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Who2 Biography:

Lil' Kim

, Rapper / Convict
lil kim
Source

  • Born: 11 July 1975 (?)
  • Birthplace: Brooklyn, New York
  • Best Known As: The controversial female rapper of "No Time"

Name at birth: Kimberly Denise Jones

One of the few female stars in hardcore rap, Lil' Kim is known just as much for her tangles with the law, censors, and fashion police. She got her start with the help of Notorious B.I.G. and rappers Junior M.A.F.I.A.. She went solo in 1996 with the album Hard Core, which included the rap hit "No Time," a duet with Sean "Puffy" Combs. She quickly grew notorious for her sexually explicit lyrics and revealing clothes, and the almost-breast-baring outfit she wore to the 1999 MTV Video Awards gave her new fame. In 2005 she was convicted of lying to a federal grand jury about a 2001 shooting outside a Manhattan radio station. She was fined $50,000 and served 10 months in federal prison as inmate 56198-054 before being released in July of 2006. Her albums include The Notorious K.I.M. (2000), The Naked Truth (2005) and Ms. G.O.A.T. (2008). She has also dabbled in acting, appareing in the Rachael Leigh Cook film She's All That (1999) and Ben Stiller's 2001 comedy Zoolander, and Gang of Roses (2003).

Lil' Kim shared a Grammy in 2002 with Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. The four re-recorded the classic 1970s single "Lady Marmalade" for the soundtrack to the 2001 movie Moulin Rouge... "G.O.A.T." stands for Greatest Of All Time; the phrase has often been used by boxer Muhammad Ali... Her year of birth is unclear. Most sources say 1975, but some contend that federal prison records say she was born in 1974... Lil' Kim is sometimes confused with fellow female rapper Foxy Brown.

 
 
Artist: Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim

Born:
Jul 11, 1975

Representative Songs:

"The Jump Off," "Not Tonight," "Queen B@$#h"

Representative Albums:

Hard Core, La Bella Mafia, Notorious K.I.M.

Similar Artists:

Remy Ma, Jacki-O, Shawnna, Khia, La' Chat, Porsha, Gangsta Boo, The LOX, High Class, Mase, Lauryn Hill, Diddy, Prestige, Missy Elliott, Skin Deep, Mic Geronimo, Total, Eve, Jermaine Dupri, DMX, D'Angelo, Craig Mack, The Notorious B.I.G., Da Brat, The Fugees, Nas, Aaliyah, Foxy Brown, Redman, Organized Konfusion, Master P, AZ

A Member of the Group:

Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Performed Songs By:

G. Brown, Christopher Wallace, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie, Missy Elliott, J. Brown, L. Lopez, K. Jones, Sean "Puffy" Combs, R. Bell

Worked With:

Stephen Dent, Kelly Price, Carlos "6 July" Broady, MJG, Jay-Z, Nasheim Myrick, Doug Wilson, Phil Tan, Busta Rhymes, Mary J. Blige

Followers:

Kween Kash, Sylk-E. Fyne, Trina, Mia X
  • Birth Name: Kimberly Jones
  • Alternative Name: 47 MC Little Kim
  • Genre: Rap
  • Active: '90s, 2000s
  • Instrument: Vocals

Biography

After making her presence known on Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s debut album, Conspiracy, Lil' Kim launched a solo career in 1996 with the release of her first record, Hard Core. As the album's title implies, Kim was a rarity among female rappers -- one who not only concentrated on edgy hardcore rap but also explicit sexuality, two territories that had long been the province of male rappers. Of course, Kim's near-pornographic sexuality and hard-edged rhythms made her an anomaly within hip-hop, but Hard Core proved that she was no novelty, as it garnered positive reviews and strong sales.

A native of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Lil' Kim was raised by her parents until they split up when she was nine years old. Following their separation, she lived with her father, yet he threw her out of the house when she was a teenager. As a teen, she lived with her friends and, occasionally, on the streets. Eventually, she and her rhyming skills came to the attention of Biggie Smalls, who helped her cultivate her career. Smalls helped her become a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Kim was a key part of the group's hit debut single, "Player's Anthem." Kim also made a big impression on the remainder of Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s 1995 debut album, Conspiracy.

Following the release of Conspiracy, Kim appeared on records by Mona Lisa, the Isley Brothers, Total, and Skin Deep. For her debut album, she worked with a variety of producers, including Sean "Puffy" Combs, High Class, Jermaine Dupri, and Ski. The result, entitled Hard Core, was released in late 1996. Kim's marketing campaign for the album was quite provocative -- she was dressed in a skimpy bikini and furs in the advertisements, as well as the album covers -- but instead of resulting in a backlash, the album became a hit, debuting at number 11 on the pop charts. The first single from the album, "No Time," a duet with Sean "Puffy" Combs, became a number one rap single. The long-awaited Notorious K.I.M. followed in 2000, and then came La Bella Mafia in 2003.

