The playlist

…opens with every white girl’s best-known Kim verse, “Lady Marmalade”. Kim was the only artist on the song contributing a new piece. The following two songs are both iconic, career-defining Kim moments: “It’s All About The Benjamins (Remix)” and “Quiet Storm (Remix)”. Beyond that are iconic collaborations with Mary J. Blige (“I Can Love You”) and Christina Aguilera (“Can’t Hold Us Down”).

Deep Cuts

Dig a little deeper and discover her 2000 Will Smith collab “Da Butta”. Will recruits the Queen Bee to trade bars over a funky beat. Kim’s on her braggadocios flow. She shares life lessons like “You know what i learned? let them keep talking. Pull up in the Azora and let them keep walkin”. And when Will admits that “haters be makin’ me wanna flip and react” Kim cuts him off with “nah nah nah nah chill Will. Let me do that.” Always the ride or die.

Then there’s the amazing, “Get Money”-sampling, “Still Rich” with Berner and Wiz Khalifa from 2016. Kim demonstrates her ability to own a beat she defined over 20 years earlier with a new verse. She takes an old Biggie line and again flips it, referring to herself as a “Moschino hoe” with a “Valentino flow” while admitting that she’s a shopaholic.

There’s also the little-known official remix to Britney Spears’ “Gimme More (Kimme More Remix)”, where Kim details “hooking up with a fan” and “getting freaky with this video cam.” Salacious, sexy, and form-fitting for the classic Britney track.

Menacing Kim

Puff Daddy’s “Real N*ggas” is a hard track. Kim’s verse initiates a dark piano loop, as she relentlessly spits that she’ll “put a contract out and stop ya lungs” “buy out everything you playin’, including your name” and declares “screw barking, I take bites out of you niggas”. She plays scorned lover on Biggie’s “Another”, a track from Life After Death that often gets overlooked. “Why go from first class to coach?” Kim wonders after lyrically annihilating Biggie. One of the few who holds that accolade.

On “Do Wrong” she does a formidable Twista impression, keeping up with the rapid-fire rapper himself. Listen to the way she delivers “Shit he about to be rockin it, lookin sweeter than chocolate, he got the smell of a Reese’s.” Amazing.

Dirty Kim

It wouldn’t be a Kim playlist without some raunchy lyrics. She goes rock and roll with Tommy Lee on “Get Naked”. “Call me black Barbie” she commands before delivering the delicious “fuck a blow job it’s a motherfucking hobby” and then “under 7 inches? Eh! Sorry.”

“You want a freaky girl? Welcome to Kimme’s world” she opens with on Gucci Mane’s 2007 “Freaky Girl”. She brags about her deep throat, multiple orgasms and potential for orgies among other things. The kicker is the closer, where she admits that she’s got a man so whipped and all she did was “let him eat my coochie.” Pussy = power.

Bonuses

There are a few Kim features from over the years that you won’t find on Spotify/streaming, but still warrant mentioning:

Floatin’ On Your Love (Puff Daddy Remix)

“Mr. Biggs, you know you got to keep me jiggs.” A gem among Kim’s early features. She links up with the legendary Isley Brothers and delivers the unforgettable “make it shift in my uterus” line. Filthy, fearless, and fierce.

Satisfy You (Remix)

A true rarity. Kim spits for just over a minute straight on this 2000 Puffy remix.

Naughty Girl (Remix)

This bares the ‘remix’ name, but it’s arguable that this is actually the original version of the song. Take a look at the Dangerously In Love thank you’s and Kim’s name appears under ‘producers and artists who contributed to this project’. There are 2 versions of this remix, one featuring two verses from Kim, and another featuring one and a spoken intro. In that intro, Kim calls herself and B “the Queen Bees”, the first time Beyonce is ever referred to by her now-ubiquitous nickname.

We Takin’ Over (Remix)

A little known (official) remix from 2006, and one of her first post-prison appearances. Kim annihilates this early DJ Khaled track. Most notably she pops off  “I’m in a new state, a new place, with new plates, shit damn near a new face.” It’s one of the few times she addresses her plastic surgery, but does so in a masterful way.

Anything (To Find You)

An unfortunate consequence of circumstance. Kim was originally the sole feature on this, then 1 of 2, and then removed from the song due to disputes with the estate of BIG (specifically Ms. Wallace). Kim’s verses pack a punch as she flows over the BIG-sampled Missy Elliott beat, dropping lines that include “just cause you make me cum, don’t mean that you’re the one. Most dudes only good for they tongue”. She’s even acknowledging her public perception when this record dropped in 2011 (due to her physical appearance and budding Nicki Minaj beef) “I ain’t felt hypnotized since Biggie left, now I’m public enemy… me against the world is my mindset.”

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It’s hard to imagine that there was a time in music when Will Smith was one of the hottest rappers on the scene. Well, it actually happened; many years ago… in 1997.

