For the past few years, female rhymers have been holding things down in the hip-hop community, from big players like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B to rising stars such as Ice Spice and Sexyy Red. Before we met all of those artists, one woman was holding onto the title of the Queen of Rap – Lil Kim. The New York native pushed boundaries so that those coming after her would be free to express themselves fully and find success within the industry rather than be taken advantage of by executives.
Though she’s no longer rhyming as feverishly as we once heard her, Kim remains in the public eye and still knows a thing or two about performing. For instance, her dear friend Fat Joe tapped her to join him on stage at the Apollo Theater in New York City earlier this week, which she happily obliged. In the video below, the “Love Stick” hitmaker pulls out some of her signature dance moves, including the robotic motions she often goes viral for pulling out consistently over the years.
Kim’s fans are always happy to see her still in action, but critics still have much to say about the significant changes to her appearance over the years. “Personally, my heart hurts for this woman, and Black women in general when I see this video,” one Twitter/X user wrote, pulling out an old photo of Kim to compare to her notably whiter look in 2024. “We’re just lying to ourselves; the only thing I see is a Black woman in pain and nothing else,” they speculated. “I love when seasoned artists still have enthusiasm to perform,” someone else chimed in, praising both Joe and his friend.
Elsewhere in the Queen Bee’s world, Lil Kim’s been cozying up with a younger man who goes by Tayy Brown. It’s unclear what their current relationship status is, though we can tell the New York native has plenty of feelings. Read all about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news.
On this day in Hip-Hop history, Notorious B.I.G. released his second album, Life After Death. The double LP was released posthumously by Bad Boy Records. Biggie, who was killed two weeks prior to its release, was nominated for three Grammy’s for this project: Best Rap Album, Best Rap Solo Performance for “Hypnotize” and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for “Mo Money Mo Problems.”
Featuring artists like 112, Jay-Z, Lil’ Kim, Ma$e, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Too $hort and R. Kelly, along with tracks like “Kick In The Door,” “What’s Beef,” “Notorious Thugs,” “Ten Crack Commandments” and “Sky’s The Limit,” it can be said that Life After Death is one of the greatest rap albums of all time. The album hit #1 on the Billboard 200 chart and the US Top R&B/Hip Hop chart. It went diamond (that’s 10,000,000 copies sold) in the United States alone, double platinum in Canada, and platinum in the UK. Life After Death has also made appearances on top music charts across the globe. The album has been ranked by countless publications as one of the top rap and Hip-Hop albums of all time (The Source ranked it as #8 in 2005).
Salute to Diddy and the rest of the Bad Bot family for this timeless piece of Hip Hop history!
To this day, Lil Kim remains one of the most well-respected figures in the world of female rap. Of course, the men she was involved with throughout her career didn’t always treat her the way she deserved. She famously spent time with Biggie Smalls throughout the 90s and has been linked to names like Ray J, Scott Storch, Benzino, and Sean Combs. It’s clear that Kim has a preference for fellow creative types. However, it seems she’s making changes in her dating life these days, notably stepping out of her age group.
As Vibe reports, it seems the blonde beauty might be shacking up with her signee, Tayy Brown. Hip-hop heads began speculating after seeing their chemistry in the “Love For Ya” visual, but now that she’s wished her man a belated happy birthday with an extra sappy post, there’s even more reason to believe Kim is being romanced by a younger gentleman.
Lil Kim and Tayy Brown Collaborate on “Love For Ya”
“I know this post is a little late, but I was blessed enough to spend [your] whole birthday with [you] and we’re still celebrating ,” Kim wrote to her recent collaborator on Instagram this week. “Our bond is so perfectly matched in the most organic way. I know it was God that brought us [together]. If [people] only knew how big of a role [you] play in my life and in my career,” she continued to gush under a few videos of their cute moments together.
