'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hip-hop podcaster DJ Akademiks has accused Cardi B of inflating her sales with "5-year-old records" after the release of her sophomore album, Am I The Drama?. His comments came after the album became the fastest album by a woman to reach platinum status by the RIAA.
On September 20, DJ Akademiks took to social media to fire shots at Cardi B, whose new album was released on September 19. He shared an edited image of the rapper's album cover with a pie sticker covering her face, and wrote:
"Cardi B’s AM I THE DRAMA became the fastest female album to go platinum but not because the album’s new tracks. Cardi B inflated her sales with with 5-year-old records and her new songs ‘Imaginary Players’ and ‘Outside’ were barely moving 50k and 100k streams globally before the album drop."
Trending
After Cardi dropped her album this week, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album as "RIAA certified Platinum". The much-awaited project consists of 23 tracks, including her viral hits, WAP and UP. Both these tracks have been certified platinum before, with WAP being 9x certified hit and UP being 5x certified.
In 2020, Cardi created history when all 13 tracks of her debut album, The Invasion of Privacy (2018) were certified platinum. She was the first female rapper to achieve this feat. Her sophomore album, Am I The Drama? came after a seven-year-long wait. Ahead of its release, she dropped two singles - Outside and Imaginary Playerz, the second being a sampling of Jay-Z's hit, Imaginary Players.
Cardi B explains decision to include WAP and UP in her sophomore album, Am I The Drama?
In an X post dated June 26, months before her sophomore album dropped, Cardi B opened up about including her two viral hits, WAP (2020) and UP (2021), in the project. She wrote:
"This will be the last and only time I’m gonna address this.. WAP and Up are two of my biggest songs, my fans have been asking me to put them on an album, and people search for them on IOP all the time… they deserve a home."
Further, Cardi B claimed that she did not submit WAP for the Grammys due to "haters" and added:
"I let haters make me not submit WAP for the Grammy’s and at this point I’m giving my fans what they want! These two songs don’t even count for first week sales so what are yall even crying about??? Do ya say anything when all these artist pull out all their little tricks and ponies to sell out??? Exactly….Now let them eat cake. Go cry about it!!!"
Both tracks remain two of Cardi's biggest hits till date. WAP, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, was released in August 2020 and peaked at No 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also used multiple times on social media platforms and became popular on reels and TikTok videos, going viral after release. Meanwhile, UP dropped in February 2021 also peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 and remain one of her most played tracks.
However, as Cardi B confirmed in her aforementioned X post, the streams of these two tracks will not count among her first week streaming numbers for the Billboard Hot 200. This is because they were not a part of the album's release window.
Fans will be eager to see where Am I The Drama? stands on the Billboard 200 and if it can replicate the success of Cardi's debut album.