Two years later Kim was in court defending herself against a perjury charge. She was eventually convicted of lying to a federal grand jury about her knowledge of a 2001 shooting outside of New York's influential radio station Hot 97 FM. Kim had claimed she wasn't aware that her manager and a friend were present, but surveillance cameras proved the two were there. In September of that year, the new album The Naked Truth appeared while its "Lighters Up" single was dominating urban radio. Documenting the rapper's preparations for incarceration, the BET reality show Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown first aired in March 2006 and became the most watched series debut in the network's history. On July 3, 2006, she was released on good behavior after serving ten months of her 12-month sentence. Kim exited the prison in a silver Rolls Royce. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
 
Black Biography: Lil' Kim

rap musician

Personal Information

Born Kimberly Denise Jones, on July 11, 1975, in Brooklyn, NY; daughter of Ruby Mae and Linwood Jones.

Career

Rapper; albums: Hard Core, Undeas/Big Beat/Atlantic, 1996, Notorious K.I.M., Atlantic, 2000. Queen Bee Records, CEO. Actress, 1999- ; television appearances: VIP, 1999, DAG, 2001. Films: She's All That, 1999; Juwanna Mann, 2001; La Bella Mafia, 2003; The Naked Truth, 2005.

Life's Work

When Kimberly Denise Jones teamed up with Notorious B.I.G. in her Brooklyn neighborhood, she became the self-proclaimed "ghetto fabulous" Lil' Kim turned the tables on male-dominated rap. The four-foot-eleven-inch dynamo's hard-core rap songs focused on explicit sexuality long the domain of male rappers. She also turned heads with her bold image donned outrageous outfits that often revealed more than they hid. Although most of her records bore a "Parental Advisory" sticker Kim was a critical popular success scoring number-one hits and garnering lucrative endorsement deals.

From Ghetto to "Ghetto Fabulous"

Kim was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1975 to ruby Mae and Linwood Jones. She was raised in Brooklyn's Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, but that changed after her parents split up when she was nine. She bounced back and forth from one parent to the other until she ran away from home at 14. She dropped out of high school and lived with friends and, at times, on the streets.

Lil' Kim and her rapping talents soon were noticed by small-time drug pusher and up-and-coming rapper Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. Biggie Smalls, a.k.a. the Notorious B.I.G. "We lived on the same block in Brooklyn," Kim said of meeting B.I.G. in an interview with Interview magazine. "I always thought he was cute, and when I first started talking to him, I felt like I'd known him for years ... friends of mine said to him, 'You know, Kim knows how to rap.' He was like, 'Please! She's too cute to know how to rap.'" The two also became involved romantically linked, and Kim was shattered when B.I.G. married singer Faith Evans in 1994. His rumored infidelity with Kim, with Kim becoming pregnant and having an abortion, became a source of gossip in the rap community, and inspired a bitter rivalry between Kim and Evans that the two would play out in the gossip columns, on stage, and with their respective record labels.

B.I.G. helped Kim become a member of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. (Junior Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes) and start her career. She made her appearance on the group's hit debut single, "Player's Anthem." She also played a big part on the group's debut album, Conspiracy, which entered the top ten of the Billboard 200 in September of 1995. The album made it to number two on the Billboard R&B chart, and the group launched its first major tour, opening shows for Notorious B.I.G. on his U.S. tour. "Biggie thought I was just going to be this little female in the back, this girl he'd put in the group because he loved me," Kim was quoted as saying in her record-company biography. "But when we came out, everyone loved our songs 'Get Money' and 'Player's Anthem,' and we blew up."

Hard Core was Hard Core

Over the next couple of years, Kim honed her style, working with a variety of producers, lending her talents on a number of other artist's releases. She appeared on records by Mona Lisa, the Isley Brothers, and Skin Deep. Her debut album, Hard Core, was the result of her work with producers Sean "Puffy" Combs, High Class, and Jermaine Dupri.

Released in 1996, Hard Core was promoted as bold and provocative. Kim appeared scantily clad in a skimpy bikini, draped in furs on the record cover and in ads promoting the album, and Hard Core debuted at number eleven on the pop charts. It was the highest-ever debut for a female hip-hop artist on the Billboard 200. The first single, a duet with Combs, "No Time," spent nine weeks at number one on the rap charts.

Critics and hard-core rap fans stood up and took notice when Kim released Hard Core. With her raunchy lyrics, and sexual take-no-prisoners attitude, Kim had crossed into territory previously visited only by male rappers. "Kim is a revolutionary figure in the sense that she's a woman who is articulating the same perverted thoughts that men have been rhyming about for years," wrote one critic in CMJ. "Asserting herself sexually like a hip-hop Millie Jackson, Kim's ribald accounts of healthy sexual appetite come off as empowering," wrote another in Time Out.

