Cardi B turned heads and packed sidewalks Saturday afternoon as she returned to her old stomping grounds in Washington Heights for a surprise pop-up at a local bodega.
The appearance came. just days ahead of her new album, Am I the Drama, dropping on Friday, Sept. 19.
The Grammy-winning rapper touched down at Cloud Deli on West 159th Street around 1 p.m., drawing a thousands of people to the Manhattan neighborhood where she spent part of her childhood living with her paternal grandmother.
Adele – Hometown Glory… like for real 🥹 thank you God pic.twitter.com/QFzNnpPDdv
— Cardi B (@iamcardib) September 13, 2025
The event, announced through her Instagram, doubled as a grassroots promo push for her upcoming second studio album.
Born Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar in 1992, the Bronx-born artist has long credited Washington Heights for influencing her voice and personality.
Her accent, humor and raw delivery—now signature traits—were shaped in the very streets she revisited over the weekend.
The bodega pop-up wasn’t just a nostalgic pit stop. It was a calculated move in a broader strategy to reconnect with supporters in person as she ramps up for her first full-length release since 2018’s Invasion of Privacy.
That album earned her a Grammy for Best Rap Album, making her the first solo female rapper to take home that honor.
Cardi B’s rise began on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: New York in 2015. By 2017, she left reality TV behind to focus on music full-time.
Since then, she’s become one of Hip-Hop’s most bankable stars, with chart-topping singles and viral moments that dominate social media and headlines alike.
The decision to host the event at a bodega wasn’t random. In New York City, corner stores like Cloud Deli are more than just places to grab snacks—they’re neighborhood staples. For Cardi, it was a nod to her roots and a way to keep things personal.
According to CBS News, the pop-up is part of a larger rollout plan that includes a potential multi-city meet-and-greet tour, giving her audience more chances to engage with her directly.