Lil' Kim is a female rapper, songwriter, model, actress, and producer from the United States. She started her professional career in the entertainment industry as a teenager, and she is well-known for her powerful voice and unrestrained rapping style. She began by rapping freestyle for rapper The Notorious B.I.G. She was once a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A. Later, she launched her solo album 'Hard Core,' which received widespread acclaim. Among her other albums are 'The Notorious K.I.M.,' 'La Bella Mafia,' 'The Naked Truth,' and the mixtape Ms. G.O.A.T.
Her skills have brought her several honors, including Grammys and Billboard Music Awards. She has collaborated on music projects with numerous other celebrities, including Christina Aguilera, Young Jeezy, French Montana, Miley Cyrus, Jadakiss, Beyonce, and Yo Gotti. Aside from her singing career, she has taken up modeling projects since her early days and has collaborated with companies such as MAC, Brandy, and Old Navy.
She is a philanthropist who has participated in a number of tours and fundraising activities to raise awareness for topics such as HIV/AIDS, breast cancer awareness, homelessness, child neglect, violence against women, and so on.
Childhood & Early Life :
Kimberly Denise Jones was born on July 11, 1975, in Brooklyn, New York, to Linwood Jones and Ruby Jones. Her dad was a former United States Marine. Her older brother's name is Christopher.
Her parents divorced when she was nine years old, and she began living with her father. Her connection with her father, on the other hand, was tense.
Her primary education was received at Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn. She later attended Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School for a few years before being transferred to Brooklyn College Academy to finish her schooling.
Her father booted her out of the house when she was sixteen. As a result, she dropped out of high school and began living on the streets.
Career :
In her teens, she met The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie Smalls, who had an important impact on her personal and creative life. He was crucial in forming and promoting the Brooklyn-based group Junior M.A.F.I.A., of which she was a member, in 1994.
The group's debut album, 'Conspiracy,' was released in 1995 to mixed reviews. Lil' Kim shot to fame with the album's first track, "Player's Anthem." The business respected her voice.
Her debut solo album, 'Hard Core,' was published in 1996. The album's popularity was due to her outspoken approach and lyrical cleverness. The album opened at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, the highest for a female rapper at the time. In 2001, the RIAA recognized the album as double platinum.
Wilhelmina Models first signed her in 1998. She has also been named the face of the fashion company Brandy,' making her the first rapper to do so. She has also worked with the cosmetics company MAC, the apparel brand Old Navy, and the AOl Internet Service.
After the success of her record 'Hard Core,' Lil' Kim was preparing for a gig in New York City when she learned that Biggie, the team's mentor, had been assassinated. Lil' Kim and her crew faced an uncertain future as a result of Biggie's death. She canceled her sophomore album plans and appeared on projects by Puff Daddy and Mobb Deep.
Notorious K.I.M., her second album, was released in 2000. The album, while not as popular as her debut, peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The RIAA certified it Platinum four weeks after its debut.
Pink, Ma, and Christina Aguilera collaborated on the rendition of Patti Labelle's "Lady Marmalade" for the album of 'Moulin Rouge' in 2001 along with Lil Kim. The song was a huge hit and won numerous accolades that year, including a Grammy. She rose to prominence as one of the most sought-after rappers of the period as a result of the success of this endeavor.
In 2003, she released her debut album, 'La Bella Mafia,' which included Kanye West, Timbaland, and Missy Elliot. She also worked with Christina Aguilera on the song "Can't Hold Us Down," which appears on the latter's album "Stripped."
The following year, she recorded a rendition of 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin', which was included in Victoria Gotti's series 'Growing up Gotti.' In 2004, she was also featured in Beyonce's 'Naughty Girl.'
In 2004, she additionally launched her 'Royalty by Lil' Kim' luxury watch collection. Her apparel brand, titled 'Hollyhood,' was also released. She was soon affiliated with the shoe company Petite Peton.
The next album, 'The Naked Truth,' was published in 2005, while she was incarcerated. 'The Source' gave her a 5-mic rating, making her the only female rapper to ever get the honor.
