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Screenshot from Cardi B’s “Imaginary Playerz” video
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Cardi B in “Imaginary Playerz” video
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Key Takeaways:
- Cardi B’s “Imaginary Playerz” samples JAY-Z’s 1997 classic, adding a generational twist to her lyrical flex.
- The song’s layered bars reference fashion, fame and Cardi’s place in Hip Hop’s evolving narrative.
- Cardi seemingly hinted that JAY-Z approved the sample, signaling a co-sign from Hip Hop royalty.
Cardi B is giving fans another reason to count down the days until AM I THE DRAMA?. On Friday (Aug. 15), the rapper dropped her latest single, “Imaginary Playerz.”
Built around a sample from JAY-Z’s 1997 classic “Imaginary Players,” the new song serves as a follow-up to “Outside” and arrives just over a month before her sophomore album. Wednesday (Aug. 13), Cardi hinted that “the one and only” — presumably Hov himself — approved the record. “I’m glad that I came hard and he loved it,” she told fans on X Spaces.
Watch the music video for “Imaginary Playerz” below, then keep scrolling for six of our favorite bars.
1. “Now I spit that other s**t / Pretty motherf**ker s**t / Cardi B, every song platinum, I’m not the other b**ch.”
Okay, maybe “every song” is pushing it, but the receipts are there. In 2022, the RIAA confirmed that every track from her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, went platinum or better, making her the first female artist to pull that off. Since then, songs like “WAP” and “Up” have been added to Cardi’s ever-growing list of plaques.
2. “And more archive, vintage couture on me / I got more Gaultier than Jean probably.”
Cardi dropped her second vintage couture reference just in case anyone in the back missed it the first time. Here, she puts a clever spin on Jean Paul Gaultier, a label she’s worn on repeat over the years.
3. “Whatever you was gon’ pay her / You gotta double it / Gloryhole / B**ches don’t know who they f**kin’ with.”
No explanation needed here. It’s one of, if not the most, sexually charged lyric on “Imaginary Playerz.”
4. “Striped like Thom Browne, these b**ches should calm down / Quicker they lift up, the quicker they fall down.”
Cardi is a Thom Browne girlie through and through. She wore the designer to the 2019 Met Gala and has stepped out in his looks for several other big moments, including Paris Fashion Week. As many fans are speculating, this line might be a dig at Nicki Minaj, who wore a pinstriped Thom Browne dress to the 2025 Met Gala.
5. “Poor thing / Twitter must be gassin’ them heavy / Makin’ them jump in the ring with the Brim before they ready / I seen whole fan pages make avatar changes / All that old love go to new fan bases.”
The “Bodak Yellow” hitmaker’s opps — who shall remain nameless — get a couple of viral tweets and suddenly think they’re in the same league as her. However, as soon as things don’t swing their way, the same fans who gassed them up switch avatars and disappear. The good news is, there’s always room in Bardi Gang.
6. “2016, I had Fashion Nova lit / Ask Rich, y’all need your a** whipped.”
She’s really not exaggerating, though. Cardi was one of the many celebrities and influencers the brand tapped in its early years, and she launched her first collection with them in 2018. According to REVOLT, their collaboration brought in a staggering $1 million in just 24 hours.
