Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim | |
|---|---|
| File:Lilkimtattoo.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Years active | Junior M.A.F.I.A. 1994-1996, 1996–present |
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), also known as Lil' Kim and the Queen Bee, is an American rap music artist, known for her sexually explicit lyrics and the revealing outfits she wears in her public appearances and magazine layouts.
During the late '90s and 2000s, Lil' Kim has risen to become one of the most prominent female rap artists of her time. As a recording artist, her uninhibited "hardcore XXX" style of rap has paved the way for many other female rap artists, including Trina, Jacki-O, and Terror Squad's Remy Ma.
Lil' Kim's antics outside the studio, however, have perpetuated the stereotype of American rappers as a violent and unlawful clique. At a February 2001 incident in New York City in which a rival of Lil' Kim was shot in the back, Kim fled the scene in her limousine and later thwarted police at her New Jersey home despite being intimately involved in the shooting.
Biography
Early years
Lil' Kim was born in Brooklyn in New York City, New York. She received the nickname of "Lil" due to her 4 ft 11 in frame. At the age of nine, her parents separated, and until the time she became a teenager, she lived with her father. However, due to their strained relationship, she moved in with friends and spent most of the time out on the streets, surrounded by people who dealt drugs and lived the street life. She then met Christopher Wallace (A.K.A. Notorious B.I.G.) who had just signed a record deal with Bad Boy Records and wanted to bring her in on his success.
The Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Hard Core
Christopher introduced Kim to New York rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., in which Kim became the only female member. In 1995, they released their debut album Conspiracy, which debuted at #8 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and spawned the top twenty hit "Get Money."
After her success with the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Kim went solo, releasing her controversial debut album Hard Core on November 12, 1996. Despite its critical acclaim among music critics, it is probably remembered more for the promotionals than anything else (one "coming soon" poster had Kim sitting in an open squatting position.) Still, the sexual ad campaign seemed to only fuel Kim's success, as Hard Core became a hit, debuting and ultimately peaking at #11 on the Billboard 200 and going on to achieve double-platinum status. The lead single, "No Time" (featuring Puff Daddy), became a top twenty hit; its follow-up, "Not Tonight," proved to be an even bigger success, as it went on to reach the top ten of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
All seemed to be going well for Kim until the spring of 1997, when her mentor and love Notorious B.I.G. was murdered. Although singer Faith Evans is listed as his widow, Kim made it known that she and Biggie were in love and was visibly emotional at his funeral; she was even pregnant by him, although she had an abortion.
===The Notorious K.I.M.===
After Biggie's death, Kim took a break from her own music, but still made guest appearances on other artists' albums. In 1998, she toured with Puff Daddy on the "No Way Out" tour. 1999 saw the launch of her own record label, Queen Bee Records, and in 2000, Lil' Kim returned with a new look and a new album. The Notorious K.I.M. debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and was later certified platinum. The two singles released in the U.S., "No Matter What They Say" and "How Many Licks?," both performed poorly on the charts and only made it into the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100. The record on a whole was also not received as well as her debut by critics.
It wasn't until 2001 that Kim had her first true mainstream hit. She teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink to remake LaBelle's class hit "Lady Marmalade" for the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack. The single peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, making it Kim's first #1 single and her the first female rap artist to hit #1 on the chart. The song subsequently was one of the biggest hits of the year, and went on to win a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.
La Bella Mafia
On March 4, 2003, Kim released her highly anticipated third album, La Bella Mafia. The album featured the hits "Jump Off" and "Magicstick" featuring fellow controversial rapper 50 Cent. La Bella Mafia debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. By the end of 2003,it was Platinum.
Criminal Conviction
In 2005, Kim was found guilty of conspiracy and perjury for lying to a grand jury about a shooting incident involving the entourage of rap duo Capone N Noreaga and her reported fellow BK rival Foxy Brown. She was fined $50,000 and sentenced to a year and one day at the Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia, which she reported to on Monday, September 19, 2005. Her designated federal inmate prison number is 56198-054. The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator shows her projected release date as August 2 2006.
Despite all of this, Kim still released her classic album, The Naked Truth, during her sentence on September 27, 2005 which earned her 5 MICS by The Source, the first female rapper to ever accomplish this feat. The album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 selling 108,000 copies in its first week. Unfortunately, the album quickly fell off the charts, selling only 314,000 copies total according to Soundscan. The album's failure was blamed on the record label not properly promoting the album. With Kim serving her sentence and her label doing nothing to help the album's numbers, the album failed to live up to expectations and made it her worst selling album. Its primary single, "Lighters Up," has already become a Top 10 hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts. Announced in January of 06 it was reported that Lil Kim's prison days that was set for August, was lowered to June. It was because of good behavior.
