In 2018, it seemed like Cardi B had taken over the world. You couldn’t go more than four steps without hearing “Bodak Yellow” or “I Like It,” and Cardi was appearing on every radio station, television talk show, and seemingly every third commercial. Now, in 2025, music fans are feeling déjà vu as the Bronx rapper once again went into full-on media takeover mode to promote her new album, Am I The Drama?.
Whether she was selling CDs on a subway platform, filming promo videos in the trains (or PSAs for the stations), or popping up at your favorite podcasts and talk shows to reveal her secret pregnancy, Cardi demanded your attention — and her efforts paid off. Her YouTube views surged by 484%, she added 1.8 million new TikTok followers, and 727,000 new monthly listeners on Spotify. The newfound attention even rubbed off on sponsors and business partners like Fashion Nova, Fenty Beauty, and NYX, cosmetic and fashion brands with which she’s been linked throughout her career.
The result of Cardi’s cultural takeover was her second No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart, making her the only female rapper in history to debut her first two albums at the top of the chart. She even broke a Guinness World Record for “most signed items sold in 8 hours” thanks to a promotion at a Cypress, Texas Walmart, with 2,463 CDs and vinyl records signed by Cardi sold across four versions of the CD and three of the LP.
Cardi isn’t just the drama, she’s the center of the culture, demanding — and earning — all the attention she gets.
Take a deeper look at the market and music culture impact of Cardi B below.
