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Lil’ Kim’s The Notorious K.I.M.: 15 Years Later

Andrew Martone — Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:52:16 +0000

“This album I get to show my creativity, my versatility” – Lil’ Kim, 2000

After the death of The Notorious BIG in early 1997, the legacy he was building was left hanging in the balance. For the artists he was helping establish, especially Lil’ Kim, it became public question what was next. She was Biggie’s crown jewel. He helped shape her into the artist she had become, and without that creative force the question remained: Could she still deliver musically and command the attention of the masses? Kim would soon prove that to be a yes, by releasing her most incredible and versatile body of work to date.

During the three (nearly four) years that separated the releases of Hard Core and The Notorious K.I.M., Lil’ Kim kept herself busy building and expanding not only her musical footprint, but also her brand. She was seen on the big screen (She’s All That), the small screen (“DAG”), numerous magazine covers (Interview, The Source, OUT, i-D), billboards, brand advertisements (Candies’, MAC Viva Glam), and even fashion runways. A deal with Wilhelmina helped land her many of these modeling and fashion opportunities, and she also began collaborations with big-name photographers including the legendary David LaChapelle. The images he took of Kim serving ghetto-fabulous realness not only defined and cemented her as a fashion icon, but also inspired and now epitomize a generation. Most notable was the photo he took of Kim wearing nothing but painted-on Louis Vuitton logos. The photo was meant to be Kim’s album cover, but Interview Magazine editor-in-chief Ingrid Sischy saw the photo at a gallery exhibit and ordered LaChapelle to give it to her, becoming yet another magazine cover for Kim.

Despite all her external ventures, Kim still took time to focus on developing her sophomore LP. Puff Daddy took on the project as executive producer, and he and Kim soon got to work crafting tracks. In the midst of the creative process, Kim suffered what was seen at the time as one of the worst leaks in music. In the summer of 1999, somewhere between a half dozen and a dozen songs (sources differ on the actual number of songs in the initial leak, though around a dozen ended up surfacing at some point prior to the album’s release) found their way onto budding file-sharing websites. As a result, Kim pushed back the project and returned to the studio with Puff and other producers to craft more material.

On the leaked material that did not make the cut for the album, Kim and Puff were riding the wave of sample-based records that helped shape 90’s and 00’s hip hop, including Kim’s debut. Diana Ross (“Diamonds” with Kelly Price), the Eurythmics (“Nobody Do It Better (Than Us)” with Puff), Donna Summer (“Bad Girl” with RuPaul), and Sade (“Single Black Female”) were just a few of the artists either sampled or interpolated on the leaked songs. There was, however, one non-sampled track that has become regarded as one of her best: “The Queen“. Kim declares her superiority (and even drops a few bars in Russian) while Puff plays hype man over the song’s royal, choir and bell-filled instrumentation. It perfectly captured the entrance of a queen, and it was Kim’s choice to be the album’s lead single. Unfortunately, conflicts between her and Atlantic Records led “No Matter What They Say” to be chosen as the official lead in for the album.

Kim rallied against “No Matter What They Say” as a single choice because she felt that the Latin-feel that dominated the song was overdone at mainstream radio. The song found minor success but failed to crack the Billboard Hot 100’s top 50. The follow-up and final single release from the album, “How Many Licks” failed to pass number 75 on the same chart but has managed to become one of Kim’s best known hits. Videos for both singles were shot back-to-back, the former featured Kim surrounded by a who’s who of major names at the time such as Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Redman, Method Man, Carmen Electra, and of course Puff Daddy and Junior M.A.F.I.A. On the flip-side “How Many Licks” focuses almost solely on Kim, and features now-iconic images of Kim being turned into sex-dolls while a noticeably absent Sisqo wails the song’s chorus.

On June 27, 2000, The Notorious K.I.M. arrived, packed with 18 songs, an all start roster of producers and guests including Rockwilder, Mary J. Blige, Redman, Cee-Lo, and the legendary Grace Jones. The packaging was adorned with glamorous and glossy photos of Kim bringing life to the black barbie image, courtesy of David LaChapelle. The album skyrocketed to number four on the Billboard 200 immediately after its release, but found critics divided. Some praised Kim’s continued sexuality and strange sense of vulnerability, while others criticized the album for being overdone and camp.

