Cardi B’s “Am I The Drama?” rollout is heading into the classroom, as Howard University prepares to study the rapper’s marketing strategy and cultural impact as part of a new course launching in Fall 2026.
The class centers on how Cardi B turned her long-awaited second album into one of the most talked-about releases in recent years.
Titled “The Cardi B: Am I The Drama? The Art, Production, Marketing and Cultural Impact,” the course will be offered through the university’s Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts and will count as an elective for students pursuing a minor in Hip Hop Studies. The program is also supported by the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business, reflecting the growing intersection between music, business, and academia.
The course will take a closer look at the rollout behind “Am I The Drama?,” examining how Cardi B and her team built anticipation for the project despite the years between releases. The album, which follows her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy, went on to sell more than 200,000 units in its first week, driven in part by a strategy rooted in social media engagement and consistent public visibility.
Faculty will guide students through the different layers of that campaign, including Cardi’s use of grassroots promotion and her ability to turn everyday moments into viral talking points. Even moments outside of music became part of the conversation. During a legal case involving a former security guard, Cardi’s courtroom appearances gained attention online, and her expressions from the trial were later repurposed as cover art for special CD editions of the album.
The rollout also extended back into her community. Cardi hosted a “Bodega Baddie” event in Washington Heights, connecting directly with fans while reinforcing her New York roots. At the same time, ongoing public interest in her personal life and background continued to drive attention toward the album, keeping her name in both headlines and music charts.
Howard University’s new offering reflects a broader shift in higher education, where hip-hop is increasingly studied as both a cultural force and a business model. Similar efforts are underway at institutions like Princeton University, where courses exploring the contributions of women in hip-hop launched earlier this year.
With enrollment now open for the fall semester, the course positions Cardi B’s “Am I The Drama?” era as a case study in how modern artists shape narratives, connect with audiences, and turn visibility into measurable success.
