Grammy-winning rapper Cardi B is offering a candid reflection on her public persona and her long-standing association with “drama” as she prepares to release her much-anticipated new album, Am I the Drama?. The album’s title itself is a bold nod to her reputation as one of the most outspoken and unapologetic figures in the music industry.
In an exclusive interview with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, set to air Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Cardi B, born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar in the Bronx, explained that her personality and the energy she brings to the world often make her a magnet for controversy. “When you have, like, a big personality like me or when you have, like, a mouth like me or whatever aura that I give, it will follow you,” she said. “’Cause it makes you like an easier target.”
Despite her history of being at the center of high-profile headlines, Cardi pushed back on the notion that she actively seeks out conflict or thrives on it. “No, I don’t [like drama],” she clarified. “Sometimes certain things just follow certain people.”
The rapper, known for chart-topping hits such as Bodak Yellow and I Like It, acknowledged that her image as someone who courts controversy has often overshadowed her artistry. With this new album, she appears ready to confront that narrative directly. She admitted that the constant swirl of public drama has not been without consequences. Many of the situations, she said, bring significant stress and emotional weight, even though her bold public persona often gives the impression she is unaffected.
The theme of drama has been part of Cardi B’s identity for years, long before her rise to global superstardom. She revealed during the interview that her reputation for being outspoken stretches back to her teenage years. In fact, she was even voted “most dramatic” in her high school yearbook, a label she found surprising at the time. “I didn’t think I was that much drama,” she said, laughing at the irony of how that perception has only grown as her career flourished.
Cardi B’s upcoming project, Am I the Drama?, is being seen by fans and industry observers as both a reclamation and a redefinition of the narrative that has followed her. By embracing the term that has often been used to describe her, she may be signaling that she intends to own her image on her own terms, while also revealing the personal toll of constant scrutiny.
For Cardi, who rose from the streets of the Bronx to reality television fame before breaking into the music industry, “drama” has been both a burden and a driving force. Her ability to transform raw, real-life experiences into chart-topping hits has been central to her appeal. Now, as she heads into her next chapter, Cardi B is choosing to confront the very label that has defined so much of her journey, and in doing so, she may be offering her most personal work yet.
