Cardi B’s “Imaginary Playerz” Boosts Jay-Z’s 1997 Classic “Imaginary Players”

Cardi B’s latest single is breathing new life into a Jay-Z classic.

Since dropping “Imaginary Playerz” on August 15th, streams of Hov’s 1997 track “Imaginary Players” skyrocketed 305% on Spotify between August 15th and 17th.

The new single serves as a teaser for Cardi’s highly anticipated sophomore album, “Am I The Drama?” and comes with a music video that shows her living a lifestyle her critics can only dream about. The imagery mirrors Jay-Z’s original, including the famous Range Rover comparison that cemented the song as a hip-hop staple.

A day before the release, Cardi told fans on Instagram Live about the moment Jay-Z cleared the sample.

“When he texted back my manager [that] the record was clear[ed], it was at 4:44 PM,” she shared.

Calling it “a very hip-hop record,” Cardi explained why she took extra care with the track.

“The song is kind of long and I took my time with [it] because this song is like a staple for me and I was like, ‘Oh my god, I got to make sure that this song is good’ because I have to f**king to get it approved by the one and only [Jay-Z],” she said.

Cardi’s “Am I The Drama?” is set to release September 19th.