While sexuality is once again a prominent topic (as it was on her debut), and is important to the overall body of work, it is equally if not more important to recognize and appreciate Kim’s expanded musical directions. She sounds hungry, and vocally delivers her verses more confident and determined than ever. Her deep cadence still leaves a chilling aftertaste with each listen. This album was also an opportunity for Kim to showcase her incredible abilities as a lyrical storyteller, and to prove that despite the endless rumors, she could actually write her own rhymes without Big in the picture.

From the opening track’s courtroom fiasco featuring Cee-Lo as Kim’s attorney and Redman as the judge, to the unparalleled intricacies (and even premonitions) of “Aunt Dot,” Kim displayed a still-underrated ability to vividly paint a picture with her words. On “Revolution,” which features the iconic Grace Jones on hook duty and the ubiquitous Puff playing hype man, Kim and Lil’ Cease detail a retaliation against an enemy, from the preparations to the journey all the way to the final moments of the confrontation. It’s impossible to not visualize every moment of the scenario. Even playing the scorned woman on “Don’t Mess With Me,” she effortlessly paints a visual of her unfaithful man (who bears some resemblance to The Notorious BIG) over a perfectly placed sample of Pat Benetar’s “Heartbreaker,” produced by a budding Kanye West.

Kim joined other female trailblazers in Hip-Hop such as Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliott, and Queen Latifah, by incorporating her own singing voice in a number of the songs on The Notorious K.I.M.. While she wouldn’t sing a song start to finish until “The Warning” on 2003’s La Bella Mafia, she came close with “Right Now,” which is melodically built around Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner.” Kim may not have the vocal power of a Lauryn Hill, but she has no trouble carrying a tune with her smooth singing voice, and requires no vocal effects to shine.

Sexuality, girl power and superiority were important factors to keep in the mix, as they helped position Kim to where she stood as she released this body of work. On the album’s street single “Suck My Dick” she takes her feminism to the next level and flips the script on misogynistic men who mistreat and objectify women, by overly objectifying and demeaning them. The song is quintessential, sexual Kim, but pales in comparison to the the moan-filled “Custom Made (Give It To You).” She aims at rivals including Foxy Brown and Shyne on “Notorious K.I.M.,” which addresses those aforementioned rumors that The Notorious B.I.G. wrote her lyrics on “Single Black Female” (“my nigga gone now, so who writing my rhymes?”), and where she directs her pen towards her critics and detractors on the brash closer “I’m Human.”

Despite his death, Kim kept BIG close on this album, giving him credit as an executive producer, and sampling him on a number of songs. The impact of his loss is prominently displayed on the incredible and emotional collaboration with Mary J. Blige, “Hold On.” The song is her tribute to him, and throughout it a nearly-crying Kim reflects memories of the two together, the pain of his loss, and also reveals that she was once pregnant with his child. It’s a poignant reminder that underneath all the costumes and sex-fueled lyrics, Kim is a real, feeling person.

In the immediate aftermath of the album’s release, Kim’s star continued to shine bright. The album went on to receive platinum status in the United States, and sold millions more worldwide. A 2001 remake of “Lady Marmalade” with Christina Aguilera, P!nk, and Mya earned Kim both her first number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and her first Grammy Award. Though her next album wouldn’t arrive until 2003, Kim kept herself in the public eye through continued musical guest appearances and other expanded branding moves. She would soon disengage from Junior M.A.F.I.A. and Puff Daddy, and down the road find herself imprisoned for perjury, while becoming the first (and to date, only) female rapper to be awarded the elusive 5-mic rating from The Source magazine. No matter what they say, Kim remains a trailblazer, icon, and influencer in hip hop music and pop culture.

“A queen is not a queen because she has failed. But a queen is a queen, because failure has not stopped her”- Lil’ Kim, “I’m Human.”

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The Many Forms of Metamorphosis: A review of Mariah Carey’s “Honey” remixes

Vincent Anthony — Fri, 22 Aug 2014 20:21:48 +0000

Starting with 1995’s “Fantasy,” Mariah Carey began to transform her more pop-leaning singles to become full-fledged hip-hop recreations. In addition, she would also re-imagine the songs in fully re-sung house remixes, which began with 1993’s “Dreamlover.” Mariah continued this practice with the lead single from Butterfly, “Honey.”

