Lil’ Kim is arguably the female emcee who paved the way for the likes of Nicki Minaj, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion and could even be considered the first commercially successful female rapper ever.
A true trendsetter, Lil’ Kim, with her sexually provocative lyrics and coloured hairstyles, set the blueprint for female rappers, with almost every female artist adopting the Lil’ Kim approach today. Whether it’s their look, lyrical content or fashion sense, you can see the influence permeating modern female rap.
In addition to being in a very public relationship with fellow Brooklyn rapper The Notorious BIG, Lil’ Kim was also part of Junior MAFIA, BIG’s crew. This was a launch pad for Kim, as she was suddenly thrust into the limelight with the success of the group’s song ‘Player’s Anthem’, which landed at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became certified gold by the RIAA.
As Biggie’s former right-hand woman, Lil’ Kim has many fascinating stories about the late legend. However, one tale that went unaddressed for many years was the rumour that the ‘Juicy’ emcee pulled a gun on Lil’ Kim while they were together in the studio.
During an appearance on HOT 97.0’s Ebro In The Morning radio show, the lyricist (real name Kimberley Jones) set the record straight about the incident which Jermaine Dupri had spoken about in an interview. Unveiling that the rumour was slightly flawed, Jones told the hosts, “The story is not exactly how he said it, but it’s very close to the truth. We did have a very violent relationship. I hate that, but for a while, that was all I attracted.”
She continued, “It is what it is. He was everything. You know how it is when you’re in the industry, the guys get you whatever you want, but you can’t do sh*t. You can’t do nothing.”
Following her clarification of events, Jones spoke about the cover of her album Hard Core, which took on a life of its own. Opening up about the photo, the ‘Crush On You’ rhymer revealed, “That poster was so influential in prisons, in homes, in hoods. I went into the pose naturally. Biggie actually picked that photo. Atlantic wasn’t too sure if that was the right way to go with me first coming out, ‘This new girl, she’s this young girl, I don’t know if this is it.'”
However, the artwork became legendary, and many female MCs, including Nicki Minaj, have copied the pose over the years.
You can watch Lil Kim’s Ebro In The Morning interview below.
