Should you need confirmation that Cardi B’s second album is considered a very big deal, you might consider the response of fellow rapper Young Thug to the announcement of its release, seven years on from her debut, Invasion of Privacy. An artist with 30 gold or platinum singles to his name, he nevertheless quickly shifted the release date of a new album he has been promoting for six months, when it became apparent that it would clash with the arrival of Am I the Drama?
It was a gesture that seems somehow antithetical to the very nature of hip-hop – a genre that’s had gloves-off rivalry in its DNA ever since the night, getting on for 50 years ago, when Busy Bee made the fatal mistake of challenging Kool Moe Dee to an onstage battle and inadvertently ushered in a new rap era in the process. But equally, you can understand Young Thug’s logic. Dressed up as let-me-hold-the-door-for-you chivalry – “It’s a ladies day,” he tweeted – it smacks a little of fear. Perhaps he remembers 50 Cent loudly announcing he would retire if his 2007 album Curtis didn’t outsell Kanye West’s Graduation, then dramatically changing his tune when it signally failed to do so. Why take the risk of being bested?
