Superstar Kimberly ‘Lil’ Kim’ Jones stepped into the scene in 1994 as
the Notorious B.I.G.’s protege and first lady of the Brooklyn-bred rap
group Junior Mafia. The pint-sized rapper packed a big punch standing
next to her mentor spitting daring, unforgettable rhymes that
certified their debut album, Conspiracy, gold. Kim’s ability to
mesh porn-laced lyrics over gritty beats intrigued the hip hop world
who obviously wanted more of the BK rapper. Her solo debut album,
Hardcore, was quickly certified double platinum and pushed her over
the top as a huge rap star.
Following her mentor B.I.G.’s untimely death in 1997, Lil Kim continued
his legacy and quashed any rumors of her disappearing in the game. In
2000, she released The Notorious K.I.M. and La Bella Mafia which
were both certified platinum making Kim, along with Missy Elliot, the
only female rapper with at least 3 platinum albums. She took home a
Grammy for her collaboration on Lady Marmalade and in 2003 she won the
Source award for Female Artist of the year and Female Single of the
Year for her hit “Jump Off.” Although Kim credits B.I.G. in cultivating her craft and making her an
international household name, it was Kim who took her career to the
next level appearing in multiple television and films, winning
countless awards and serving as the muse for several high fashion
designers. Lil Kim constantly switched up her unique, yet risque
fashion and hairstyles making Kim a worldwide trendsetter as the world
watched to see what she would do next.
Kim continued to stay true to herself before serving jail time for
lying to a grand jury. She still represented her borough on songs
like “Lighters Up” and taped a reality show leading up to her journey
to prison as a goodbye to her fans. Although Lil Kim was sentenced to
a year, she returned home to welcome arms as the hip hop world
embraced her ready for more music. She took a break to Dance with the
Stars, and stayed visible releasing tracks for her hardcore fans. As
Kim plans to release new music, its clear that her strength, tenacity
and ability to start over will forever make her one of our Female Rap
Legends.
–Courtney Brown(@CourtneyBrown)
