Amil is a female rapper from New York whose vocals were featured on the singles "Can I Get A..." and "Jigga What?" by Jay-Z. When she was 12, Amil started rapping at talent shows, and in 1997 she became part of the group Major Coins. At that time, Jay-Z was recording his third album, Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life, and wanted one of the women in Major Coins to do vocals on the album. Jay-Z asked Amil to freestyle on the album, and after Major Coins broke up, Amil went on to a solo career. She became a part of the group associated with Jay-Z's label Roc-A-Fella, joining the 1999 Hard Knock Life Tour. After the tour she guested on albums for Mariah Carey, Jermaine Dupri, and Funkmaster Flex. Amil released her first solo project through Roc-A-Fella, All Money Is Legal, in late 2000.