An Outrageous Diva

Although her lyrics were considered more macho than feminine, Kim's wardrobe was decadent and all woman. She shunned the hip-hop uniform of baggy pants, shirts, and boots, in favor of revealing leather and mink catsuits, rhinestone headpieces, and carefully placed pasties. "I take bits and pieces from everybody," Kim was quoted as saying of her fashion sense in Vibe. "I've always studied the fashion of women who were beautiful and glamorous....A lot of credit goes to my mom as well. She's got a great sense of style," she continued.

Kim's lyrics and style indicated to many that Kim saw herself as a very liberated black woman, and she fully expected her work and image to be accepted by blacks and feminists. She was, however, criticized by some African Americans for donning lavish blonde wigs and wearing blue contact lenses. Some feminists denounced her for exploiting her sexuality and having her breasts enlarged. In an Essence article, writer Akissi Britton in an open letter to Kim, remarked that "feminism is about embracing our power without reducing it to what's between our legs.""I thought women were gonna be behind me," Kim said in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, and added the criticism "discouraged" her.

Where some found criticism, others found praise for Kim. "Her capacity to calculate what you want her to be and then become it--a skill she honed in the streets of Brooklyn, N.Y.--makes her damn near interactive," wrote Robert Marriott in Vibe. "Raunchy, vulnerable, demure. Mae West. Bessie Smith. Lady Godiva. Blue-eyed Barbarella, aqua-haired ghetto mermaid--she's the virtual black girl staring at you from billboards and magazine covers in a dazzling array of guises," he continued. Essence stated that many found Kim's message "empowering."

Notorious B.I.G. Inspired Notorious K.I.M.

On March 9th, 1997, Kim received a blow in her personal life that directly affected her professionally. Notorious B.I.G. was gunned down as he left an event in Los Angeles. "He was everything to me. My father, brother, and mentor," Kim was quoted as saying in her record-company bio. "He would tell me when to go to sleep, when to wake up. It was crazy. Big had a plan for me....He contributed so much to my life--and he still does....I'll always love him with all my heart." Kim wasn't up to recording her own second record that year, but managed to contribute to recordings by Jay-Z, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Mobb Deep, Funkmaster Flex, and Black Rob.

Kim revisited Combs' own New York City studio, Daddy's House, to record her long-awaited second album, The Notorious K.I.M. Producers "Shaft" and Mario Winans were among the many who lent their skills to the effort. After overseeing the rapper's second album Combs told Vibe, "Kim's a true artist. She's a perfectionist." Kim's perfectionism paid off, and The Notorious K.I.M. debuted at number four and went platinum.

Though brash and blunt on the rest of the album, Kim exposed her vulnerable side on the single "Hold On." On the track's vocals, Kim was joined by her best friend Mary J. Blige. "It's a song a wrote for Big," she said of "Hold On" in The Source. "I could only get through it once. I would always break down and cry." B.I.G.'s name appeared as executive producer in the album's credits and is honored in the album title itself.

Became a Sought-after Star

Kim and Blige met early in Kim's career, when Junior M.A.F.I.A. was opening for Blige. "She taught me always to go with my first instinct and always to be a woman," Kim said of Blige in Interview. "She said, 'Kim, you are a strong, beautiful, and smart woman. You can make your own decisions.'" Kim subsequently contributed to Blige's 1997 release, Share My World, and the two appeared together in a lipstick campaign for MAC Cosmetics. Kim also promoted Candie's shoes and Iceberg jeans.

Kim set her sights beyond making records, and spent much of her time between records working on her career as a crossover star. She made her debuts on the big and small screens in 1999. She appeared on VIP, the TV series starring her pal Pamela Anderson, and showed up in She's All That, which starred teen heartthrob Freddie Prinze, Jr. She launched her own label, Queen Bee Records, of which she is CEO. She has signed fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A member, 'Lil Cease, and executive produced his solo album. Kim made her way into the mainstream spotlight as a presenter at the VH1 Fashion Awards and The Source Awards. She was invited to induct Earth, Wind & Fire into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame with fellow presenters Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Patti Smith, and John Mellencamp. She appeared on the covers of such magazines as Vibe, The Source, Out, XXL, Genre, Sister 2 Sister, Honey, and Interview.

After the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards, Kim's name was prominent in gossip columns after pop legend Diana Ross acknowledged her with a love tap to her left breast. "People always make a big deal out of nothing," Kim was quoted as saying in her bio of the incident. "Behind stage, she and I kicked it. She was like the most down-to-earth icon I've ever met!"

Rivalry Lead to Shooting

A feud between Lil Kim and Foxy Brown has risen to a level that eerily mimicked the rivalry between slain rappers, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur. Neither rapper can remember what started the war, but Kim and Brown have been exchanging heated words--on records and in interviews--for years. Both began as friends but the friendship has dissolved into an on-going feud that continued to enlarge.

