Cardi B celebrated a Galore magazine cover shoot on Tuesday evening, turning heads in a plunging red dress as she partied with friends that included Diddy’s daughters D'Lila Star Combs and Jessie James Combs.
The 32-year-old rapper wore a red bandage dress with zipper detailing, styled with strappy gold heels, bangles and statement drop earrings. The Combs twins, both 18, attended in matching red mini dresses trimmed with feathers at the neckline and fluffy black heels, and several other celebrities were present, including "Orange Is the New Black" actor Dascha Polanco, singer Amerie and television personality Natalie Nunn.
The event celebrated Cardi’s appearance on the cover of Galore, an American title that covers fashion, beauty, entertainment and culture. The party comes as Cardi continues to promote her new album, Am I The Drama?, due Sept. 19, and to sell limited-edition releases tied to her recent civil trial.
Earlier in the week, Cardi posted video of herself selling copies of Am I The Drama? on a New York sidewalk, displaying CDs and vinyl variants on a blanket. "My label said I gotta get out in these streets and sell this album," she wrote alongside the clip posted to X and Instagram, and can be heard shouting the $9.99 price to passersby as she waved incense.
Cardi has also issued a so-called "courtroom edition" of the album, featuring alternate covers made from images taken during the trial. The edition is available for pre-order on her website in several formats, including a $10 CD and a vinyl version priced at $39.98, the label said.
The marketing push follows a high-profile civil assault trial in Los Angeles in which a jury found in Cardi’s favor. The jury cleared Cardi of claims related to an alleged 2018 incident in which she was accused of spitting on and striking a security guard and of causing facial injury. The lawsuit, filed in 2020, sought $24 million.
Cardi spoke with reporters after the verdict, characterizing the experience as difficult and warning against frivolous lawsuits. "The next person to try to do a frivolous lawsuit against me, I’m going to counter sue and I’m going to make you pay," she said. Cardi maintained she did not touch the claimant, saying, "Even if I'm at my death bed, I swear to God, I will say it at my death bed — I did not touch that woman." The claimant said she was disappointed with the outcome.
The trial attracted attention beyond testimony, with media coverage noting Cardi’s courtroom fashion and demeanor during proceedings. The rapper has used images and moments from the trial in her promotional rollout, a move that drew widespread comment on social media. Fans responded enthusiastically to the sidewalk sale and the courtroom-edition merchandise, with many posting praise and amusement on Instagram.
Cardi’s rollout for Am I The Drama? has mixed conventional promotion with viral-leaning stunts. In recent days she posted a social media video promoting a new single and marked the end of the trial by sharing celebratory posts online. The album release remains scheduled for Sept. 19.
At the Galore celebration, guests gathered for an evening that combined fashion, entertainment and the ongoing publicity surrounding Cardi’s legal victory and album campaign. The event underscored how the rapper has woven recent personal and legal headlines into her promotional strategy while continuing to engage directly with fans through unconventional marketing tactics.