’s a reset there. Then, it’s a reset on my personal life. The last time I was on the road, I had one kid. Now I have three kids. I was married, now I’m getting a divorce. I’m dating. It’s a reset on everything. Sometimes I feel like I’m 20 again. I shouldn’t feel like I’m 20. I should be feeling like I’m in my 30s and I’m settled, but I don’t feel as settled. I feel like I’m redoing things and relearning again in every aspect of life. Career and personal. So I guess we should say a reset.

This story appears in the Aug. 30, 2025, issue of Billboard.