Rap Gets Hardcore

(Originally Written In August 1998)

By Brian Salkowski

*Artist- Lil Kim

*Album- Hardcore

*Released- November 12 1996

*Produced by - Puff Daddy, Stevie J, Ski, JD, Willis, Fabian Hamilton, Rashad Smith, Stretch

*Writer (s)- Kimberly Jones, Fabian Hamilton, Christopher Wallace, Richard Albert

*Photography & Liner info- Michael Lavine

*Released by - Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records.

QUEEN B BEGINNINGS

Since she spat fire on the Junior Mafia album, the world waited patiently for the Queen to drop her 1996 solo effort. When it did, there was tiny tremors and debris littered across the musical industry. There was a calculated, salacious promotion designed for Lil' Kim's first album LP "Hardcore". Biggie let his message be loud and clear: "I want her to be rap's Madonna". The eye bulging promo poster with her infamously spread out, literally. It was a major plot point in the evolution of females in the NYC rap game. In November of 1996, you saw Lil' Kim with her legs wide open on the poster everywhere. But Lil' Kim was no stranger to the sexy side. For a year prior, Junior Mafia's LP "Conspiracy" spun off 3 very successful singles. Kim is in each one. Some of the most raunchiest, dirty, sexual lyrics ever really heard in rap. Female emcee's came close, but Kim had a style of flash attached to the, to be blunt, the smutty, pornographic things she was rapping. "I have you open while Im cumming down your throat and..". It worked. All 3 singles, she just so happened to write the best rhymes she could. Biggie made it clear. Whoever writes the best rhymes, they will be put on the track. But what was really going on was a track being built by Lil' Kim for a whole new movement in rap.

Clearly something in the Rap game was starting to happen. Puff Daddy, with his ever so flamboyant demenour, was changing Hip Hop at this time. He was able to turn Rap, which was frowned upon by our parents and grandparents, into a mega remix revolution. He started to do this first with Mary J Blige. He would blend melodic 1970's soul music with the gritty beats of rap. Once he married the two, a new genre that was once frowned upon, was now embraced. His formula worked and Hip Hop was mainstream. Artists like Mase, Total, The Notorious BIG were going platinum and #1 on the charts. But what about the ladies?

Fierce sexual overtness and bare lyrics were Kimberly Jones' M.O. No longer was she to stand behind the menacing shadow of Christoper "Biggie" Wallace for her to achieve critical acclaim. On the album, Puffy played a major role in the look and style. He took Biggie's vision for Kim and brought it up a notch. Kim was not just rapping sexual and like a dude, she was rapping in designer wear. Gucci. Fendi. Chanel. Prada. Things female emcees didn't do before. But Lil' Kim seemed to get the ball rolling with this style. And this time, she would do it on her own. "Hardcore" was unprecedented. At the same time though, a few blocks from Bad Boy and Undeas Entertainment, one Sean "Jay Z" Carter and Def Jam Records was producing a similar image.

NA NA BE LIKE?

At the same time, literally the same time, that Lil' Kim was working on the album, another female emcee was emerging with very similar qualities. Foxy Brown, at age 16, seemed to be slowly on the come up. In 1995, LL Cool J released a remix of "I Shot Ya" with a very young Foxy Brown (Inga Marchand). Her lyrics were groundbreaking at the time. "Im sexin' raw dog without protection, disease infested". Sound familiar? Now this was still before the release of "Hardcore". Foxy Brown appeared on several 1995-1996 platinum singles, including Total's "No One Else" (ironically Lil' Kim was on that remix as well), Jay-Z's "Aint No...," Toni Braxton's "You're Makin' Me High" remix, Case's "Touch Me, Tease Me." with Mary J Blige, Horace Brown and others.

While this was happening, Kim was still relishing in the success of Junior Mafia. She also knew Foxy Brown and were friends. In interviews from the time period, they both talked good of each other. They even suggested a collaboration album. Lyor Cohen offered a substantial amount of money for the two "femcee's" to put all ego aside for "Thelma and Louise- The Album". It would have been a blockbuster, fierce album with two rappers that were so influential but also so controversial....it would have been a no-brainer the success it would have garnished. But their friendship will soon end in a very bad way. Foxy Brown's "Ill Na Na" was released the very week after "Hardcore". The two ladies actually congratulated each other both through rhyme and in person. I remember in early 1998 attending at the "No Way Out Tour" orchestrated by Puff Daddy and Bad Boy. The tour was a smash Hit. The roster was amazing. Ma$e, 112, Lil' Cease, The Lox, Lil' Kim, Busta Rhymes, Foxy Brown, Usher, Jay-Z, Kid Capri. Select cities, other rappers joined the stage like Nas, AZ, Nature (basically a "The Firm" promotion tactic). Like I said it was a great concert and a great tour. It came to my city of Philadelphia on March 15, 1998. I had a paper to write for my professor that I put to the side, with reason, to attend.