On March 9, 2006, BET aired her final 14 days of freedom before being imprisoned for 366 days in a six-part series titled 'Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown.'
She appeared as a judge on the series 'The Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll' and 'Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious in 2007 and 2008.
In 2008, she announced her split from Atlantic Records and released her debut mixtape, 'Ms. G.O.A.T.' The album garnered favorable reviews.
She appeared in the eighth season of the reality show "Dancing with the Stars" in 2009. She was paired with dancer Derek Hough and finished fifth. The next year, she launched her 2010 tour, which took her across Canada, Europe, and the United States.
She and her cousin Katrise Jones started their beauty shop 'Salon Se Swa' in North Carolina in 2010. This was followed by the launch of her second apparel brand, the '24/7 Goddess Collection.'
'Black Friday,' her second mixtape, was released in 2011. The mixtape received negative feedback. She traveled to South Africa for the Zarfest music festival the same year, as well as Australia for the WinterBeatz Festival. In November of that year, she also released the track 'I Am Not the One.'
On Valentine's Day 2012, she released the song 'If You Love Me for her admirers. She began her Return of the Queen Tour in May 2012, with mostly positive reviews. During the same year, she signed Tiffany Foxx to her company IRS Records.
While her third mixtape was supposed to be published in 2013, it was postponed for a variety of reasons. As a result, she made available to the public hits such as 'Dead Gal Walking' and 'Kimmy Blanco.' Later that year, the Hard Core mixtape was made available for free download on her own website. Her fourth mixtape, 'Lil Kim Season,' was released in 2016.
In 2017, she is set to appear on Faith Evan's album 'The King & I' in the song 'Lovin You for Life.' She has also revealed that she is working on a new album alongside Cardi B and Remy Ma. Other releases include Lil Kim Season 2: The Originals, the follow-up mixtape to Lil Kim Season.
Major Works :
Lil' Kim is famous for her loud voice and free rhyming style. Among her most well-known works are 'Hard Core' (1996), 'The Notorious K.I.M' (2000), and 'La Bella Mafia' (2001). (2003). She came to prominence with the version of 'Lady Marmalade' for 'Moulin Rouge,' which she co-wrote with musicians Ma, Pink, and Christina Aguilera.
Awards & Achievements :
In 2002, she received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for 'Lady Marmalade,' which she co-wrote with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Ma. The same song earned her multiple honors, including the Channel [V] Thailand Music Video Awards for Popular Group Video, MVPA Awards for Best Styling and Best Soundtrack, MTV Asia Awards, Radio Music Award, and Billboard Music Awards-Director of the Year that year. In 2003, Lil'Kim received the MOBO - Fashion Icon Award. The VH1 Hip-Hop Honors recognized her in 2016.
Personal Life & Legacy :
Lil'Kim was in a relationship with Shawn Powell while she was a teenager. They dated for a few years, during which time Powell was convicted and imprisoned for robbery. They got engaged while he was in prison. Lil'Kim aspired to be a rapper, which led to the breakup of her relationship with Shawn Powell.
During this time, she met rapper Christopher Wallace and had an on-again, off-again romance with him. This was the case till his death in 1997. She was pregnant with Wallace's kid at the time of his death, but she opted not to retain the child and told the public about it years later.
In 2002, she started dating Damion "World" Hardy, who was a known drug dealer. Lil' Kim had also stated that she was physically abused during the relationship, and the couple divorced a year later, in 2003.
Lil' Kim had also stated that she was physically abused during the relationship, and the couple divorced a year later, in 2003. She started dating record producer Scott Storch in 2004, but they split up after two months.
She was romantically connected with singer, songwriter, and television personality Ray J in 2007, and they had a daughter together. She later began a relationship with rapper Mr. Papers. She and he have a daughter named Royal Reign, who was born in 2014.
She has indeed been active in various humanitarian projects, including assisting persons with HIV/AIDS, raising cash for the United Way's September 11th Fund, and supporting groups that encourage breast cancer research and treatment. She has long been an LGBT rights activist.