Lil Kim then praised Tayy Brown for encouraging her to deliver new music to her Beehive. “[You] are my motivation and that voice that is always cheering me on. [You’re] so intelligent and such a boss. If they only knew the things we figure out [together], how we can talk with our eyes and be on the same page,” her birthday tribute reads. Though her alleged lover “gets on [her] nerves sometimes,” she takes great pleasure in annoying him back. Do you think Kim has found a solid companion in TB? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
The “Queen Bee” Lil Kim dropped a new track and music video with her new artist Tayy Brown and the result was the visuals for “Love For Ya”, which features the newcomers Brown and up and coming artist Kimmie.
Produced by Lars Hellingsrud, Austin Kobar and Bayley Hodge, Kim joins Tayy in what appears to be an ode to their new found relationship which was beautifully captured by director Joaquin Morales.
Over the past decade and a half, Nicki Minaj has been known for a couple of things. Yes, she’s garnered a ton of attention for her colorful outfits, her outsized multiple personalities, and her shapeshifting rhyme styles. But we’re here for the other thing she’s notable for: Rap beef.
Almost as soon as she appeared on the scene, Nicki was either being pit against other rappers by fans (remember when they tried to make Jean Grae vs. Nicki a thing?) or by cirucumstance. In more recent years, she’s been the one picking all of her fights, but in any case, rap beef has become as much a part of her brand as the color pink and associations with Barbie.
We’re going to skip over a bunch because we don’t want to be here all week and because some were about as one-sided as it gets (Azealia Banks, etc.). Here’s a list of (almost) everyone Nicki Minaj has had beef with in her career.
Nicki Minaj vs. Cardi B
This is probably the biggest one, and the first of Nicki’s modern beefs, in which she appears to punch down more than up. We’ve broken this one down before but here’s the gist.
After Cardi B blew up in 2017 with “Bodak Yellow,” fans pushed hard to get the two rappers to either collab or diss each other. They did the former first, teaming up on Migos’ “Motorsport” late that year, but some scheduling conflicts and friction led to Nicki getting miffed at the new kid on the block and spending the next year sniping at Cardi for her perceived disrespect (this is a common thread in Nicki’s feuds, as you’ll see further down the page).
Unlike most of Nicki’s rivalries, this is the only one that culminated in violence, and since then, they’ve mostly waged war via proxies, like the United States and Russia in the ’80s.
While one hasn’t exploded into outright hostilities, it’s been every bit as convoluted as the Queens rapper’s other vendettas. After JT tweeted that she “just don’t like Nicki” back in 2017, Nicki declared she would never work with City Girls. However, after a behind-the-scenes conversation (maybe they swapped Burn Books), she called a reset on their relationship, later employing JT on the “Super Freaky Girl” remix, leading to JT changing her tune and going after Cardi (Cold War tactics!).
Of course, helping Nicki to irritate Cardi only seemed to buy the Miami stars a few months of leniency, as she very quickly got into a heated back-and-forth with the other half of the duo, Yung Miami, on Twitter in May last year.
Notable Tracks: “Super Freaky Girl” Queen Mix.
Nicki Minaj vs. Latto
In 2022, Nicki Minaj recorded an incendiary episode of Queen Radio that led to two of her currently raging grudges with Latto and Megan Thee Stallion. Apparently taking offense to Latto’s assertion that women are currently thriving in rap, Nicki made it a point to throw the younger rapper under the bus.
However, Latto refused to take her insults lying down and has to date clapped back in a couple of songs, “Put It On Da Floor” and “Back Outside,” while Nicki supposedly issued her own diss on “Fallin 4 U.” Since then, it appears she’s assigned this beef to Ice Spice, who has made a few veiled references to “Put It On Da Floor” in her new music.
Notable Tracks: “Put It On Da Floor,” “Fallin 4 U,” “Back Outside.”
Nicki Minaj vs. Lil Kim
Before she was taking offense to every new girl getting love and not giving her credit, Nicki was being accused of doing the same by Lil Kim. It’s a little hard to hash out who actually started this one (thanks, Google, your new algorithm is great ), but basically, it was a reversal of Nicki’s reasoning with all the new women in rap.
