Cardi B on Friday posted a short video in which she portrayed a struggling artist selling CDs on a New York subway to promote her upcoming album Am I The Drama, prompting mixed reaction from fans on social media.
In the clip, the 32-year-old Grammy winner walks into a sparsely populated subway car wearing white joggers, a black hoodie pulled over long red hair and black slide sandals. "Good evening everybody, I'm trying to sell these CDs, I'm trying to change my life around," she says as she moves through the car, at one point telling a passenger, "If you could please buy my new album, Am I The Drama, $9.99." The skit includes the line "7 more days until I find out if I’m going to lose my home," and ends with the performer urging viewers to "buy my album to help me save it." The video also captures a rat scurrying through the station, briefly interrupting the action.
The post drew sharply divided responses online. Some commenters described the stunt as embarrassing and desperate. "This is so embarrassing... she looks homeless," one user wrote on X, and another posted, "Cardi B's subway stunt for 'AM I THE DRAMA?' is just another desperate cry for attention. Real artists don't need to stoop this low." Other critics called the approach "desperation at its finest."
Supporters defended the rollout as inventive marketing, saying the unusual tactics have generated conversation and attention. One X user called the strategy "GENIUS," praising the decision to take promotion outside typical channels. "All the haters in the comments prove that the rollout strategy that y'all are all hating on, IS WORKING," another user wrote, adding that the campaign could influence other artists.
The Instagram skit comes as Cardi B prepares to release Am I The Drama on Sept. 19. The record will be her first full-length album since 2018's Invasion of Privacy. The rapper recently prevailed in a civil assault trial in which a jury awarded her $24 million, according to court reporting.
Cardi B has publicly denied that she is struggling financially, but the promotional footage and its self-referential lines alluding to possible housing loss touched on persistent tabloid coverage and rumors about her finances following her separation from ex-husband Offset. Media reports have said Offset faces financial difficulties and has been accused in some reports of owing unpaid taxes; neither artist has confirmed the specifics of those claims in connection with the skit.
The promotional clip continues a pattern in Cardi B's current campaign of using offbeat public moments and social-media-driven content to draw attention to the new era. Fans and critics alike noted that the stunt — staged in a crowded public setting and designed for shareability — has succeeded in generating conversation about the album.
Am I The Drama is scheduled for release Sept. 19. The Instagram post and accompanying skit remain accessible on Cardi B's account, where viewers have continued to react and share clips across platforms.