Watch Lil Kim join Missy Elliott on stage for a surprise performance
Missy Elliott and Lil Kim have proven that they are still some of the most exciting performers in hip-hop. Elliott has recently been hitting the road as she takes to the stage for the first solo tour of her career. It’s all going well, as fans have been blown away by the raw energy and presence that she packs into her gigs. She only added to this energy at a recent show in Brooklyn when she decided to bring out Lil Kim.
The crowd erupted when the legendary rapper took to the stage as they were ecstatic about seeing two iconic female emcees perform together. The experience was only made better given that Elliott and Kim hadn’t crossed paths much in the past couple of years, so it was a big surprise when Kim took to the mic.
Lil Kim started her appearance by rapping ‘The Jump Off’, her hit single from 2003. After that, she and Elliott banded together to give the crowd a live rendition of their 1997 track ‘Not Tonight (Ladies Night)’. It was clearly a very special moment, as seen in the footage. This will have been a combination of Kim’s surprise appearance and her legendary status within Brooklyn as a local emcee.
The two rappers have very different styles when it comes to rapping; however, something about them performing together works incredibly well. They complement one another beautifully, as can be heard in the songs they perform together and the tracks they have helped write. For instance, Elliott helped Lil Kim write her hit ‘Lady Marmalade’ which peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned Kim a Grammy.
The two have focused a lot on their personal lives in the past few years. Kim said that the birth of her son had slowed down her musical output in the mid-2000s. She did send some praise Elliott’s way, however, not forgetting to mention her collaborator even during a period when she wasn’t as focused on music.
“I’m just really excited to see my friends. Missy Elliott is my sister,” she said, “She’s a long-term friend and just someone that I love dearly.” This came after the last time the two would be seen on a track together, as their most recent collaboration was in 2017 for the song ‘I’m Better’.
Kim’s love is reciprocated, too, as Elliott has previously commented on how much of a fan she is. “Like, I know every lyric, cos you hear people sing with conviction – she rapped with convictions,” said Elliott when praising Lil Kim, “You believe every word she said […] She’s such a sweetheart, but she could knock if you buck if it gets down… Before me and Kim are friends, I’m a fan.”
Watch the two rappers perform together below.