| "Imaginary Playerz" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cardi B | ||||
| from the album Am I the Drama? | ||||
| Released | August 15, 2025 | |||
| Genre | Hip-hop | |||
| Length | 3:27 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producers |
| |||
| Cardi B singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Imaginary Playerz" on YouTube | ||||
"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 Players". The song peaked at number 66 on the US Billboard Hot 100, following the release of Am I the Drama?.[1]
On June 22, 2025, Cardi B announced her second studio album Am I the Drama? (2025), due for release on September 19.[2] The album's lead single "Outside" was released on June 20,[3] debuting within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100.[4] 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.[5] The rapper confirmed an accompanying music video with a teaser clip the day before its release.[6]
"Imaginary Playerz" samples Jay-Z's 1997 track "Imaginary Players" from his second studio album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1.[7] 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."[8][9] 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).[10][11]
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.[12]
The official music video was directed by Cardi B and Patientce Foster and released alongside the single.[13][14] 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.[15]
Credits were adapted from Tidal.[16]
Musicians
Technical
| Chart (2025) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany Urban (Deutsche Urban Charts)[17] | 2 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[18] | 30 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 66 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[20] | 14 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (Billboard)[21] | 37 |
| US Rhythmic (Billboard)[22] | 36 |
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | August 15, 2025 | Atlantic | [23] |