Brown recorded a rap that included some "choice" words for Kim on rap duo's Capone-N-Noreaga's song, "Bang Bang." In February of 2001, Kim's entourage and Capone-N-Noreaga's entourage were involved in a shootout that severely injured one person. By the time the police arrived, everyone had fled the scene. Though Kim denied any involvement--even saying she wasn't there, security surveillance caught Kim's limousine slowing down to pick up some of her entourage after the shooting. Brown, who was not at the scene, tried to set up a meeting in the weeks after the shooting. There was no response from Kim.

Lil' Kim came out with the album La Bella Mafia in 2003, for which she won the Source Hip-Hop Music Award for female artist of the year. Then in August of 2004 Lil' Kim announced the startup of her personal designer watch label, Royalty, which will be manufactured by celebrity jeweler Jacob Arabo. On a down side, in March of 2005 Lil' Kim was convicted on federal perjury charges regarding that shooting incident in Manhattan in 2001. She was acquitted of the more serious charge of obstruction of justice, but she still received a sentence of one year and one day in jail plus a $50,000 fine. She began her sentence on September 19. She spent her days before going into jail finishing up her album, The Naked Truth, and filming a few videos to go with it. Much of the album dealt with her feelings surrounding her upcoming imprisonment, but she put a brave face on all of it. She even mentions Martha Stewart, who herself just recently got out of jail, in one of her songs. The album was released in late September. People magazine said of it, "The Naked Truth is hardly perfect; it's too long and has too much filler. But it sure does leave you waiting to hear what she comes up with when she gets out of prison."

In the midst of all this, Kim's goal was to become an entrepreneur and household name, according to an interview in Ebony. "I want the world to know that I can do anything," she said. "I'm versatile. ...I want people in India to know me. I want people in China to know me. I love people. That's my main reason for working so hard and wanting to get there. ...I see how much people love me, are empowered by me, and I know God has a reason for me being who I am," she concluded.

Awards

Platinum record for sales over one million, 1997 and 2000; won two Soul Train/Lady of Soul awards; Source Hip-Hop Music Award for female artist of the year, 2003.

Works

Selected discography

  • (as solo artist)
  • Hard Core, Undeas/Big Beat/Atlantic, 1996.
  • Notorious K.I.M., Atlantic, 2000.
  • (with Junior M.A.F.I.A.)
  • Conspiracy, Atlantic, 1995.
  • La Bella Mafia, Atlantic, 2003.
  • The Naked Truth, Atlantic, 2005.
Selected EP's, singles
  • Player's Anthem, Undeas/Atlantic, 1995.
  • No Time, Atlantic, 1996.
  • Not Tonight, Atlantic, 1997.
  • Hold On, Atlantic, 2000.
  • How Many Licks, Atlantic, 2000.
  • Videos
  • #2 X-Rated, 1997.
  • Best of Lil' Kim, 2000.
  • Guest Appearances
  • High School High (original soundtrack), Various Artists, 1996.
  • Sunset Park (original soundtrack), (with Junior M.A.F.I.A.),1996.
  • Share My World, Mary J. Blige, 1997.
  • Money Talks (original soundtrack), Various Artists, 1997.
  • My Way, Usher, 1997.
  • Chef Aid: The South Park Album, Various Artists, 1998.
  • Jermaine Dupri Presents: Life in 1472, Jermaine Dupri, 1998.
  • Hell City, Hell, Various Artists, 1998.
  • Forever, Puff Daddy, 1999.
  • Tunnel, Funkmaster Flex & Big Kap, 1999.
  • Wonderful World of Cease A Leo, Lil' Cease, 1999.
Selected filmography
  • She's All That, 1999.
  • Juwanna Mann, 2001.
  • Notable TV appearances
  • VIP, "Mao Better Blues," 1999.

Further Reading

Periodicals

  • Ebony, October 2000, p. 184.
  • Entertainment Weekly, July 14, 2000, p. 77.
  • Essence, October 2001, p. 112.
  • Harper's Bazaar, April 2000, p. 196.
  • Newsweek, September 26, 2005, p. 56.
  • People, September 26, 2005, p. 86; October 24, 2005, p. 49.
  • Time, March 12, 2001, p. 101.
Other
  • ABCNews.com, abcnews.go.com/wire/Entertainment/ap20031014_474.html (October 14, 2003).
  • E! Online, www.eonline.com (March 18, 2005).
  • E! Online, www.eonline.com (July 8, 2005).
  • CNN.com, www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/07/06/lil.kim.sentence.ap/index.html (July 8, 2005).
  • USA Today, www.usatoday.com/life/people/2004-08-11-lilkim-watches_x.htm (August 11, 2004).
  • Additional information was obtained at All-Music Guide, http://www.allmusic.com, Atlantic Records, http://www.atlantic-records.com, EOnline, http://www.eonline.com, Electronic Urban Report, http://www.eurweb.com, Internet Movie Database, http://www.imdb.com, and Wall of Sound, http://www.wallofsound.go.com/artists/lilkim/home.html.

