Rap music has always been testosterone-fueled and male-driven. That's a fact. Rap music has always been lambasted for its misogynistic lyrics and the way it portrays women as second class (at best) citizens. The female MC has always had to work twice as hard as her male counterparts to be taken seriously. To be seen as more than the mouthpiece of the MC who "co-signed" her into the game. Legends like MC Lyte, Monie Love, Yo-Yo, Queen Latifah, Boss, & Salt-N-Pepa spent parts of the late 80's & 90's carrying the flag for women in the rap game. But, none of the aforementioned ever had the cultural impact that our Artist of the Week did from the moment she stepped on the scene.
Lil Kim (aka Kimberly Jones) was a star from the first moment that
you heard her voice. Brought to our attention on the Junior Mafia
debut single, "Players's Anthem," Lil' Kim was instantly the star of the
show. (No small feat when the track featured one of the greatest
rappers of all time in The Notorious B.I.G.) Kim was something
different unafraid to be the hardest one on the track while at the same
time being unapologetic about her sexuality. Here was a young woman who
was letting you know that she was just as grimy as the fellas but she
was going to do it in designer heels.
The Junior M.A.F.I.A. album was a success and the obvious standout
of group was the Queen Bee, Lil Kim. Record labels are anything but
stupid and it was a no-brainer to let Lil Kim headline her own LP. What
followed was 1996's Hardcore a release that was predated by one of the most recognizable promo photos in the history of rap music. To say that Hardcore was
a success is an understatement. Hard Core debuted at number eleven on
the U.S. Billboard 200, the highest debut for a female rap album at that
time. In the United States, Hard Core was certified double platinum by
the RIAA, and is considered by many a classic hip hop album. The album
spawned multiple top selling singles as well including Crush on You, No Time, and Not Tonight.
Lil Kim instantly became the go to female MC for features and
collabos; a spot that had up to that point had largely held by her male
counterparts. She lent her voice to dozens of high profile records over
the latter half of the decade. Staying busy with highlight making
moments with Mobb Deep, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Missy Elliot,
and Diddy. Among her other accomplishments were the numerous
endorsement deals that she garnered outside of the hip hop arena.
Modeling and touring for numerous fashion brands including Versace and
Baby Phat as well as becoming a sought after entertainment personality.
Kim was perhaps the most influential female artist of the 90's
even though she only released one album in the decade. Over the
following decade Kim would return to the studio and follow up the
success of Hardcore with multiple platinum albums. But, perhaps, the
biggest milestone in what should easily be a Hall of Fame career came in
2005. Lil Kim achieved and remains the only female artist to receive
the prestigious "5 mics" award from The Source magazine for her album The Naked Truth.
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