Why Cardi B’s “Imaginary Playerz” Has Fans Talking
Cardi B’s “Imaginary Playerz” and the Politics of Hip-Hop Nostalgia
Cardi B is back outside—but not in the way fans thought. Instead of dropping the highly-anticipated video for “Outside,” the GRAMMY winner pulled a surprise by releasing “Imaginary Playerz.” And let’s just say… people are talking.
The single samples JAY Z’s classic of the same name and sees Cardi taking on his original energy, throwing heavy shots from her current spot at the top of rap. Some fans love the rawness, comparing it to a Lil’ Kim throwback. Others are scratching their heads, even bringing up JAY’s old Roc-A-Fella artist Amil, wondering if a collab or comeback is in the cards. Would you want to see Amil on this record?
On the business side, Atlantic dropped the price of the track to basically nothing, which has folks speculating the label is pushing for another #1 hit more than profits. Marketing move or not, Cardi once again has the culture debating—and that might have been her plan all along.