— Brenna Sanchez and Ashyia N. Henderson

 
Wikipedia: Lil' Kim
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Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2007)
Lil' Kim

Background information
Birth name Kimberly Denise Jones
Also known as Lil Kim, Queen Bee
Born July 11, 1974 (1974-07-11) (age 33)[1]
Origin Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genre(s) Hip hop, Dirty Rap
Occupation(s) Rapper, songwriter, actress, model,
Years active 1994–present
Label(s) Queen Bee, Atlantic

Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975)[2] [3], better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American multi-platinum rapper and singer. Her 2005 album, The Naked Truth, was awarded the 5 mics award from The Source magazine. [4] She is the only female rapper so far to have achieved this distinction. In 2002, she won a Grammy Award for her role in "Lady Marmalade".

Contents

Biography

Early years

At the age of 9, her parents separated [2], leaving her and her older brother Christopher at home with her father. While struggling through her personal life, Kim met Christopher "B.I.G." Wallace, who was a key figure in both her personal and artistic life, particularly when Wallace had gained popularity and influence through his relationship with Bad Boy Records.

In 1994, Wallace was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn based group Junior M.A.F.I.A., which included Jones (aka "Big Momma" or "The Lieutenant") at the time. The group's first and only album was titled Conspiracy. The group released their first single, "Playas Anthem", which went on to top the rap charts. The album's second single, "I Need You Tonight" (featuring Aaliyah), was the only single released from the album that did not feature The Notorious B.I.G. The music video, directed by David Paolini, featured the members and Aaliyah holding a house party at Kim's house while she was away. The single reached #12 on the US Hot Rap Singles chart. The album's third single, "Get Money," was certified gold and made the top 20 on the Hot 100. The album debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200.

Career

1994–1997: Hardcore

After a year with Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jones began a solo career by recording her debut album. Hard Core was released on November 12, 1996. The album debuted at #11 on the Billboard 200 and #2 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Rap Albums Chart's The album's lead single "No Time", a duet with Puff Daddy, reached the #1 spot for nine weeks on the Rap Charts and was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album later produced the single "Crush On You". A remix of the album's track "Not Tonight" saw Lil' Kim team up with Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Da Brat and Left Eye of TLC. The song was released as part of the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence movie "Nothing To Lose" and went to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also earned Lil' Kim her first Grammy Award nomination. Not Tonight was certified platinum by the RIAA. In March 1997, her mentor and secret lover Notorious B.I.G. was shot and killed in Los Angeles.

1998–2000: The Notorious K.I.M.

From 1998 to 2000, Kim continued her road to stardom under the management of BIG's best friend, Damion "D-Roc" Butler's "Roc Management", toured and modeled for various fashion and pop culture companies including Candies, Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat. In 1999, she performed P. Diddy's "No Way Out" tour. In the same year, she launched her own label Queen Bee Entertainment and even though she hadn't had an album of her own released, she was seen on dozens of remixes and guest appearances on other artist's records. On June 27, 2000, Kim released her second album The Notorious K.I.M. The album marked a new image and revamped look for the rapper. Despite the limited success of its singles, the album surprisingly reached #4 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart selling 160,000 copies in its opening week. It was certified platinum by the RIAA, selling 1 million copies in the United States.

2001–2004: Moulin Rouge! and La Bella Mafia and Def Jam: Fight for NY

In 2001, Lil' Kim teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mýa to remake "Lady Marmalade", which was originally written about a bordello in New Orleans and performed by the group Labelle (which included diva Patti LaBelle) 25 years earlier. The song was recorded for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack, released in April 2001, and stayed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. The song also went to #1 in 50 countries around the world. This was a big accomplishment for female rap, as well as for Kim, who scored her first #1 Hot 100 hit and became the first female rapper in history to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lady Marmalade also garnered Kim her first Grammy Award.

In 2003, Lil' Kim recorded a new entrance theme for then World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Women's Champion Trish Stratus entitled, "Time to Rock 'n Roll", which was used during broadcasts, until Stratus' retirement. The single was released on WWE Anthology, a compilation of entrance theme music to various Professional Wrestling superstars.

On March 4, 2003, Kim released her third critically acclaimed album, La Bella Mafia. Highly rated (4.5 mics) by music magazine The Source, La Bella Mafia spawned the hit "The Jump Off" featuring Mr. Cheeks, which climbed to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single "Magic Stick", feat. 50 Cent, hit #2 on the Hot 100 without a video ever being shot.

