| 9 | ||||
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| Released | October 11, 2019 | |||
| Recorded | 2012–2019 | |||
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| Length | 30:59 | |||
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| Producer |
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| Lil' Kim chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 9 | ||||
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9 is the fifth studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was released on October 11, 2019, through Queen Bee Entertainment and eOne. [1] The single "Go Awff" was released on February 15, 2019. During the taping of VH1's Girls Cruise reunion episode, Kim confirmed her intention to release the second volume of 9 in 2020. [2]
On March 23, 2019, Lil' Kim announced that the album would be released on May 17, 2019. [3] The rapper described the meaning behind her fifth album in an interview with BET on the red carpet at the 2019 BET Awards: "It's a spiritual awakening number for me. Also, when I started out in Junior M.A.F.I.A. it was 9 members, my daughter was born June 9th, Biggie died March 9th, it is 2019. It's a powerful number for me. (...) I'm very spiritual and one day God was talking to me and I was like '7 is my favorite number' and He was like 'yes but 9 is your favored number' and I said thank you Jesus, I love you. I'm going with 9." [4] In April, she announced that the label eOne had decided to push back the release of the album [5] which was then expected to premiere in July 2019 to coincide with Kim's reality show Girls Cruise . [6]
The 2018 song "Nasty One", previously slated as the album's first single, eventually was not included in the track list. "Go Awff", released in February 2019, [7] instead became the lead single, with a music video released in March. [8] In April, the rapper released a promotional single "No Auto Blanco" exclusively for streaming on SoundCloud. [9] It was followed by the second official single "Found You" featuring O.T. Genasis, City Girls and Watts Up Mickey in September 2019. On October 3, Lil' Kim released the third single, "Pray for Me", featuring Rick Ross and Musiq Soulchild, and confirmed October 11 as the final release date of the album. [10] Although originally reported as consisting of 13 tracks, [9] the album eventually featured only nine songs. The previously confirmed song "Missing" was left off the album. [11]
Lil' Kim confirmed that the second part of 9 will be released at a later date and that it will feature a song with Missy Elliott and Paris Hilton [12] as well as collaborations with Remy Ma, Fabolous, both of whom she has collaborated with in the past, on "Wake Me Up" and "Spicy", respectively and comedian Pretty Vee who featured on Girls Cruise. [13] The first part of 9 was released as a deluxe edition to CD which featured “Nasty One (Remix)” as a bonus track. “Spicy” was released as a bonus track on the vinyl release of the album. [14]
The promotional images were photographed by celebrity photographer Michael Antonio Hunter and styled by Misa Hylton.
The album was on NPR's "best new albums of the week" at the time of its release, [15] and was met with mixed to positive reviews from critics. [16] [17] [18] Jordan Bassett of NME rated the album 3 out of 5 stars and described it as "lewd, contrarian and confrontational – all the qualities that make Kim an icon". [19]
9 did not chart on the US Billboard 200 but did reach number 47 on the Top Album Sales, number 5 on Billboard's Rap Album Sales, number 7 on R&B/Hip Hop Album Sales, number 13 on Digital Albums, and number 16 on the Independent Albums chart. 9 also managed to reach number 22 on the French Digital Albums, along with number 70 on the UK Album Downloads, and number 22 on the UK R&B Albums chart.
As of April 2024, 9 has amassed more than 10 million global streams across all streaming services.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pray for Me" (feat. Rick Ross and Musiq Soulchild) |
| Xtassy | 4:51 |
| 2. | "Bag" | Jones | Mark Henry | 3:47 |
| 3. | "Catch My Wave" (feat. Rich the Kid) | Jones | Smash Davis | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Go Awff" | Jones | Soundwave | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Too Bad" | Jones | Orlando The Great | 3:39 |
| 6. | "You Are Not Alone" |
| Grandz Muzik, Buda, Rondon | 2:45 |
| 7. | "Found You" (feat. O.T. Genasis, City Girls) |
| Jonny Cash | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Auto Blanco" | Jones | Jungle Boy Beats, DJ Mil-Ticket | 2:10 |
| 9. | "Jet Fuel" | Jones | 808 Mafia, AB on the Beat, Will Major | 3:14 |
| Total length: | 30:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Nasty One (Remix)" (feat. Stefflon Don, Kranium and HoodCelebrityy) |
| Bkorn | 4:01 |
| Total length: | 34:59 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Spicy" (feat. Fabolous) |
| 3:26 |
Sample credits
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Digital Albums (SNEP) [21] | 22 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC) [22] | 70 |
| UK R&B Albums (OCC) [23] | 22 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [24] | 47 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) [25] | 16 |
| US R&B/Hip-Hop Album Sales ( Billboard ) [26] | 7 |
| US Rap Album Sales ( Billboard ) [27] | 5 |
Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. In her teens, she would freestyle rap, influenced by fellow female hip-hop artists like MC Lyte and the Lady of Rage. In 1994, she was discovered by fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A.; their debut album, Conspiracy, generated two top 20 singles in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on November 12, 1996, by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with the Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer. She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay-Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album.