Possibly the reason we’re all here today, Nicki has been going off on Megan on Twitter for about 72 hours as of this writing, dropping the song “Big Foot” and claiming all kinds of conspiracy theories (she also maybe has to let go of the “#1 on Apple” defense because if we break that one down, it’s not going to go well for her). We published a full timeline of their beef earlier today, but here’s a summary:
Megan and Nicki went from being collaborators to enemies after Nicki felt Meg’s joke about abortion was a step too far. Meg also worked with Cardi, a violation of Nicki’s apparent “choose a side” policy, and went on to continue doing her own thing without paying sufficient homage to Nicki. While it could be argued that Meg’s less influenced by Nicki than anyone else out these days, it was enough to prompt Megan to clap back with “Hiss,” prompting Nicki’s current aggressive spiral.
Notable tracks: “Ruby Da Sleeze,” “Hiss,” “Big Foot”
Nicki Minaj vs. Remy Ma
The last of Nicki’s “punching up” beefs, this one similarly revolved around an older rapper feeling disrespected by Nicki apparently stepping over her to find success. Remy Ma had had a strong run in the mid-2000s with “Conceited” and “Lean Back,” but was incarcerated during Nicki’s early rise to fame. Feeling slighted by Nicki’s quick ascent (rap really is wrestling), she began “sneak dissing” the newer rapper before the two began trading salvos throughout 2017 (“Shether,” “No Frauds“.
Most recently, they appeared to have settled their dispute in November of last year, but with as mercurial as Nicki has proven in the past, there’s no telling how long that’ll be the case.
Notable Tracks: “No Frauds,” “Shether.”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Even though she has yet to follow up her debut Invasion of Privacy album with a sophomore effort all these years later, Cardi B is still one of the world’s favourite rap divas. The Barbz might try to dispute that. However, the fact is, the New Yorker has been booked and busy nearly constantly in recent years, in virtually every creative industry. She has a few collaborative singles with people like FendiDa Rappa, Megan Thee Stallion, and her husband, Offset, and the fashion community has been keeping Cardi looking her best on red carpets and music video sets.
Elsewhere, Balenciaga convinced the 31-year-old to make her runway debut this past weekend, and unfortunately, it’s not being entirely positively received. Critics online are comparing Cardi’s unique makeup look from yesterday’s big event to the face of Lil Kim, who’s long faced criticism from outsiders for her past attempts to radically alter her appearance with plastic surgery. “Cardi going out sad… The Lil Kim way ,” one Twitter user wrote while comparing images of the two lyricists.
“Baby please tell me it’s the makeup making her nose look crimped up like that,” another person chimed in. When she saw the hate for herself, Bardi was quick to clear the haters. “It’s the photoshop,” she clapped back. “You know you gagged them too hard when the haters gotta start making edits.”
While Cardi B was strutting down the Balenciaga runway, plenty of famous faces were cheering her on from the front row. Among them were Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz, as well as Sexyy Red and Kim Kardashian. The stars were surely happy to see each other. Still, they didn’t impress social media users calling them out for supporting the fashion brand after its previous cancellation. Read more about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
In the annals of hip-hop history, few moments are as pivotal as the emergence of Lil Kim with her debut album, Hard Core. In 1996, a diminutive dynamo from Brooklyn shattered the glass ceiling with a velvet glove wrapped around a mic and a lyrical sledgehammer. Hard Core was not merely an album. It was a cultural manifesto that challenged the male-dominated rap industry with its unfiltered portrayal of female sexuality and prowess.
At a time when the voices of women in hip-hop were often relegated to the chorus, Lil Kim seized the narrative, commanding center stage with unapologetic bravado. Her debut was a tour-de-force. It was an audacious blend of gritty beats and glamorous life, all delivered with a streetwise flow. Hard Core was a declaration that the Queen Bee could not only navigate but dominate the rap landscape with potent and provocative bars.
Lil Kim’s fearless approach to music and image crafted an indelible blueprint for female empowerment in the genre. Hard Core etched her name in history as a rapper and trailblazer for a movement of women in music. It was a crowning achievement that heralded the arrival of female rappers taking control of their artistry, narratives, and sexuality.
