Actors - Lil' Kim

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	Actors - Lil' Kim

Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975), also known as Lil' Kim and the Queen Bee, is an American hardcore rap artist, known for sexually explicit lyrics and boundary-pushing attire.

During the late '90s and 2000s, Lil' Kim rose to become one of the most prominent female rap artists of her time. As a recording artist, her uninhibited "hardcore XXX" style of rap has paved the way for many other female rap artists, including Trina and Terror Squad's Remy Ma.

Biography

Early years

Lil' Kim was born in Brooklyn in New York City, New York. She received the nickname of "Lil" due to her petite 5 ft frame. At the age of nine, her parents separated, which marked the beginning of a tumultous lifestyle. Due to the strained relationship between her and her custodial father, she ran away as a teen, living with friends and eventually on the streets, which exposed her to the "street life" that is frequently mentioned in her songs. However, while in her late teens, her rhyming came to the attention of rapper Christopher Wallace (A.K.A. Notorious B.I.G.) who had just signed a record deal with Bad Boy Records.Lil Kim is of African-American,Jamaican And Puertorican descent.

The Junior M.A.F.I.A. & Hard Core

Christopher introduced Kim to New York rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., in which Kim became the only female member. In 1995, they released their debut album Conspiracy, which debuted at #8 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and spawned the top twenty hit "Get Money."

After her success with the Junior M.A.F.I.A., Kim went solo, releasing her controversial debut album Hard Core on November 12, 1996. This album was marked by a provocative marketing campaign (featuring a scantily-clad Kim in various scenarios) and explicit descriptions of sex rapped over edgy beats. Hard Core was a hit, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200 and going on to achieve Double-Platinum status. The lead single, "No Time" (featuring Puff Daddy), became a top twenty hit; its follow-up, "Not Tonight," proved to be an even bigger success, as it went on to reach the top ten of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Also, "Crush On You" was a hit.

On the heels of Kim's successful debut was the murder of Wallace in 1997, who by then was her mentor and lover. Singer Faith Evans is technically his widow, but Kim made it known that she and Biggie were in love and was visibly emotional at his funeral. Lil' Kim states that she will never be the same again.

The Notorious K.I.M.

After Biggie's death, Kim took a break from her own music, but still made guest appearances on other artists' albums. In 1998, she toured with Puff Daddy on the "No Way Out" tour. 1999 saw the launch of her own record label, Queen Bee Records, and in 2000, Lil' Kim returned with a new look and a new album. The Notorious K.I.M. debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200 chart and was later certified Platinum. The two singles released in the U.S., "No Matter What They Say" and "How Many Licks?," both performed poorly on the charts and only made it into the lower reaches of the Billboard Hot 100. The record on a whole was also not received as well as her debut by critics. "Notorious Kim" garnered Kim the record for the most albums sold in the first week by a female hip-hop artist, selling 230,000 in the first week.

It wasn't until 2001 that Kim had her first true mainstream hit. She teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink to remake LaBelle's class hit "Lady Marmalade" for the Moulin Rouge!
soundtrack. The single peaked at #1 on the Hot 100 for five consecutive weeks, making it Kim's first #1 single and her the first female rap artist to hit #1 on the chart. The song subsequently was one of the biggest hits of the year, and went on to win a Grammy for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals.

She also recorded a new entrance theme for then WWE Women's champion Trish Stratus titled "Time to Rock N Roll", which is used currently for her entrance theme during broadcasts. The single was released on WWE Anthology, a compilation of entrance theme music to various superstars which also featured the likes of Saliva and Naughty By Nature.

La Bella Mafia

On March 4, 2003, Kim released her third album, La Bella Mafia. Highly rated (4.5 mics) by music magazine The Source, La Bella Mafia featured the hits "The Jump Off (featuring Mr. Cheeks)" (a Top 20 hit) and "Magic Stick," a duet with fellow controversial rapper 50 Cent, which peaked at #2 on the charts. The latter achieved airplay success despite the fact that no music video was released for the single.

La Bella Mafia debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling nearly 170,000 copies in the first week. By the end of 2003, it went Platinum, eventually selling 1.1 million copies. Kim was nominated for five Source Awards and won two, ("Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year, and "Female Single of the Year"). This album also got three Grammy Award nominations: Best Female Rap Solo Performance ("Came Back For You"), Best Rap Collaboration ("Magic Stick") and Best Pop Collaboration ("Can't Hold Us Down, with singer Christina Aguilera). "Can't Hold Us Down" was featured on Christina Aguilera
album.
[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Lil' Kim ]

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