Lil’ Kim

Kimberly Denise Jones, known professionally as Lil' Kim, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and model. Born on July 11, 1974, in Brooklyn, New York City, she attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School. Following her parents' separation when she was nine, she was raised by her father. At age fourteen, she left home, lived on the streets, and dropped out of high school. She later attended Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School before transferring to Brooklyn College Academy to finish her education.

As a teenager, Jones met Christopher Wallace, known as the Notorious B.I.G., who became a key figure in her artistic life. In 1994, she joined his group Junior M.A.F.I.A. under the stage name Lil' Kim. The group released its debut album, Conspiracy, in August 1995. The album debuted at number eight on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), generating successful singles including "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money".

Lil' Kim launched her solo music career with her debut album, Hard Core, released in November 1996. Debuting at number 11 on the Billboard 200, it became the highest debut for a female rap album at the time. Certified double platinum by the RIAA, the album featured the hit singles "No Time", "Crush on You", and "Not Tonight (Ladies Night)". During this period, she adopted the nickname "Queen Bee", established her own label Queen Bee Entertainment, and performed on P. Diddy's "No Way Out" tour.

Between 1998 and 2000, Lil' Kim modeled for fashion and pop culture companies including Candie's, Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat. In 1999, she collaborated with nail artist Bernadette Thompson on the "Money Nails" design, which was later exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art. On June 27, 2000, she released her second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M., which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and earned a platinum certification. In 2001, she collaborated on the Moulin Rouge! soundtrack single "Lady Marmalade", which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy Award.

Her third studio album, La Bella Mafia, was released in March 2003, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200 and earning a platinum certification behind singles such as "The Jump Off" and "Magic Stick". In 2005, Lil' Kim served a one-year prison sentence. While incarcerated, her fourth studio album, The Naked Truth, was released in September 2005, earning a gold certification and a 5 mic rating from The Source. BET documented her preparation for prison in the 2006 reality series Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown.

Following her sentence, Lil' Kim released her first mixtape, Ms. G.O.A.T., in 2008 and competed on Dancing with the Stars in 2009. She continued to perform and record through the 2010s, collaborating with artists such as Faith Evans, Remy Ma, and Fabolous, and releasing her fifth studio album, 9, in 2019. Over her career, she has sold 45 million records, had multiple songs recognized on Complex's list of the 50 Best Rap Songs By Women, and was ranked number 45 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women in Music list.