Though, even then, his credibility as a rapper was debatable. Undeniable was the impact of classic songs such as 1991’s “Summertime” and 1988’s “Parents Just Don’t Understand” alongside DJ Jazzy Jeff, using the moniker The Fresh Prince. However, that success had long since faded and he became best known for his lovable (but, albeit, corny) role on the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Following the end of the sitcom in 1996, Will Smith embarked on his solo rap career to compliment his budding film career. With the success of films like Bad Boys (1995) and Independence Day (1996), Smith began to distance himself from his TV role and was about to have his best year yet: 1997.

It began with the release of the film Men In Black and the release of its accompanying single and soundtrack album. “Men In Black,” the song, featured Coko of R&B girl group SWV was released in June of 1997 and became a monster hit. It samples “Forget Me Nots” by Patrice Rushen for its chorus. The subject matter of the song is directly connected to the film, referencing aliens and the like. However, because of how undeniably catchy it is, it was an undeniable hit, peaking at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 airplay chart.

From there, the album yielded a string of successful singles. First, was “Gettin’ Jiggy wit It” which shot to the top of the charts, and was the perfect party anthem. It features an inescapable “na-na-na-na-na-na” chant that was annoyingly catchy.

Finally, the singles from Big Willie Style concluded with the international smash party anthem, “Miami.” For anyone alive and breathing in 1997-8, it’s probably impossible to dissaocate the phrase, “welcome to Miami” from the random woman in the song who says it (and then repeats “Bienvendo a Miami” in Spanish).

Otherwise, the album was filled with, in hindsight, lackluster filler tracks. The collaboration with TLC’s Left Eye is passable, as is “It’s All Good” which samples the same track as “Rapper’s Delight,” Chic’s “Good Times.” Perhaps what Smith is most equally praised and criticized for is the fact that his album does not bear explicit lyrics. As a father, Smith made a conscious decision not to make profanity-littered hip-hop music. While some critics (and other parents) praised this positive direction, hip-hop enthusiasts often criticized him for being disingenuous and, well, corny. Be that as it may, Smith still has swag, a respectable flow and a certain musical sensibility. He’s certainly no Nick Cannon.

Indeed, Will Smith’s most successful musical moments were attached to films, such as Big Willie Style’s lead single “Men In Black,” and 1999’s “Wild Wild West” (from the film of the same name, and his 1999 album, Willenium). However, despite Willie Style and “Wild Wild West,” Smith has not been able to reclaim similar success in the music world since the turn of the century. Regardless, it’s hard to look back at 1997 and not remember Big Willie Style with fondness, but Will Smith’s music career quickly became a small footnote, a stepping stone, to his hugely successful, Academy Award nominated acting career.

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The soundtrack to Men in Black is probably not an album that anyone would think to be significant.  However, in the 90s, soundtracks to blockbuster movies were a big deal.  Of course, you probably remember the title track and lead single by Will Smith…

Not exactly 1997’s finest moment, nevertheless, it was a huge success and an overall fun song.  However, the Columbia Records helmed soundtrack did boast contributions from Nas, Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Ginuwine, The Roots, Trey Lorenz (Mariah Carey’s background singer, see: “I’ll Be There”), A Tribe Called Quest, and the debut songs of Destiny’s Child and Alicia Keys (who was, at the time, signed to Columbia Records).

It is a pretty impressive list of artists, and interestingly enough, all those listed above are still active and relevant today, 17 years later (well, for Trey Lorenz, still as Mariah’s background singer, but there’s no shame in that!); albeit one of the acts may or may not have changed species.

Destiny’s Child’s contribution to the soundtrack is a ballad, “Killing Time,” which, in my opinion, is quite an odd choice for the Men In Black soundtrack.  However, I do love the song.  Beyoncé gives an impressively mature and sensual  lead vocal performance for a 15-going-on-16 year old, while Kelly, LeToya and LaTavia provide  gorgeous harmonies as we came to expect of Destiny’s Child.   Of course, “Killing Time” definitely wasn’t going to kick start their career, but luckily, “No, No, No Part 2” followed a few months later.

Meanwhile, on “Dah Dee Dah (Sexy Thing)” the world met a 16 year old Alicia Keys, riding a sexy, funky R&B mid tempo track.  At the time, she was signed to Columbia via a deal with Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Records.  However, Alicia eventually left the label and signed with Clive Davis.  We didn’t hear any new music from Alicia until her 2001 debut album, Songs in A Minor.  

Overall, the soundtrack is what you’d expect – a collection of standard, mid-90s R&B and hip-hop.  Perhaps I’m biased, but the introduction to two of R&B’s leading female acts, before they grew up and blew up, is the high point of the soundtrack for me.  Side note: Mariah Carey has collaborated (in some capacity) with 7 of the 14 artists featured on the soundtrack.

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