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,
Lil' Kim was a rarity among female rappers -- one that not only concentrated
on edgy hardcore rap but also explicit sexuality, two territories that had long
been the province of male rappers. Of course,
Lil' 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
Lil' Kim was a key part of the group's hit debut single, "Player's Anthem."
Lil' 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,
Lil' 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.
Lil' 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. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