La Bella Mafia debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. Kim was nominated for five Source Awards and won two ("Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year", and "Female Single of the Year"). This album also got two Grammy Award nominations: Best Female Rap Solo Performance ("Came Back For You") and Best Rap Collaboration ("Magic Stick"). She was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with singer Christina Aguilera for the song "Can't Hold Us Down", from Aguilera's album Stripped.

Lil' Kim also made an appearance on the multi-platform videogame Def Jam: Fight for NY. Kim provided voice-overs for her part in the storyline, where the player may fight an opponent to have Lil' Kim as his girlfriend. Kim requested to have orange hair, blue colored contacts and a navel ring. Her fighting style is martial art and her finishing move is the "Queen Bee Sting."

2005–2006: Criminal conviction and The Naked Truth

On March 17, 2005, Kim was found guilty of conspiracy and perjury for lying to a grand jury about her friends' involvement in a 2001 shooting outside the Hot 97 studios in Manhattan. She claimed not to have known that her manager (Damion "D-Roc" Butler) and another friend (Suif Jackson) were at the scene, despite video footage showing all three exiting the building. Both men have pleaded guilty to gun charges since. In July 2005, she was sentenced to a one-year-and-a-day in the Philadelphia Detention Center. She had requested to go to a camp center in Connecticut to be closer to her mother, but instead was ordered to report to the Philadelphia Detention Center. Her lawyer stated that, "A year and a day is actually less than a year sentence, because according to federal sentencing guidelines, if there's an extra day, time is credited to you". A parole bill was filed that reduced her sentence. Throughout her entire jail sentence, Kim's representatives declared that she was busy working; she wrote over 200 songs while in prison.

Despite her conviction, Kim released a fourth album, The Naked Truth, during her sentence on September 27, 2005. It earned her a 5 mic rating from The Source, making her the first and only female rapper to ever accomplish this feat (two 5 mic ratings). The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 charts, giving Kim her Third Top 10 debut on the charts. The Naked Truth didn't sell as well as her previous works, selling less than 400,000 copies. All three of her previous albums have been certlatinum and Kim has said that her jail sentence left her with no time to promote the project. There have been many rumors about a re-release of The Naked Truth but to no avail.

The music video for The Naked Truth's first single, "Lighters Up" was number one on BET's 106 & Park for two weeks. "Lighters Up," was a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The single also reached #76 on the German Single Chart, #12 on the UK Top 75 and #4 on the Finland Single Chart. The second single, "Whoa" was released on February 17, 2006. It reached No. 22 on Airplay. On March 9, BET premiered the show Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, which was filmed before Kim headed to jail. The show became the highest rated premiere in BET history, with 1.7 million viewers. A second season is currently in the works showcasing Lil' Kim in her post-prison lifestyle.

In May 2006, Debbie Harry released a Lil' Kim tribute song called "Dirty and Deep" in protest of her conviction. The song is available free from the Deborah Harry Home Page.

On June 6, 2006, Lil' Kim "The Dance Remixes" was released.

2006–present: Life after prison

On July 3, 2006, Kim was released from the Philadelphia Federal Detention Center. Hundreds of fans and supporters gathered around the prison as she made her release, holding a "Welcome Home" balloon and a dozen roses. After she waved to her fans and gave speeches to news reporters, Kim left in a 2007 Rolls Royce Phantom with a driver, telling the crowds, "Thank you, I love you all." According to her assistant, Kim was welcomed home by five different parties, including one hosted by VIBE magazine.

Things started looking up for Kim. However,in August of 2006, Jamaican Dancehall artist, Tanya Stephens, claimed in a suit filed in Manhattan federal court that Kim stole the lyrics from one of her songs, Mi And Mi God after flying her [Stephens] to New York, asking her to sing on one of her albums and belting out by heart the very song she pilfered to show what a big fan she was of Stephens, according to the suit. Stephens and her representatives from the Royalty Network were shocked when they first listened to Lil' Kim's late-2005 album, The Naked Truth. The lyrics of Kim's track Durty are said to match almost word for word with Stephens' Mi and Mi God recorded in Jamaica and released in 1997, on Stephens' album, Too Hype. It was never publicized what the outcome of the suit was.

Lil' Kim gave her first post-prison performance at VH1: Hip-Hop Honors 2006. Lil' Kim paid tribute to veteran rapper MC Lyte. Kim performed, "Lyte As A Rock" for Lyte's tribute. Lil' Kim stated "MC Lyte has paved the way for many rappers including myself, and I was honored to show respect for an amazing woman."

Kim was a judge on both seasons of the reality show Pussycat Dolls Present: on the The CW Television Network.