When Hard Core hit the shelves, it was immediately clear that Kim was rewriting the playbook for what a female rapper could embody in hip-hop. The album’s tracks were an unapologetic showcase of her lyrical ingenuity and a fearless declaration of her sexuality. In songs like “Big Momma Thang” and “No Time,” she exuded confidence and control, flipping the script on the genre’s traditionally male-centric narratives.
The production of Hard Core was a perfect marriage of Lil Kim’s audacious lyrics with lush, hard-hitting beats that would define the era’s East Coast sound. With the legendary Notorious B.I.G. as an executive producer and contributions from a slew of top-tier talent like Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, Jermaine Dupri, and Ski, the album was both a commercial juggernaut and a critical darling. Tracks such as “Crush on You” featuring Lil’ Cease and the platinum-selling “Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)” were not only hits but anthems that resonated with women everywhere, each beat and bar a step towards the empowerment of female voices in the industry.
Hard Core catapulted Lil Kim from rising artist to hip-hop royalty. Its commercial success mirrored the boldness of its content. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200. It was a remarkable achievement that underscored Lil’ Kim’s appeal beyond the traditional hip-hop circles. It wasn’t long before the RIAA certified it double platinum, confirming over two million copies sold. It’s a milestone for any artist and a groundbreaking accomplishment for a female rapper at the time.
The singles from Hard Core blazed their own trails through the charts. “No Time” soared to the top of the Billboard Rap Songs chart. “Crush on You” and “Not Tonight” found substantial success, with the latter’s remix becoming a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. These tracks weren’t just commercially viable. They were cultural moments that extended Lil Kim’s influence from the streets to the mainstream.
Critical reception of Hard Core was equally laudatory, with reviewers praising Lil Kim’s unyielding delivery and the album’s production quality. The boldness of her lyrical content, which challenged societal norms and expanded the space for female expression in hip-hop, was particularly noted. Hard Core earned Lil’ Kim nominations for prestigious awards. This further validated her artistry and the album’s significance in the broader music landscape.
More than two decades after its release, Hard Core stands as a seminal work in hip-hop. It’s echoes are felt in the genre’s continued evolution. Lil Kim’s debut was not just about the records it broke. It was also about the barriers it shattered, opening doors for a new generation of female artists unafraid to express their sexuality and assert their place in a male-dominated field. Her fearless approach laid the groundwork for the candid and unapologetic styles of countless MCs who followed in her footsteps.
Hard Core‘s cultural impact transcends music. It further influenced fashion with Kim’s iconic aesthetic that combined haute couture with streetwear. It became a trend that persists in today’s fashion landscape. Her influence on the visual language of female empowerment in music videos is undeniable.
The album’s legacy is also evidenced by its samples and references that continue to permeate hip-hop music. This is a testament to its enduring relevance. Lil’ Kim’s pioneering work on Hard Core set a precedent for authenticity, inspiring artists to share their truths without compromise. It remains a touchstone for discussions about gender in music and the portrayal of women in media.
Both Foxy Brown and Lil Kim have surpassed the prime of their careers, but still, their legacies live on to remind the rap divas of today who paved the way for them. Much like the tension that exists among today’s femcees, we’ve previously seen both Foxy and Kim throw shade at each other over the years. When the “Magic Stick” hitmaker went viral for excitedly projecting that her upcoming memoir would garner better sales than the Bible last week, her contemporary couldn’t help but laugh at the notion on social media.
As per usual, Kim’s fans stood behind her – including Deal or No Deal alum Claudia Jordan, who expressed her opinion that Brown should stay in her lane. When she got wind of this, the 45-year-old slid straight into the model’s DMs to give her a piece of her mind. “Somebody better warn you nobody ass b**ch,” Foxy wrote to Claudia. “Lol!!!! What you gonna do to me?? Fight me like your career has been fighting success as of late!? No one is scared of an old b**ch, Trust me I am one too! Now fall back and stop embarrassing yourself du**y,” the latter clapped back.