As 1998 continued, things were starting to change. The two rappers started to be estranged. From what I remember the release of Lil Cease's debut had a song featuring Kim where at the end Puffy said "Stop tryin' to sound like her too, bitches, uh" a direct yet subliminal shot at Foxy Brown. Foxy’s album Chyna Doll was released about 6 months before this song and her voice was noticeably different from Ill Na Na, especially on the first single Hot Spot. Many people thought it was an attempt to sound more like Kim. So the battle lines were drawn. Mainly it was speculation perpetuated by the media and most famously Wendy Williams of Hot 97. But it also sent a strong declaration to female empowerment. It started a fire storm of debates about sex in music, female exploitation and questionable lyrics. Meaning, did Jay Z write for Foxy. Did Biggie write for Kim?

"Hardcore" seemed to have competition. But it's very clear that the album is titled that for a reason.

SEX + DESIGNER CLOTHES + NASTY LYRICS = SUCCESS

Despite Kim's friend, Foxy Brown, and her success starting to boil. Kim had "Hardcore" already cooked and delivered on a silver platter. One of the best albums in not just female rap, rap in general. The positively hilarious "Intro in A-Minor" illustrates how hip-hop heads were feenin' for her. Some dude does a Pee Wee Herman while watching Kim on the big screen in THX sound. Then a killer Stretch Armstrong beat kicks the album into 3rd gear with some help from Lil' Cease and a sharp Shawn Carter (Jay Z), who just sees the dollar signs printed all over Kim. On "Big Momma Thang" he's plotting ways to make her "jump ship" over to Roc-A-Fella. She stayed on the ship she was on though.

Never before had a female MC 'come' this hard on an LP, willing to match her male counterparts with that raw sexual ferocity you see. Puffy makes one of his many appearances on "No Time" and makes good use of James Brown's "Take Me Just As I Am" on the beat. The cut is an ode to wealth and sex, and she puts it to ya in the third verse that "you can't stop a bitch from ballin." If you prefer your hip-hop candy-coated like raindrops, then play Will Smith; this shit ain't for soft, prudish, Republican ears. Kim does her level best to bend and break the written commandments of rap that state that female rappers cannot be viewed as sexually aggressive. I suppose no one listened, given the commercial success of this album. The literate "Spend a Little Doe" comes courtesy of an underrated producer of his day in Ski. Kim relays more vivid tales of her gangster exploits, and yet another sexually-charged skit featuring B.I.G. and Cease lead into "Crush On You," where Kim sits it out, only to return to the groundbreakingly colorful Lance Rivera-directed video. But at moments near track 7, is where this solo project comes into its own. The production of Fabian Hamilton on "Drugs" proves itself worthy by the highest standards afforded to background music. Add another dosage of a Biggie hook, clever word associations, and you have a monstrous Bad Boy cut on the launch pad. Kim and Biggie seem to have that Mike and Scotty vibe going and feed off each other's energy to create something rare.

The LP's first sign of solo sexual explosion is a lyrically flossing' showcase in "Queen Bitch."(one of the most highly debated tracks of the album. And the hottest. It becomes enigmatic in a way. Did she write it? Did biggie write it or just half of it? It was later discovered that BIG did a freestyle early on and it closely resembles Queen Bitch, bar for bar at times) Her vocal ability really shines through in this track, as she grapples with alliteration and staccato. The first overtly feminist track is "Dreams," and I suppose that one's strictly for the ladies. By this point of the LP, I was 100% obsessed. Yes, this was a great thing for women and expression, but she was saying all the dirty things I was thinking. The delivery was so star like to me. She really is The Black Madonna or Rap's Susan Lucci. The most over the top track in my opinion is "Not Tonight". Its a far, far cry from the remix version "Ladies Night". Its a slutty Kim demanding that she wants her female genitalia pleased. Her words, regardless of how pornographic they are, is put together so splendid and flawlessly delivered. She makes it clear that if you aren't servicing her vagina, get out her face. "I don't want dick tonight, eat my pussy right." The song goes on a roll with Jermaine Dupri providing the beat.

Following its release, "Hardcore" was certified platinum 5x. It caused debate, empowerment, disgust etc. Either way, it created buzz. Bad press is good press. If you're angered by it, it did its job and made an impact. Lil' Kim will deliver 3 more LPs in the following years. Hardcore is hands down her best. Biggie's vision became a reality which is why he is so undisputed and will always be a legend. RIP.