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Lil' Kim

Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim in 2012
Born
Kimberly Denise Jones

(1974-07-11) July 11, 1974 (age 50)
Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Other namesQueen Bee
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • actress
  • model
  • television personality
Years active1994–present
PartnersJeremy Neil aka Mr. Papers (2012–2014, 2020–2021?)[1]
Tayy Brown (2024-present)
Children1
AwardsFull list
Musical career
GenresEast Coast hip hop
Labels
Formerly ofJunior M.A.F.I.A.

Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974),[2] better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, she would freestyle rap, influenced by fellow female hip-hop artists like MC Lyte and the Lady of Rage. In 1994, she was discovered by fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Lil' Kim's debut studio album Hard Core (1996) was certified double platinum in March 2001.[3] Since its release, it has sold more than six million copies worldwide[4] and spawned three successful singles: "No Time", "Not Tonight (Ladies Night)", and "Crush on You". Hard Core had the highest debut in the US for a female rap album at the time.[5] Her following albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003) were also certified platinum. In 2001, Lil' Kim reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with the single "Lady Marmalade" (a remake of LaBelle's 1974 single), alongside Christina Aguilera, Mýa, and Pink. The song also won her the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Other notable singles from this period include "The Jump Off" and "Magic Stick", the latter of which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her 2nd-highest-charting single as a lead artist.

In 2005, Lil' Kim served a one-year prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends' involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album, The Naked Truth, was released to positive reviews from critics. A reality series covering her sentence, Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, premiered on BET in 2006. She then released her first mixtape, Ms. G.O.A.T. (2008) and returned to the public eye in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars. Throughout the 2010s, she continued to release music and perform sporadically, collaborating with artists such as Faith Evans, Remy Ma, and Fabolous. Her fifth studio album, 9, was released in 2019.

Lil' Kim has been referred to as the "Queen of Rap", as well as her alias "Queen Bee" by several media outlets. She has sold more than 15 million albums and 30 million singles worldwide. Her songs "No Time", "Big Momma Thang", and "Not Tonight (Ladies Night)" were each listed on Complex's list of the 50 Best Rap Songs By Women.[6] In 2012, she was listed on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list at number 45, the second-highest position for a solo female hip-hop artist.[7]

Aside from music, she is also known for her risk-taking and luxurious approach to fashion which has inspired many artists; she has been cited as a fashion icon.[8][9] Her collaboration with celebrity nail artist Bernadette Thompson for the 1999 "Money Nails" design she wore is credited with bringing intricate nail art into mainstream fashion and has been exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art.[10] Lil' Kim has been noted for helping women embrace their "sexuality and femininity" in a way that was a stark contrast at the time from other female artists.[11]

  1. ^ "Mr. Papers Warns 50 Cent To Stop Trolling Lil Kim Over Prada Bangs, 'Leave My Wife Out Ya Jokes'". Hot97.com. June 30, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Viera, Bené (July 11, 2012). "How Old Is Lil' Kim, Exactly?". VH1. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2014. Those giving 1974 include:
  3. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Hall, Jake. "Lil Kim - Music/Radio - Nairaland". Retrieved June 9, 2017. Kim was, however, the first high-profile female rapper to flip the script on female objectification in the rap industry. She set herself apart by owning, weaponising, and celebrating her unapologetic sexuality. The result was an unprecedented success which, to date, has sold more than six million copies worldwide.
  5. ^ "The Mask of Lil' Kim". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ "The 50 Best Rap Songs by Women". Complex.com. Retrieved December 19, 2017.
  7. ^ Graham, Mark (February 13, 2012). "The 100 Greatest Women In Music". VH1. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  8. ^ Porter, Nia. "Revisiting the Style of Hip-Hop's Fashion Icon Lil' Kim". Retrieved June 9, 2017. Before Rihanna draped herself in colorful furs, before Nicki Minaj put on pink wigs and skin tight bustiers, and long before Miley Cyrus hopped onstage in a bedazzled thong, Lil' Kim was the risk-taking fashion icon we looked to in music. Her style has become an encapsulation of the racy, avant-garde costuming we're seeing from both our favorite artists and designers today.
  9. ^ Carlos, Marjon. "20 Years Later, the Hard Core Style of Rapper Lil' Kim Is Still Everything". Retrieved June 9, 2017. Kim raised eyebrows, but her risk-taking and luxurious approach to fashion also made her a designer muse.
  10. ^ Givhan, Robin (December 3, 2021). "How Lil' Kim's most memorable manicure ended up in the Museum of Modern Art". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  11. ^ Orcutt, K. C. (October 2, 2019). "Each One, Teach One | Honoring the legacy of Lil' Kim". Revolt.tv. Retrieved December 13, 2019.

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