Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and singer. 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).
Shawntae Harris-Dupart, better known by her stage name Da Brat, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, she began her career in 1992 prior to signing with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings that same year. Her debut studio album, Funkdafied (1994) sold one million units, making her the first female hip hop solo act to receive platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and the second female hip hop act to do so after Salt-N-Pepa.
Angela Martinez is an American radio personality, podcaster, entrepreneur, former rapper, and actress. Nicknamed "The Voice of New York", she was prominently known for her twenty-eight year run at New York City station Hot 97 (WQHT). She left the station in 2014 to join crosstown competitor Power 105.1 (WWPR).
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.
"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey featuring American rapper Jay-Z for her seventh studio album Rainbow (1999). It was released on August 23, 1999, by Columbia Records as the lead single from Rainbow. The song was written by the artists and produced by Carey and DJ Clue, with additional writers being credited for the hook being built around a sample from "Attack of the Name Game" by Stacy Lattisaw. "Heartbreaker" pushed Carey even further into the R&B and hip hop market, becoming her second commercial single to feature a rapper. Lyrically, the song describes lovesickness towards an unfaithful partner.
"Fantasy" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on August 23, 1995, by Columbia Records as the lead single from her fifth album, Daydream (1995). The track was written and produced by Carey and Dave Hall. It samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". The lyrics describe a woman who is in love with a man, and how every time she sees him she starts fantasizing about an impossible relationship with him. The remix for the song features rap verses from Ol' Dirty Bastard, something Carey arranged to assist in her crossover into the hip-hop market and credited for introducing R&B and hip hop collaboration into mainstream pop culture, and for popularizing rap as a featuring act.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. was an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City. The backronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper The Notorious B.I.G. In 1995, they released their debut album, Conspiracy. The success of the group's singles "Player's Anthem" and "Get Money" helped launch the career of Lil' Kim as a solo artist.
"It's All About the Benjamins" is a song by American rapper and producer Puff Daddy. It was released as the third single from his debut studio album No Way Out. "Benjamins" is a slang word for money, referring to Benjamin Franklin's image on the US $100 bill. The song featured an uncredited vocal arrangement by Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, and featured a signature guitar hook played by Marc Solomon.
"Lighters Up" is a single written and recorded by rapper Lil' Kim appearing as the first single off her fourth album, The Naked Truth. It was produced by her ex-boyfriend, record producer Scott Storch. The song has a similar tone to Damian Marley's Welcome to Jamrock. It was released on August 30, 2005. The album was originally due to be released September 13, but was delayed until September 27 because Queen Bee Entertainment felt that sales would not hold with the single "Lighters Up". The single debuted at number 100 on the Billboard Hot 100, then quickly climbed up to number 31. The single had a moderate chart performance in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
"How Many Licks?" is a song by American rapper Lil' Kim featuring vocals by American musician Sisqó from Lil' Kim's second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000). Mario Winans and Sean Combs produced the song, and wrote it with Lil' Kim and Sisqó. The hip hop song samples the Knight Rider theme song, with lyrics expressing a woman's desire for oral sex and her sexual relationships with a variety of men. The chorus is a reference to the advertising slogan for Tootsie Pops. A remix by the Neptunes has additional vocals from American artists Kelis, Lil' Cease, and Snoop Dogg. "How Many Licks?" was released as the second and final single from The Notorious K.I.M. on November 21, 2000, by Queen Bee Entertainment and Atlantic Records.
"The Jump Off" is a song by American rapper Lil' Kim, released as the first single on February 10 in 2003 from her third studio album La Bella Mafia. It was produced by Timbaland and features Mr. Cheeks. The single debuted at number 95 and climbed into the Top 20 at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"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.
"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."
"Bye Bye" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey, taken from her eleventh studio album, E=MC² (2008). She co-wrote the song with its producers Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen and Johntá Austin. It was released as the album's second single on April 15, 2008 by Island Records. The song is influenced by pop and R&B music genres, and features a piano and keyboard-driven melody. Lyrically, the song is a dialogue in between Carey and her deceased father throughout the verses, and a universal salute to departed loved ones on the chorus.
"Get Money" is a song by the American rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., released as the third and final single from their debut album Conspiracy (1995). "Get Money," whose instrumental is fundamentally a sample of R&B singer Sylvia Striplin's 1981 song "You Can't Turn Me Away," was produced by EZ Elpee, rapped by the Notorious B.I.G. and Lil' Kim, and received a music video. B.I.G., formally, was featured, but at times was deemed, like Lil' Kim and Lil' Cease, a Junior M.A.F.I.A. member.
"Been Around the World" is a song by American rapper Puff Daddy, featuring the Notorious B.I.G. and Mase and included on Puff Daddy's debut studio album No Way Out (1997). The song samples David Bowie's 1983 hit song "Let's Dance", and contains an interpolation of Lisa Stansfield's song "All Around the World", sung by the Notorious B.I.G. in the chorus. In the album version, the song concludes with a skit featuring an interview with "The Mad Producer".
"Sugar (Gimme Some)" is a song by American rapper Trick Daddy featuring fellow American rapper Ludacris & American singer CeeLo Green, released as the second single from the former's sixth studio album Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets (2004). Produced by Mike Caren, the single was certified Gold by the RIAA.
"A No No" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey from her fifteenth studio album, Caution (2018). The song was written by Carey, Robert "Shea" Taylor, Priscilla Hamilton, Mason Betha and Camron Giles. Since the track samples Lil' Kim's "Crush on You" (1997), songwriting credits were added for a total of nine. Digitally released as a promotional single in November 2018, Epic Records serviced it to rhythmic contemporary and urban contemporary radio as the second single from the album on March 4, 2019. "A No No" is a hip hop and R&B song with a blithely dismissive chorus and frisky beat.
"Big Energy" is a song by American rapper Latto. It was released through Streamcut and RCA Records on September 24, 2021, as the lead single from Latto's second studio album, 777 (2022). It was written by Latto, A1 LaFlare, Jaucquez Lowe, Randall Hammers, Theron Thomas, Dr. Luke, and Vaughn Oliver, with the latter two handling the production. Adrian Belew, Chris Frantz, Steven Stanley, and Tina Weymouth received songwriting credits since the song samples Tom Tom Club's 1981 song "Genius of Love". "Big Energy" has been described as pop and funk-rap.
