Lil’ Kim
b. 1974
Brooklyn, New York
Rapper, model
Hailing from Brooklyn, Kimberly Denise "Lil' Kim" Jones dominated the late '90s with her explicit rap lyrics.
This content, typically reserved for male rappers, put Lil' Kim at the forefront of mainstream media, switching up the game and exposing us all to her talents.
Lil' Kim joined Biggie Smalls' group - Junior M.A.F.I.A., and released her first album, Hard Core, which (at the time) was the largest debut for a female rapper.
With that album, Lil' Kim cemented her status as the original Queen Bee 💋.
-
Three platinum-certified albums (Hard Core, 1996, The Notorious K.I.M, 2000, and La Bella Mafia, 2003)
Grammy, Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals, "Lady Marmalade" (2001)
First woman rapper to have a Number 1 spot on Billboard 100 ("Lady Marmalade")
-
“My mom told me I wasn’t allowed to listen to her, but I did anyway! I really had no business rapping along to her songs at my young age, but all my male classmates were imitating Biggie, so it was only right that I rapped to Lil’ Kim!”
- Courtnie R.
“I love all the female rappers out right now! Flo Milli and Meg Thee Stallion specifically because they are open about their sexuality and are just as explicit as male rappers and I appreciate that a lot. Lil’ Kim’s influence!!”
-Marley M.
-
RELATED
-
Ashanti
-
Missy Elliott
-
SWV