Lil' Kim
Brooklyn's "Queen Bee", protégé of the Notorious B.I.G., who changed how women could present themselves in rap.
Key albums
Hard CoreThe Notorious K.I.M.La Bella Mafia
Key tracks
No TimeCrush on YouLady Marmalade (with Christina Aguilera, Mýa and Pink)The Jump OffMagic Stick
Who is Lil' Kim?
Lil' Kim (Kimberly Jones) is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. She came up in Junior M.A.F.I.A., the group around the Notorious B.I.G.
Known for
Her debut Hard Core (1996), with "No Time" and "Crush on You", followed by The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003). She won a Grammy for the hit "Lady Marmalade" (2001).
Style
Explicit, confident and glamorous. She rapped about sex and power as openly as the men did, with a sharp flow and an over-the-top fashion sense.
Impact
Lil' Kim broke taboos for women in hip-hop and paved the way for artists like Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.
Influences
- The Notorious B.I.G. (her mentor)
