"Imaginary Playerz" is a song by American rapper Cardi B. It was released on August 15, 2025, through Atlantic Records as the second single from her second studio album, Am I the Drama? (2025). The song was written by Cardi B, Jordan Thorpe, and its producers James "DJ SwanQo" Steed, Saleem "OctaneThisThatGas" Allen, and Matthew "Sean Island" Allen, and samples Jay-Z's 1997 track "Imaginary Player". The song peaked at number 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100, following the release of Am I the Drama?.
On June 22, 2025, Cardi B announced her second studio album Am I the Drama? (2025), due for release on September 19.[1] The album's lead single "Outside" was released on June 20,[2] debuting within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[3] On August 11, Cardi B revealed her follow-up single "Imaginary Playerz" would be released on August 15, describing it as "Just a lil taste of the drama." The announcement was accompanied by the single's cover art of herself with pink hair and a white fur coat in front of a white Rolls Royce.[4] The rapper confirmed an accompanying music video with a teaser clip the day before its release.[5]
Music and lyrics
"Imaginary Playerz" samples Jay-Z's 1997 track "Imaginary Players" from his second studio album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.[6] Prior to the song's release, she shared with fans on Twitter Spaces that "the one and only", referring to Jay-Z, personally approved her use of "Imaginary Players" and admitted that if he had not approved of the song, she would have reflected "'OK, maybe I just had to come a little bit harder.' But I'm glad that I came hard and he loved it."[7][8] She also shared on Instagram Live that she "fought really hard to put this song out" with those who wanted a different direction while she wanted to go for a hip-hop sound, describing it as "real calm flex shit", and that "When [Jay-Z] text back, my manager, the record was clear, it was at 4:44 pm," taking the time as a sign with respect to the rapper's latest solo studio album 4:44 (2017).[9][10]
Critical reception
Billboard ranked "Imaginary Playerz" as the fourteenth-best song on the album. They argued that the song should have stayed a B-side instead of being released as a single, which raised expectations for the track. However, they felt that the song made sense with the album's themes and would grow on listeners in context of the full album.[11]
Music video
The official music video was directed by Cardi B and Patientce Foster and released alongside the single.[12][13] In the video, Cardi B turns an New York airport tarmac into a fashion show runway with a red ballroom gown. After taking a private jet to Mykonos, Greece, she is then shown spending a day on a yacht. The rapper enjoys a lobster dinner on the beach and then returns to her five-star resort for a foot bath with champagne. In the final scene, she models couture looks before heading out for a night in Paris.[14]
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