The Brooklyn-born lyricist decided to hit back with a low blow about Jordan’s “Dorito feet,” but the former pageant queen didn’t let the hate get her down. Instead, she re-posted Brown’s insults on her IG Story and wrote, “All ’cause I commented on a post that Kim bothers no one and to leave her alone… Here comes this heifer in DMs.”
Despite not being as booked and busy as she once was, Claudia Jordan still seems like a great person to go to if you need tea on Hollywood’s inner circles. Earlier this year, she and Luenell joined Jason Lee on his podcast to spill insider secrets about the industry, including who they think is the Black “mean girl” of the industry. Read all about that at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
Lil Kim recently held an Instagram Live, where she discussed the massive plans she has for her upcoming 2024 memoir, The Queen Bee. At one point, she brings up specifically just how high she believes the projections of its sales will be.
“When we post our pre-sales, we be surpassing the Bible,” Lil Kim said. “And that’s crazy. And the thing is, it’s like the Bible, like I don’t take that lightly. I already know that. But it’s like some crazy sh*t going on behind the scenes.”
Right now, The Bible is still the highest-selling book of all time. This basically means to surpass this, Kim would have to have at least five million people purchase her memoir. Could the presales make her a New York Times bestselling author upon its release? Absolutely. But having numbers high enough to exceed The Bible is unlikely.
Later on in Kim’s live stream, she also spoke about the struggles she was having with the publishing industry. “You have to be really careful when you deal with these book companies because they try to, like, literally take advantage of you,” she added.
After watching the clip, viewers also had a lot of thoughts about Kim’s Bible comment.
“She DID not surpass the Bible like are you fr,” one user commented.
Atlanta is always a city that’s full of creative energy and famous faces. That reached its peak earlier this week as the annual ONE MusicFest took over. 2023 brought about a seriously stacked lineup, with Kendrick Lamar, Janet Jackson, Brent Faiyaz, Megan Thee Stallion, and Bryson Tiller being among the biggest acts. Tems, Kodak Black, Coi Leray, and Smino also made the list, along with the one and only Lil Kim. As we previously reported, the latter rap diva got particularly rowdy during her set, even tossing her panties into the audience who had her turning all the way up.
“Atlanta, thank you for your energy, it was amazing,” Kim wrote on Twitter on Friday (November 3) afternoon. Along with the commemorative message, the fashionista also included a video recapping her time in ATL, showcasing previews of her performance, as well as artists like Eric Bellinger and Slim Jxmmi who also killed it. “Despite the technical difficulties, that was out of my control,” Kim assured her fans of the minor slip-ups they might’ve seen online.
Atlanta thank you for your energy it was amazing despite the technical difficulties that was out of my control Btw, who got my panties? pic.twitter.com/P4PmjmBiuZ
Before wrapping up her post, the 49-year-old had to ask, “Btw, who got my panties?” At this time, no one has taken responsibility for nabbing the Queen Bee’s lingerie. However, we wouldn’t be surprised to see them listed for sale online in the near future. While people couldn’t help Kim locate her underwear’s new owner, they did make it clear they’re ready for her to unleash her “Nice Ice” single, and anything else she’s been working on.
Lil Kim loves the spotlight, and she’s a professional at commanding it with her iconic dance moves and legendary lyrics. Still, that doesn’t mean the New York native is afraid to give other artists on the rise their flowers. Most recently, she invited Sukihana to join her for her ONE Fest performance, which the reality starlet called “a dream come true.” Read more about that crossover at the link below, and check back later for more hip-hop/pop culture news updates.
,” Kim wrote to her recent collaborator on Instagram this week. “Our bond is so perfectly matched in the most organic way. I know it was God that brought us [together]. If [people] only knew how big of a role [you] play in my life and in my career,” she continued to gush under a few videos of their cute moments together.
,” one Twitter user wrote while comparing images of the two lyricists.
Btw, who got my panties?