The Notorious K.I.M. is the second studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was released on June 27, 2000, by Atlantic Records and was her first album on her new label Queen Bee Entertainment. It debuted at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 235,000 copies in its first week, achieving Lil' Kim's highest peak and biggest first-week sales, and reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A commercial success, The Notorious K.I.M. was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on August 2, 2000. It was the best-selling female rap album in 2000 with sales of over 1.5 million copies in the United States. To date, The Notorious K.I.M. has sold 3 million copies worldwide.
The Naked Truth is the fourth studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on September 27, 2005. The album was released the same week she started her year-long prison sentence for perjury and it was her last studio album released by Atlantic Records before deciding to part ways in 2008. Two official singles were released from the album: "Lighters Up" as the lead single, released in September 2005, and "Whoa", as the second and final single, in February 2006. The Naked Truth remains the only album by a female rapper to be rated five mics by The Source. The album has sold nearly 500,000 copies in the United States.
La Bella Mafia is the third studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on March 4, 2003, by Atlantic Records. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling one million copies in the United States.
Tha Carter III is the sixth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on June 10, 2008, by Cash Money, Universal Motown & Young Money Entertainment. It follows a string of mixtape releases and guest appearances on other hip hop and R&B artists' albums. The album features appearances from Jay-Z, T-Pain, Fabolous, Robin Thicke, Busta Rhymes, Juelz Santana, Babyface, Bobby V, and Kanye West, among others. It also features Static Major, who is credited posthumously following his death in February of that year.
"No Matter What They Say" is a song by Lil' Kim from her second album The Notorious K.I.M. (2000). It was released as the lead single from the album on May 30, 2000 by Atlantic Records and Queen Bee Entertainment.
"Not Tonight" is a song performed by the American rapper Lil' Kim featuring Jermaine Dupri for her debut studio album Hard Core (1996). A remix was released the following year featuring female rappers Da Brat, Missy "Misdeameanor" Elliott, Angie Martinez, and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes for the Nothing to Lose soundtrack. It was released on June 24, 1997, by Atlantic Records.
"Let It Go" is a song by American R&B singer Keyshia Cole featuring American rappers Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim. It was written by Cole, Jack Knight, Cainon Lamb, Lil' Kim, and Missy Elliott for her second album Just Like You (2007) and samples "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume, and "Don't Stop the Music" by Yarbrough and Peoples, while also interpolating "Juicy" by The Notorious B.I.G., who also sampled "Juicy Fruit." An uptempo song written by all three artists with Jack Knight, Cainon Lamb and James Mtume and produced by Lamb and Elliott, it marked the first collaboration between any of the three artists with one another.
"No Time" is the debut single by American rapper Lil' Kim featuring Puff Daddy. It was released as the lead single for her debut album Hard Core in October 1996. It peaked at number 18 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached the top ten on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, and peaked the US Rap Songs for nine weeks—becoming Kim's first number one hit on the chart. Additionally, the song charted at number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. "No Time" was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and contains a sample of Vicki Anderson's "Message from the Soul Sisters" and Lyn Collins's "Take Me Just As I Am."
"I Can Love You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with her sister LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, Rodney Jerkins, and Lil' Kim for her third album, Share My World (1997), with Jerkins producing the song and Lil Kim having featured vocals. The contains elements of the song "Queen Bitch," a track from Kim's debut album Hard Core (1996), co-written by Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick. Due to the inclusion of the sample, they are also credited as songwriters.
