Lil Kim is an American rapper and songwriter who has earned five Grammy Award nominations. She is known for her raunchy lyrics and provocative style, which helped her become one of the most successful female rappers of all time.
Lil Kim, born Kimberly Denise Jones on July 11th, 1975 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. She was the daughter of Ruby Mae and Linwood Jones. Her father abandoned the family when she was nine years old, leaving her mother to raise her alone. At a young age, she developed an interest in hip hop music and began writing rhymes at the age of 14.
In 1994, she formed the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., which included rapper The Notorious B.I.G.. Their debut album “Conspiracy” peaked at number 8 on the Billboard 200 Chart in 1995 and produced several hit singles including “Get Money” and “Player's Anthem”. After Biggie's death in 1997, Lil Kim went solo and released her debut album “Hard Core” in 1996 which debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum by RIAA for selling over two million copies in the United States.
Her second album “The Notorious K.I.M” was released in 2000 and spawned two hit singles "No Matter What They Say" and "How Many Licks". In 2005, Lil Kim released her fourth studio album “The Naked Truth” which debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 Chart, making it her highest-charting solo album to date and was certified gold by RIAA for selling over 500,000 copies in the United States.
Throughout her career, Lil Kim has collaborated with many popular artists including Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, TLC, P!nk and Christina Aguilera among others. In 2019 Lil Kim made a comeback with her fifth studio album “9″ which featured guest appearances from Rick Ross, Musiq Soulchild and O.T Genasis among others as well as production from Timbaland and Polow Da Don among others.
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1974</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Lil Kim is Born</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">On July 11, 1974, Kimberly Denise Jones was born in Brooklyn, New York.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">1995</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Debut Album 'Hard Core' Released</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lil Kim releases her debut album Hard Core, which spawns the hit singles "No Time" and "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)".</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2000</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Grammy Nomination for Notorious K.I.M.</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lil Kim's second studio album Notorious K.I.M. is nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Album.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2005</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Fashion Line Launch</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lil Kim launches her own fashion line, Royalty by Lil' Kim.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2009</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Records with Lady Gaga</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Records a song with Lady Gaga called "Dance in the Dark" on her album The Fame Monster.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2013</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Releases 5th Studio Album</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Released her fifth studio album Hard Core 2K13, which was a commercial success.</p></div>
<div id="" class="timeline-item"><p id="" class="timeline-year">2019</p><h3 id="" class="timeline-title">Releases Sixth Studio Album '9'</h3><p id="" class="timeline-text">Lil Kim releases her sixth studio album 9, which features guest appearances from Rick Ross, City Girls, O.T. Genasis, and more.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">A.</span> She's an Incredible Performer</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Lil Kim is an incredible performer. She has a powerful stage presence and always brings her unique style to the stage. Her performances are always full of energy and her charisma is contagious.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">B.</span> She Pioneered Female Rap</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Lil Kim was one of the first female rappers to gain mainstream success. She broke down barriers for female artists in hip hop and helped pave the way for other women in the genre.</p></div>
<div id="" class="whywelove-item"><h3 id="" class="whywelove-title"><span class="whywelove-leter">C.</span> She's an Iconic Style Icon</h3><p id="" class="whywelove-text">Lil Kim is an iconic fashion icon. Her bold and daring style has been imitated by many throughout the years, making her a true trendsetter. From her signature pink hair to her colorful clothes, she has made her mark on fashion.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">1.</span> First Female Solo Rapper to Hit Number One on the Billboard Hot 100</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Lil' Kim was the first female solo rapper to hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with her hit single, "Lady Marmalade."</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">2.</span> First Female Rapper to Receive a VMA Award</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Lil' Kim was the first female rapper to receive a MTV Video Music Award when she won Best Hip-Hop Video for "Crush On You" in 1999.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">3.</span> Invented the Term “Myspace Ho”</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2006, Lil' Kim invented the term "myspace ho" to describe women who used social media platforms such as MySpace to meet men and exchange sexual favors.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">4.</span> Appeared in Playboy Magazine</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">In 2007, Lil' Kim appeared in the pages of Playboy magazine. She was the first rapper to appear in the magazine.</p></div>
<div id="" class="facts-item"><h3 id="" class="facts-title"><span class="facts-number">5.</span> Starred in a Reality TV Show</h3><p id="" class="facts-text">Lil' Kim starred in a reality show called Girls Cruise that aired on VH1 in 2019. The show followed her and her celebrity friends as they traveled around the world on a luxury cruise ship.</p></div>