Hard Core

iTunes Review

Before the plastic surgery, before the GRAMMY, before the prison drama, and before the reality shows, Lil' Kim was a young girl growing up in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, whose life changed forever when she crossed paths with a pre-fame Notorious B.I.G. In a long-standing hip-hop tradition, after Biggie blew up, he gave back to his peoples, assembling the group Junior M.A.F.I.A. in 1994. While they technically included seven people, Kim was undoubtedly the main attraction, thanks to her stunning appearance and uninhibited wordplay. Junior M.A.F.I.A. released one album and a few hit singles (most notably "Get Money” and “Player's Anthem”), setting the foundation for Kim's aptly titled first solo album. Hard Core was just that — a collection of over-the-top jams focused almost exclusively on freaky trysts, violent showdowns, narcotics transactions, and high-end designer gear, with sample-heavy production from Puffy and Jermaine Dupri. Definitely her roughest and most focused album, it includes the singles "Crush On You" and "No Time," plus fan favorites "Big Momma Thang" (featuring a young Jay-Z) and "We Don't Need It."