In the spring of 2007, Kim was heard on the remix to the popular Diddy song "Last Night" feat. Keyshia Cole. When rumors surfaced about the remix, many believed Kim wouldn't end up on the song,and after the first remix surfaced many wrote her her appearance off as another untrue rumor. They were proved wrong days later when a second remix of the song surfaced, featuring Kim & Busta Rhymes. This remix is the first time Kim & Diddy have worked together in many years, after a falling out.

Kim also was featured on "Let it Go" with Keyshia Cole and Missy Elliott. It was nominated in the 'Best Rap/Sung Collaboration' category at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards held February 2008. It lost however to Rihanna's song "Umbrella".

Hot 97's Annual Summer Jam took place in June 2007 at New Jersey's Giants Stadium, and Diddy was one of the acts performing. He shocked the fans by escalating into his 1997 mega hit, "It's All About the Benjamins" - and on The Lox's quotable portion of the song, instead of asking the crowd to rap it as he had done in the past, Diddy instead brought out his past notorious rivals: The Lox. By this time, the music stopped, and Diddy breathlessly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen. She's been gone for a while but say 'what's up' to the queen." And Lil' Kim, wearing a revealing red chiffon kimono shirt, performed her verse to "Benjamins" before jumping into her song, "Lighters Up" off her 2005 album The Naked Truth. Backstage after the show, Diddy commented exclusively to VIBE. "That was planned," he said, about the surprise performance with Lil Kim and The Lox. "We've been great for a long time, and a lot of people hear about the rumors, but we’ve been great. We put it together and we wanted to show the world we could."

Kim made a surprise performance with Diddy and Keyshia Cole for a remix to the "Last Night" at the 2007 BET Awards. Both Kim and Diddy have stated they may be working together again in the future. Rumors have surfaced that Bad Boy Records is attempting to sign Kim to a new recording contract, but there has been no confirmation.

Recently, Lil Kim has remixed a number of songs to get reacquainted with the music scene. Some of these remixes include Gimme More with Britney Spears, Freaky Gurl with Gucci Mane and Ludacris, No One with Alicia Keys, and I Get Money with 50 Cent.

She also took a huge step recently, ending her feud with 50 Cent and recording "Magic Stick Part 2 (Wanna Lick)" with him. It is the first single from the new G-Unit album.

On December 10, 2007, Lil’ Kim made an appearance on MTV’s “Mixtape Monday”, along with Mr. Cee, to formally announce the upcoming release of her first official mixtape entitled Ms. G.O.A.T. (Miss Greatest of All Time). According to Lil’ Kim, the mixtape serves not only as an opportunity to keep her fans satisfied with new music in between albums, but it is also an homage to past female rappers. On the mixtape, Lil’ Kim remakes classic songs, with her own Queen Bee twist, such as Lauryn Hill’s "Lost Ones", Lady of Rage’s Afro Puffs, MC Lyte’s "Cha Cha Cha", just to name a few. The mixtape also includes an official remix to Britney Spears’ Gimme More. Additionally, the mixtape includes a song called "Chillin' Tonight," which has had little radio success, but is said to be on Lil’ Kim’s untitled fifth solo album. The mixtape was released on December 27, 2007 to the internet but is now officially being released physically on May 27th! It is available for pre-order on amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, hmv.com as well as other sites. It is unknown whether it is the original mixtape with the hosts or whether it is a non-host version for the physical release since the covers on amazon say have 'lil' kim' on the front cover but no 'hosted by' text like on the original internet release cover

Lil Kim also discussed her reunion with former manager, Lance "Un" Rivera. She also announced that Trackmasters are producing her new album, and Mister Cee is helping put out her new mixtape. According to MTV, she says her time on Atlantic Records is over, and that she'll release her next album on her own Queen Bee Records in conjunction with the Flavor Unit (the Unit are also sharing co-managing duties with Un). Imperial Records will distribute the project.

In February 2008, "The Pussycat Dolls Presents: Girlicious" show began to air.

Recently a new Lil' Kim song leaked called "Respirator". In the song Kim uses Auto-Tune for the majority of the song. It is not known if it will be included on her upcoming album.

Kim made another surprise performance with Keyshia Cole for a duet of there song Let It Go at the 2008 BET Awards.

Discography

Main article: Lil' Kim discography

Albums

Mixtapes

  • 2007: Ms. G.O.A.T.