Tha Carter IV is the ninth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne, released on August 29, 2011, through Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Universal Republic Records. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2008, shortly after Lil Wayne's sixth studio album, Tha Carter III (2008) was released to strong sales and critical acclaim: however, the sessions were put on hold, as Lil Wayne claimed he did not want to follow an album he held in high regard so quickly with another, potentially inferior release. In the interim, Lil Wayne released his two other albums in 2010: the largely rock-themed Rebirth, and I Am Not a Human Being. The latter was reportedly composed from unreleased material from the original Tha Carter IV sessions, as the album was released whilst Wayne served a prison sentence at Rikers Island prison for illegal possession of a weapon, and was thus unable to record any new material: this also meant Tha Carter IV's recording sessions were once more put on hold.
Trouble Man: Heavy Is the Head is the eighth studio album by American rapper T.I. It was released on December 18, 2012, by Grand Hustle Records and Atlantic Records. The production was provided by some of T.I.'s longtime collaborators; including DJ Toomp, Jazze Pha, Pharrell Williams and Lil' C. These high-profile record producers such as T-Minus, Cardiak, No I.D., Rico Love, Planet VI, Tommy Brown and Chuck Diesel, also contributed to the album. The album features guest appearances from P!nk, Lil Wayne, André 3000, R. Kelly, Akon, Meek Mill, CeeLo Green, ASAP Rocky, Trae tha Truth, Victoria Monet and Grand Hustle's own D.O.P.E.
Durk Derrick Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He first garnered a regional following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to his signing of a recording contract from Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015) and its follow up, Lil Durk 2X (2016) to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the artist in 2018.
Khaled Khaled is the twelfth studio album by American record producer DJ Khaled. It was released through We the Best Music and Epic Records on April 30, 2021. The album features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Jeremih, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Cardi B, H.E.R., Migos, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Justin Bieber, 21 Savage, Bryson Tiller, Roddy Ricch, Drake, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Puff Daddy, Nas, Jay-Z, James Fauntleroy, Justin Timberlake, Meek Mill, Buju Banton, Capleton, and Bounty Killer.
Grateful is the tenth studio album by American hip hop producer DJ Khaled, released as a double album on June 23, 2017 by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records. The album features guest appearances from a wide array of artists including Future, Travis Scott, Rick Ross, Migos, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, Nicki Minaj, Kodak Black, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz, Drake, Rihanna, Sizzla, Mavado, Nas, Calvin Harris, PartyNextDoor, Jeremih, Pusha T, and Betty Wright, among others.
Summertime Shootout 3: Coldest Summer Ever is the seventh studio album by American rapper Fabolous, released on November 29, 2019, by Street Family Records, Roc Nation and Def Jam Recordings. The album includes guest appearances from 2 Chainz, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Chris Brown, Davido, Gucci Mane, Jacquees, Jeremih, Josh K, Lil Durk, Meek Mill, PnB Rock, Roddy Ricch, Teyana Taylor, Tory Lanez, Ty Dolla Sign and YFN Lucci. The album also serves as the third and final installment of the Summertime Shootout series.
Time Served is the third studio album by American rapper Moneybagg Yo. It was released on January 10, 2020, through Roc Nation, Collective Music Group, Bread Gang Entertainment, N-Less Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album features collaborations with Lil Baby, Blac Youngsta, Future, DaBaby, Summer Walker, Fredo Bang, and Megan Thee Stallion. The production on the album was handled by Tay Keith, 30 Roc, and DMacTooBangin, among others. The deluxe edition was released on May 15, 2020, featuring some additional guest appearances from Big Homiie G, Big30, and Rylo Rodriguez.
"3 Headed Goat" is a song by American rapper Lil Durk featuring fellow American rappers Lil Baby and Polo G. It was released on May 7, 2020, as the third single from the former's fifth studio album Just Cause Y'all Waited 2 (2020), a day ahead of the album's release. On the song, the rappers combine to form a "3 headed G.O.A.T.". The track received positive reviews from critics and was Durk's highest-charting song until the release of Drake's "Laugh Now Cry Later".
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