While the original track is already heavily influenced by hip-hop, Mariah took it a step further with it’s Bad Boy and So So Def remixes. The Bad Boy remix, already mentioned in my first “Honey” article, is not drastically changed from the original. There are minor changes to it’s production, such as the omission of certain string elements, which make the song a bit less pop and a little more hip-hop. Of course, the song also features verses from Mase and the L.O.X. who were new, upcoming hip-hop stars. This makes the song seem more like a collaborative effort rather than a pop song featuring guest rap verses. One of the highlights of this collaboration is how Mariah layers her low octave background vocals beneath Mase’s verse, truly melding her sultry voice with Mase’s hip-hop flow. This sort of seamless fusion has become a trademark of Mariah’s hip-hop collaborations.

Bad Boy was the leading hip-hop label in 1997, and its artists were crossing over to pop radio in a big way. Its leader, Sean “Puff Daddy” Combs, appeared in the remix video, co-produced the original and Bad Boy remix, as well as his own hit singles that year, such as “I’ll Be Missing You.” Additionally, Mase had crossed over as well, appearing on alongside Puffy and Biggie’s “Mo Money Mo Problems,” another #1 hit. They owned the charts and the airwaves and Mariah stayed current by working with these artists. However, with Mariah it didn’t appear forced. “Honey” feels fresh and natural, almost effortless, even today.

For the So So Def remix, Mariah teamed up with “Always Be My Baby” collaborator Jermaine Dupri who co-produced and provided a guest verse on the remix alongside Da Brat. By using different elements from “Hey DJ,” sampled in the original, and a new Jackson 5 sample, the So So Def remix transformed “Honey” into a completely different song musically and vocally. All that remains from the original version are its lyrics. This remix has a playful vibe, as its bouncy beat encourages the listener to bop along.

Finally there is the Classic Mix, a house version of “Honey,” co-produced by David Morales. On this remix, Mariah took the song’s essence of sexual yearning to the next level. The vocal is more impassioned and sung over the vivacious house track provided by Morales. While the original song is sexy and sensual, and the So So Def remix is a bit more playful, the house mix is best described as intense. Mariah closes the remix by very zealously repeating of the phrase “I need it” with soaring, soulful runs that jump octaves in a way only she can.

This innovative approach of creating multiple reincarnations of the same song in the form of remixes was not completely unique to Mariah. However she indeed pioneered the art of creating hip-hop and house remixes of “pop” songs. If you listen to the “Honey” CD single, it’s almost like listening to four different songs. By the end, you’ll be saying, “I can hardly wait for another taste of honey…”

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Elicit 1997 … ‘No Way Out’ by Puff Daddy & the Family

Vincent Anthony — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 21:29:25 +0000

When it came to R&B and hip-hop music crossing over in the mid-90s, one need look no further than Bad Boy Records and its pinnacle release, No Way Out, which sold upwards of 7 million copies in the United States. Helmed by Sean Combs, the man with the ever changing stage name (in 1997, he was Puff Daddy), No Way Out is considered his debut album. However, all but two tracks feature guest appearances from artists on his label, hence “the Family” in the album credit.

There are some bonafide classics on this album. For starters, there is the megahit, “I’ll Be Missing You,” Puffy’s ode to Biggie – featuring Faith Evans and 112. The song was inescapable in 1997. It has become a true classic, and to this day would probably be considered Diddy’s signature song. However, the album was full of memorable hits.

“Can’t Nobody Hold Us Down” leads the album, and features Ma$e, who is the highlight of the song. That’s often the case with Puffy – he’s not the greatest rapper by any means. He’s more so a good hype man, and a producer that knew how to put together a hot beat. Not to mention, a shrewd business man.

The album’s three remaining singles featured The Notorious B.I.G., posthumously. Again, he was the highlight of these songs along with the other featuring artists. “It’s All About the Benjamins” features two classic samples, one from the Love Unlimited orchestra and another from the Jackson 5 during Biggie’s verse. The song is hard hitting 90s hip-hop at its finest, featuring Lil’ Kim, the LOX and of course, Biggie.

“Been Around the World” is another track featuring Biggie, and another huge hit for Puffy. These songs helped defined hip-hop and pop music. Finally, there is “Victory,” which features the last verse ever recorded by Biggie before his death. “Victory” was promoted with one of the most expensive videos ever made, an 8 minute short film featuring numerous star-studded cameos.

Overall, it is a solid album that epitomizes the music of the time. Other features on the album include Jay-Z, Carl Thomas, Twista, Busta Rhymes, Kelly Price, Black Rob, Ginuwine, and Foxy Brown. Clearly, Diddy had the power to pull music’s biggest names to collaborate on his project. His music has been through many transitions since No Way Out, but none of his following efforts came close to achieving the type of impact, success and quality of his debut.

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