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
Posted on 13 Mar 2012 by LilKimZone
Kim on 106 & Park
Posted on 10 Mar 2012 by LilKimZone
BET 106 & Park Pictures
Pic credit: ?
It's been 15 years since the world lost one of the most influential figures in hip hop and tomorrow night 106 & Park will pay homage to the late great rapper who has inspired this generation's artists.
106 will discuss Biggie's legacy with special guest and one of this week's Freestyle Friday judges, Lil' Kim. Remember that one of Lil' Kim's biggest inspirations throughout the duration of her entire career has been Biggie, and she still credits him with a lot of her success to this day.
To see all of the other ways that 106 & Park is going to honor the life and legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. tune in today at 6P/5C.
It's time to bumble with the bee again: Lil' Kim is coming back to "RapFix Live." In March 2011, the Notorious K.I.M. graced the "RapFix" couch for the very first time, and on Wednesday (almost exactly a year later), Kim will make her return.
Catch Lil' Kim on "RapFix Live" Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET on MTV.com, and be sure to join the Twitter conversation using the hashtag #RapFixLive. Send your questions for Lil Kim @MTVRapFix!
