"Nicki did it better and first": Netizens buzz as Cardi B announced as guest judge for RuPaul's Drag Race season 18

Cardi B is officially coming to the Werk Room, and the internet is notably buzzing. MTV confirmed that the rapper will appear as the guest judge for the season 18 premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race. It will air on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

Within minutes of the announcement, fans weighed in on social media platforms to hype Cardi B's upcoming appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race. The rapper will be making her debut on a series she has openly supported for a relatively long time now. RuPaul's Drag Race shared an official trailer via its YouTube channel to share the announcement, stating:

"Let there be light! ⚡️ #DragRace shines brighter than ever before with Season 18 premiering FRIDAY JAN 2 at 8/7c on MTV!"

Netizens reacted, saying:

"mind you nicki did it better and first"

An official Instagram post on RuPaul's Drag Race's official page read:

"I only threw this Season 18 Premiere Party 4 U 🪩🩷 See these gorgeous faces on the new #DragRace season on FRIDAY JAN 2 at 8p on @mtv! ✨"

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Internet reactions to Cardi B being announced as a guest judge for RuPaul's Drag Race season 18

Pop Crave took to its official X (formerly Twitter) page to post that,

"Cardi B is set to appear as a guest judge for 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 18."

Netizens were notably quick to jump into the comment section of the X post to pen their thought on Cardi B's upcoming RuPaul's Drag Race appearance. Below are some of their reactions:

"Cardi showing up like the runway just got a new heartbeat", declared an X user.

"People who don't ‘get’ why this makes sense are about to get a cultural education in real time. This is not a guest judge appearance, it is a collision of two unapologetically loud, proud cultures.", commented another.

"Not the chop sticks in the hair 😭😭😭😭😭😭 Nicki the fashion trend setta you been 😭😭", penned a third.

Others also chimed in:

"She tries too hard to be in fashion conversations she does not even have a signature style or nothing. Very unauthentic.", opined a netizen.

"Wow ! This is disgusting. Being a guest on that show when all she did is hate on the LGBTQ community and call gays trannys. She is an evil person.", commented another.

"So she is Chun-Li now? This woman is such a fkn clout chaser and that is why I don't like her. It’s like stop copying Nicki, the b already said she can't stand u", added a third.

"Looks like she is paying tribute to Jade and Melina from Mortal Kombat.", shared a fourth.

MTV's announcement confirmed that Cardi B will be the guest judge for the season 18 premiere. The new season features 14 competing queens: Athena Dion, Briar Blush, Ciara Myst, Darlene Mitchell, DD Fuego, Discord Addams, Jane Don’t, Juicy Love Dion, Kenya Pleaser, Mandy Mango, Mia Starr, Myki Meeks, Nini Coco, and Vita VonTesse Starr.

These queens will compete for the title of "America's Next Drag Superstar" and a $200,000 cash prize. Each episode will run for 90 minutes. It will be followed by RuPaul's Drag Race: Untucked at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Following this guest judge gig, Cardi B will kick off her 2026 tour to support her latest album, AM I THE DRAMA?. Below are all the confirmed dates and stops for her upcoming tour:

• Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Palm Desert, CA, at Acrisure Arena at Greater Palm Springs
• Wednesday, February 11, 2026, Thousand Palms, CA, at Acrisure Arena Parking
• Friday, February 13, 2026, Paradise, NV, at T-Mobile Arena
• Sunday, February 15, 2026, Inglewood, CA, at Kia Forum
• Monday, February 16, 2026, Inglewood, CA, at Kia Forum
• Thursday, February 19, 2026, Portland, OR, at Moda Center
• Saturday, February 21, 2026, Vancouver, BC, Canada, at Rogers Arena
• Sunday, February 22, 2026, Seattle, WA, at Climate Pledge Arena
• Wednesday, February 25, 2026, Sacramento, CA, at Golden 1 Center
• Friday, February 27, 2026, San Francisco, CA, at Chase Center
• Sunday, March 1, 2026, Phoenix, AZ, at Mortgage Matchup Center
• Wednesday, March 4, 2026, Houston, TX, at Toyota Center
• Friday, March 6, 2026, Austin, TX, at Moody Center
• Saturday, March 7, 2026, Dallas, TX, at American Airlines Center
• Monday, March 9, 2026, Denver, CO, at Ball Arena
• Thursday, March 12, 2026, Minneapolis, MN, at Target Center
• Saturday, March 14, 2026, Indianapolis, IN, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
• Sunday, March 15, 2026, Detroit, MI, at Little Caesars Arena
• Tuesday, March 17, 2026, Kansas City, MO, at T-Mobile Center
• Thursday, March 19, 2026, Cincinnati, OH, at Heritage Bank Center
• Saturday, March 21, 2026, Chicago, IL, at United Center
• Tuesday, March 25, 2026, New York, NY, at Madison Square Garden
• Wednesday, March 26, 2026, New York, NY, at Madison Square Garden
• Friday, March 28, 2026, Newark, NJ, at Prudential Center
• Sunday, March 30, 2026, Toronto, ON, Canada, at Scotiabank Arena
• Monday, March 31, 2026, Hamilton, ON, Canada, at TD Coliseum
• Wednesday, April 2, 2026, Boston, MA, at TD Garden
• Thursday, April 3, 2026, Hartford, CT, at PeoplesBank Arena
• Friday, April 4, 2026, Baltimore, MD, at CFG Bank Arena
• Monday, April 7, 2026, Philadelphia, PA, at Xfinity Mobile Arena
• Tuesday, April 8, 2026, Washington, DC, at Capital One Arena
• Friday, April 11, 2026, Raleigh, NC, at the Lenovo Center
• Saturday, April 12, 2026, Charlotte, NC, at Spectrum Center
• Monday, April 14, 2026, Sunrise, FL, at Amerant Bank Arena
• Thursday, April 17, 2026, Atlanta, GA, at State Farm Arena
• Friday, April 18, 2026, Atlanta, GA, at State Farm Arena

Fans can visit Cardi B's official website to purchase available tickets.

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