Cardi B knows how to make noise! Just two weeks out from the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album, "Am I the Drama?," the Grammy-winning rapper is proving that no stage is too big or too small when it comes to promotion. On Saturday, September 6, she turned a Manhattan sidewalk into her own playful pop-up record shop, and fans are eating it up.
In a video posted to Instagram, Cardi sets the scene with a black sheet spread across the pavement, stacked with various editions of her upcoming album, including vinyls, CDs, and even a so-called “Courtroom Edition.” Dressed down but never out of style, she rocked a black hoodie, a Rastacap, and waved burning incense sticks while Bob Marley’s "One Love" blasted in the background.
Then came the show: “$9.99! You got $50 right here. $20! $9.99 for the new ones!” Cardi yelled with the conviction of a true New York street vendor, slipping effortlessly into character. She captioned the post with her signature wit. “My label said I gotta get out in these streets and sell this album.”
Fellow Artists Join the Fun
The clip quickly caught fire online, not just with fans but with Cardi’s peers. Diplo dropped into the comments joking, “I bought fourty.” Kehlani, amused by the matching hoodie moment, wrote, “lmao sick hoodie twin.” Rising star Tyla kept it short and sweet with a simple, “Girl 😂.”
Cardi’s knack for humor and authenticity once again showed why she remains one of the most relatable and entertaining figures in music.
'Am I the Drama?' Drops September 19
The sidewalk stunt is just the latest in Cardi’s ramp-up to the September 19 release of "Am I the Drama?," a 23-track powerhouse that will include her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smashes "WAP" (2020) and "Up" (2021). Fans have been clamoring for new music ever since her 2018 debut "Invasion of Privacy" reshaped the rap landscape, and Cardi knows the pressure is real.
In her recent Billboard cover story, she addressed that exact anticipation. “I’m really one of those artists that people ask for their albums the most every year. I wouldn’t be confident if nobody asked me for my s—t. Imagine nobody asking for your music? That’s why I’m so confident,” she said.
A Big Month for Cardi B
This grassroots promo moment also capped off a massive week for Cardi. Just days earlier, she received the 2025 Billboard Impact of the Year Award at the R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players event in Brooklyn, solidifying her influence not only as a hitmaker but as a cultural force.
A Los Angeles jury also cleared the Grammy-winning rapper of all liability in a $24 million lawsuit filed by Emani Ellis, who worked as a security guard at a Beverly Hills medical building where Cardi B’s obstetrician’s office was located.
Days after celebrating her kids' birthdays, Cardi attended the VMAs 2025 after party hosted at the Raising Cane's event. Dressed in black, Cardi performed her smash hit song "Up," in front of Kevin Hart, Carlos Alcaraz, Jamie Foxx, and Lenny Kravitz.