Singles

Year Single Chart peak positions Album
U.S. U.S. R&B U.S. Rap UK NZ GER NL SWI FIN SWE
1996 "No Time" (feat. Puff Daddy) 18 9 1 45 — — — — — — Hard Core
1997 "Crush On You" — 9 — 23 — — — — — —
"Not Tonight" (feat. Left Eye, Da Brat, Missy Elliott, and Angie Martinez) 6 3 2 11 4 99 31 — — 52
2000 "No Matter What They Say" 60 15 6 35 — — — — — — The Notorious K.I.M.
"How Many Licks?" (feat. Sisqo) 75 36 11 — — 38 6 — — —
"Hold On" (feat. Mary J. Blige) 48 9 — — — — — — — —
2001 "Lady Marmalade" (with Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Mýa) 1 48 — 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 Moulin Rouge
"In The Air Tonite" (feat. Phil Collins) — — — 26 — 3 30 11 — 27 Urban Renewal
2002 "Kimnotyze" (with DJ Tomekk) — — — — — 6 — 43 — — Best Of Life, Vol. 1
2003 "The Jump Off" (feat. Mr. Cheeks) 16 8 7 16 — 78 83 — — — La Bella Mafia
"Magic Stick" (feat. 50 Cent) 2 2 1 23 47 — — — — —
"Thug Luv" (feat. Twista) — 60 14 — — — — — — —
2005 "Lighters Up" 31 9 8 12 — 67 — — 4 58 The Naked Truth
2006 "Whoa" 104 30 — 43 — — — — — —
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Featured Singles

Year Song US UK GER Album
1997 "I Can Love You" (Mary J. Blige feat. Lil' Kim and sonny) 28 - - Share My World
1998 "Money, Power & Respect" (The Lox feat. Lil' Kim) 17 - - Money, Power & Respect
2001 "Wait A Minute" (Ray-J feat. Lil' Kim) 30 54 72 This Ain't a Game
2003 "Can't Hold Us Down" (Christina Aguilera feat. Lil' Kim) 12 6 9 Stripped
2004 "Sugar (Gimme Some)" (Trick Daddy feat. Lil' Kim, Ludacris & Cee-Lo) 20 61 - Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets
2005 "Get Down on It" (Blue feat. Lil' Kim) - 47 29 4Ever Blue
2007 "Let It Go" (Keyshia Cole feat. Lil' Kim & Missy Elliott) 7 - - Just Like You
"Wanna Lick" (50 Cent of G-Unit feat. Lil' Kim) - - - Lock and Load

Filmography

Television

Awards

  • Grammy Awards
    • 1997: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ladies Night (Not Tonight remix)" (with Missy Elliott, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Da Brat, and Angie Martinez) (nominated)
    • 2002: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Lady Marmalade"
    • 2003: Best Female Rap Solo Performance for "Came Back for You" (nominated)
    • 2003: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Can't Hold Us Down" (with Christina Aguilera) (nominated)
    • 2003: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Magic Stick" (with 50 Cent) (nominated)
    • 2008: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Let It Go" (with Keyshia Cole & Missy Elliott, ) (nominated)
  • MTV Video Music Awards
    • 1998: Viewer's Choice for "All About The Benjamins" (with P. Diddy and others)
    • 2001: Video of the Year for "Lady Marmalade"
    • 2001: Best Video from a Film for "Lady Marmalade"
  • My VH1 Awards
    • 2001: Favorite Video ("Lady Marmalade")
    • 2001: Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Just My Video? ("Lady Marmalade")
  • Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
    • 1997: Best Video by a Female - Rap/R&B ("Crush On You")
    • 1998: Best Video by a Female - Rap/R&B ("Not Tonight (remix)")
  • Source Awards
    • 2003: Female Artist of the Year
    • 2003: Female Single of the Year "The Jumpoff"
  • Teen Choice Awards
    • 2001: Choice Song of the Summer ("Lady Marmalade")
  • MOBO Awards
    • 2003: Most Stylish Artist of the Year
  • Radio Music Awards
    • 2001: Song of the Year Top 40 Pop Radio-"Lady Marmalade"
  • TMF Awards-Belgium
    • 2001: Video of The Year-"Lady Marmalade"
  • TMF Awards-Netherlands
    • 2001: Video of The Year-"Lady Marmalade"
  • ALMA Awards
    • 2002: Outstanding Song- Motion Picture Soundtrack "Lady Marmalade"
  • ASCAP Music Awards
    • 2002: Song of the Year-"Lady Marmalade"
  • MTV Japan Awards
    • 2002: Best Choreography "Lady Marmalade"
  • MVPA Video Awards
    • 2002: Best Styling In A Video-"Lady Marmalade"
  • VIBE Awards
  • 2005: Album of the Year The Naked Truth (nominated)
  • BET Awards
    • 2006: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated)
  • American Music Awards
    • 2003: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
    • 2005: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated)

Reference

  1. ^ nndb (2008). Lil' Kim. NNDB. Retrieved on 2008-06-24.
  2. ^ a b MSN (2008). Lil' Kim on MSN Music. MSN. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  3. ^ Starpulse (2008). Lil Kim. Starpulse. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
  4. ^ IMDB (2008). [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0428591/bio Biography for Kimberly 'Lil' Kim' Jones]. IMDB. Retrieved on 2008-03-13.

External links