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Cardi B is making headlines again, but not just for her long-awaited sophomore album Am I the Drama?, set to drop on September 19, 2025. The Grammy-winning rapper has sparked a heated debate online after revealing that her 23-track album will include two previously released songs, “WAP” (2020) and “Up” (2021), both of which are five years old.
For fans who have waited since her 2018 debut Invasion of Privacy, the news was a letdown. Social media erupted almost immediately, with critics accusing Cardi of recycling old content in a lazy attempt to inflate streaming numbers and boost chart performance. One viral tweet read, “Adding WAP, a nearly 6-year-old song, is so desperate �,” while another joked, “It’s like submitting a group project you did in college and expecting to get full marks again.”
Reddit users in pop culture forums echoed the sentiment, questioning why an artist with such a long gap between albums would bring back older material instead of offering an entirely fresh tracklist. Comments like, “Why is there a five-year-old song on this album?” and “This feels like a repackage, not a comeback,” highlighted the frustration brewing within her fanbase. Others took it further, suggesting that this was not just a creative issue but an industry problem where labels prioritize commercial success over originality.
Cardi B, never one to back down from criticism, addressed the backlash through TikTok and YouTube, brushing it off with her signature confidence. She told fans to “let them cry” and remained unapologetic about her album’s composition. She also revealed that her label, Atlantic Records, had initially resisted the release of her newest single “Outside,” prompting her to apologize for being “very nasty” to executives before finally getting approval to proceed. That behind-the-scenes struggle added another layer to the controversy, exposing the push-and-pull dynamics between artists and record labels.
Still, some fans and industry observers defended Cardi’s strategy. From a business standpoint, including massive hits like “WAP” and “Up” guarantees built-in streams that can help catapult the album’s success upon release. One tweet summarized it perfectly: “That’s smart—put a five-year-old song with one trillion plays on your 2025 album so it automatically has 500k sales on day one.” But while the numbers may work in her favor, the creative disappointment remains for many.
The rapper-turned-actor will play Balrog, a disgraced boxer who serves as a ruthless bodyguard to one of the franchise’s major villains. Known for his commitment to physical roles, Jackson is reportedly undergoing intense training and plans to perform his own stunts for the film.
Jackson’s casting adds even more star power to an already eclectic lineup. Jason Momoa is set to portray the electric beast-man Blanka, while Noah Centineo takes on the role of Ken, the hotheaded American fighter. Country singer Orville Peck, known for his masked persona and genre-defying music, will appear as the seductive and deadly Vega.
Also on board is WWE superstar Joe Anoa’i (aka Roman Reigns) as the fearsome Akuma, and Andrew Koji—best known for his role in Warrior—is stepping into the role of Ryu, the franchise’s central fighter. Rising talent Callina Liang (Presence) rounds out the cast as Chun-Li, the fan-favorite Interpol agent and martial artist.
The film will be directed by Kitao Sakurai, whose previous work includes The Eric Andre Show, suggesting the adaptation may bring an offbeat and visually striking style to the material. Production is slated to begin in August in Australia, with Legendary co-developing and co-producing the film alongside Capcom.
While plot details remain under wraps, anticipation is high. The Street Fighter franchise first exploded onto the arcade scene in 1987 and reached global acclaim with 1991’s Street Fighter II, revolutionizing one-on-one fighting games. Its legacy continues with Street Fighter 6, released in 2023 and awarded Best Fighting Game at The Game Awards.
Jackson’s film and TV empire has grown steadily in recent years. Beyond music, he has made a mark in Hollywood with the Power universe on Starz and other G-Unit Film & Television productions like For Life and Black Mafia Family. In 2024, he launched 50 Cent Action, a FAST channel in partnership with Lionsgate, which quickly became the No. 1 action channel on Roku and LG FAST platforms.
Jackson is represented by IAG, AKR Public Relations, and attorney Steve Savva.
Photo Credit:Jordan Ruimy
A new industry survey paints a dark picture for the future of movie-going in the United States. In a film analyst Stephen Follows survey together with exhibitor- focused publication Screendollars, more than half of U.S.-based exhibition executives concur that the classic cinema experience is less than 20 years as a viable business model.
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Brandy and Monica are officially reuniting for their first-ever co-headlining arena tour, and it’s a moment R&B fans have waited over two decades for. The powerhouse vocalists have announced “The Boy Is Mine” tour—named after their legendary 1998 duet—which will feature special guests Kelly Rowland, Muni Long, and “American Idol” winner Jamal Roberts.
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Joycelyn Savage, long-time fiancée of convicted singer R. Kelly, has publicly rejected claims that she is a “victim” or under his influence even as her family maintains she’s been manipulated. Earlier this week, Savage released a video stating definitively that she is not being held against her will, isn’t a “sex slave,” and isn’t brainwashed. She asserted that her estrangement from her family began in 2019 due to a fractured relationship, not any kind of coercion .
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Rapper Young Thug has returned to the stage for the first time since he was released from custody late last year. He was indicted on gang and racketeering charges in one of the most high-profile RICO cases in recent history.