Lil Kim's appearance has changed dramatically. Once known for her outrageous wigs, blue contacts, and "barely there" outfits has been overshadowed by her obvious interest in plastic surgery. It's been discussed on many internet forums and chats about her ever changing appearance. Magazines have also expressed some concern about her nose, lips, breasts, cheeks, teeth, and extreme skin bleaching. Recent photos have surfaced of her in a NASCAR suit with her skin so bleached it is pink in some places, especially her forehead.
Discography
Albums
| Album information |
|---|
Hard Core
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The Notorious K.I.M.
|
La Bella Mafia
|
The Naked Truth
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1996 | "No Time" (featuring Puff daddy) |
#18 | #9 | #1 | #45 | Hard Core |
| 1996 | "Crush On You" | - | - | - | #36 | Hard Core |
| 1996 | "Not Tonight" | #6 | #3 | #2 | #11 | Hard Core |
| 1997 | "Crush On You" [Re-Release] | - | - | - | #23 | Hard Core |
| 2000 | "No Matter What They Say" | #60 | #15 | #6 | #35 | The Notorious K.I.M. |
| 2000 | "How Many Licks?" (featuring Sisqó) |
#75 | #36 | #11 | - | The Notorious K.I.M. |
| 2001 | "Lady Marmalade" (with Mya, Pink & Christina Aguilera) |
#1 | #12 | - | #1 | Moulin Rouge |
| 2000 | "In The Air Tonite" (featuring Phil Collins) |
- | - | - | #26 | Urban Renewal (The Songs Of Phil Collins) |
| 2003 | "The Jump Off" (featuring Mr. Cheeks) |
#17 | #2 | #1 | #16 | La Bella Mafia |
| 2003 | "Magic Stick" (featuring 50 Cent) |
#2 | #2 | #1 | - | La Bella Mafia |
| 2003 | "Thug Luv" (featuring Twista) |
- | #60 | - | - | La Bella Mafia |
| 2005 | "Lighters Up" | #31 | #9 | #8 | #12 | The Naked Truth |
| 2005 | "Whoa" | - | #68 | - | - | The Naked Truth |
Featured Roles
| Year | Title | Chart Positions | Album | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 | US R&B/Hip-Hop | US Rap | UK Singles Chart | |||
| 1998 | "Hit 'Em Wit Da Hee" (Missy 'Misdemeanor' Elliott featuring Lil' Kim, Timbaland & Mocha) |
- | - | - | #25 | Supa Dupa Fly |
| 2001 | "Wait A Minute" (Ray J featuring Lil' Kim)" |
#30 | #8 | - | #54 | This Ain't A Game |
| 2003 | "Can't Hold Us Down"" (Christina Aguilera Featuring Lil' Kim) |
#12 | - | - | #6 | Stripped |
| 2005 | "Suga (Gimme Some)" (Trick Daddy Featuring Ludacris, Lil' Kim & Cee-Lo) |
#20 | #36 | #12 | #61 | Thug Matrimony: Married To The Streets |
DVD/VHS and videos
- 2000: Best of Lil' Kim
- 2005: Meaning of Family
Filmography
- She's All That (1999)
- Longshot (2000)
- Zoolander (2001) (Cameo)
- Juwanna Mann (2002)
- Those Who Walk in Darkness (2003)
- Gang of Roses (2003)
- Nora's Hair Salon (2004)
- You Got Served (2004)
- Lil' Pimp (2005) (voice)
- There's a God on the Mic (2005) (documentary)
Grammy Award History
Grammy Stats Total Nominations: 5 Total Wins: 1
Best Pop Collaboration w/ Vocals
- "Can't Hold Us Down" w/ Christina Aguilera Nominated 2003 "WON"
- "Lady Marmalade" w/ Christina Aguilera Mya Pink WON 2001
Best Female Rap Solo Performance
- "Came Back For You" Nominated 2003"WON"
Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group
- "Magic Stick" w/ 50 Cent Nominated 2003
- "Ladies Night" w/ Missy Elliott Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes Da Brat Angie Martinez Nominated 1997
Awards
- MTV Video Music Awards
- 2001: Video of the Year ("Lady Marmalade")
- 2001: Best Video from a Film ("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 ("Ladies Night/Not Tonight")
- Source Awards
- 2003: Female Artist of the Year
- Teen Choice Awards
- 2001: Choice Song of the Summer ("Lady Marmalade")
- 2005: Worst Plastic Surgery EVER!