The late Brooklyn emcee Biggie Smalls was one of the most famous rappers in the world during the 1990s. Discovered by Diddy and signed to Bad Boy Entertainment, his debut album, Ready To Die, is still considered a classic and a must-listen for any true hip-hop fan.
Released in 1994, Ready To Die was the biggest album of the year and, alongside Illmatic, marked the strength of East Coast rap music. Although the project only peaked at number 15 on the Billboard 200, only a year after its release, it had surpassed double-platinum status, and 2018 saw the LP sell over six million units.
During his time in the limelight, Biggie had several relationships. One was with Lil’ Kim, the first lady of Bad Boy Entertainment and one of the stars of Junior MAFIA. However, their romance wasn’t always affectionate.
That said, in a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, the artist (real name Kimberly Jones) recalled how Wallace always supported her career, stating, “He became my friend, my lover, my everything. I was his biggest fan. He knew I would be the biggest female rapper. I think I inspired him to want to do different things and be different. We were a match made in heaven, like Sonny and Cher or Ashford and Simpson.”
That said, although Biggie was supportive of the ‘Crush On You’ lyricist, there were times in their relationship when the Ready To Die artist became toxic. In an interview on HOT 97.0 with Ebro Darden, Jones disclosed, “We did have a very violent relationship. You know how it is when you’re in the industry: the guys can do whatever they want, but you can’t do s***. You can’t do nothing.”
Wallace asked Jones to appear on his 1997 album, Life After Death. More specifically, on the track, ‘Another’. However, the studio session was a mess. Speaking with XXL in 2003, Lil’ Kim explained, “We had a big-ass fight! I had heard about him and some girl. We were talking about what happened, and all of a sudden, next thing you know, I’m going at him. We’re just going at it. And I hit Biggie so hard. And he was on crutches, so I kicked his crutch on the floor!”
She continued, “I said, ‘You have to stay because I might need you to help me with my lines.’ And he was like, ‘I’m not helpin’ you. F*ck. You gonna tell me how you f*ckin’ feel. I always let out my feelings, and you gonna do it too. So I’ll hear it when it’s done.'”
Although they had a slightly toxic relationship, Lil Kim still has love for the late artist. You can hear ‘Another’ in the video below.
