The Notorious K.I.M.

The Notorious K.I.M.
Studio album by Lil' Kim
Released	June 27, 2000
Recorded	1998-1999
Genre	Hip hop
Length	77:13
Label	Atlantic, Queen Bee, Undeas, Big Beat
Producer	Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones (exec.), Christopher "B.I.G." Wallace (exec.) Sean "Puffy" Combs, Rockwilder, Jerome "Knobody" Foster, Kanye West, Rated R, Mario Winans
Lil' Kim chronology
Hard Core (1996) The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) La Bella Mafia (2003)
Singles from The Notorious K.I.M.
"No Matter What They Say" Released: May 28, 2000 "How Many Licks?" Released: July 1, 2000

The Notorious K.I.M. is the second studio album by rapper Lil' Kim, released on June 27, 2000. It debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 229,000 in its first week, among Kim's highest peaks and biggest first week sales yet, 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, selling over 1.4 million copies in the United States and over 3.2 million worldwide, and was the highest selling female rap album of 2000.^[1]

The album has produced two singles that attained moderate Billboard chart success. Lead single "No Matter What They Say," peaked at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The second single "How Many Licks?", featuring R&B artist Sisqó, performed similarly, reaching the bottom half of the Hot 100.

Background

Production and title

In a 1999 interview with BlackBook magazine, Kim stated that she was thinking about naming the album Queen Bitch, a title of a song from her debut album Hard Core, but decided against it as Missy Elliott had used She's a Bitch and didn't want anybody being confused.^[2] In dedication to The Notorious B.I.G., The Notorious K.I.M. was in a "memorial" to the late rapper. "I felt Biggie's spirit while I was working on this album. I thought it was a perfect name for the album. Also, I am known in a notorious way, my style and lyrics. I've been known in a notorious way over the years.", Kim told Jet magazine.^[3]

"This album to me is more creative and more versatile than my last album. I think that's what people have been looking for. My whole image, to me, the reason why I came out with 'Hard Core,' the sexy thing, was to make me different from every other female rapper that was out. That's exactly what I'm trying to do now, is make myself different, because now we have a lot of rappers doing the same thing that I did when I came out the first time. What I'm trying to do is separate myself again from the rappers that are out now."

—Lil' Kim, MTV News^[4]

In a 2000 interview, Kim explained to MTV News that she attempted to collaborate with the original producers of her first album "Hard Core" but she wasn't satisfied with the final results. "Some of the producers that I worked with, they just didn't know what I wanted, so I worked with new producers this time, and I kind of told them what I wanted", Kim told MTV.^[4] Without re-teaming with the collaborated of her debut album "Hard Core" (with the exception of Nasheim Myrick), Production for the album was handled primarily by Mario "Yellowman" Winans, Fury, Richard "Younglord" Frierson, Rated R, Rockwilder, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Shaft, Kanye West, and Timbaland.

Artwork

The artwork used for the album was shot by David LaChapelle. The album cover was originally intended to be a picture of Kim nude and covered in Louis Vuitton logos, but the then editor-in-chief of Interview magazine, Ingrid Sischy, saw the picture at a gallery exhibit of LaChapelle's work and insisted that it be used for the magazine.^[5][6] The image was later used as the cover for the November 1999 issue of Interview magazine.

Delay

In the summer of 1999, 12 songs from The Notorious K.I.M. were widely available through Internet file-sharing services and bootleg outlets. As a result, Kim went back into the recording studio and recorded 11 songs in three weeks. The set was initially scheduled for several release delays since 1999 (August 17 and November 9, 1999, and April 25, 2000), due to bootlegging and legal problems involving her record label. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, Kim explained, "I wanted to put out the best album possible for my fans, and I needed more time in the studio to do this." Sean "Puffy" Combs also explained "I am a perfectionist and so is Kim, and we will only put out an album when it's right."^[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Robert Christgau	[9]
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)[10]
NME	(8/10)[11]
PopMatters	(mixed)[12]
RapReviews.com	(7.5/10)[13]
Rolling Stone	[14]
Slant Magazine	[15]
The Source	[16]
USA Today	[17]

The Notorious K.I.M. received generally mixed reviews from most professional music critics. Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani comments that the album "combines essential hip-hop elements - sex, guns, drugs, and cash - with a strange sense of vulnerability," and states her song "Hold On" is a "touching tribute to the late rapper". Cinquemani states "despite ventures into solemn territory and gangsta rap, the album continues down Kim's path of female sexual liberation."^[15] Entertainment Weekly journalist Tom Sinclair gave the album a B+, stating "The Notorious K.I.M.'s barrage of aural sex is complemented by strong, often lush production and surprisingly, witty samples and interpolations.^[10] Devon Powers of PopMatters called the album "overdone", stating "what Kim has overdone on this album is the camp - she's almost become a caricature of herself" and says "even her props to Biggie lose their sentimentality for being too easily commercial and convenient".^[12]

In the AllMusic review for the album, Jason Birchmeier stated that "Biggie had played a large role in the success of Hard Core, and his absence here is gaping."^[8] Jam Music critic Mike Ross stated "failed to live up to its hype".^[18] Rolling Stone journalist Rob Sheffield gave the album 3 stars, called the album "too weak and retro", and also said that the vocal samples of The Notorious B.I.G. "just make you mourn the man and his moment, neither of which is ever coming back." Despite the album's flaws, critics remained impressed with her raunchy lyrics and attitude. Sheffield states "Lil' Kim still has an admirably tough and nasty mouth on her, and it's good to hear a Queen Bee sting.^[14]

Commercial performance

One week after its release, The Notorious K.I.M. debuted atop the U.S. Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,^[19] and at number four on the official Billboard 200, with a successful first week sales of 229,000 copies – almost triple the sales of her debut release, Hard Core (1996), which sold 78,000 copies.^[20] The album ultimately spent a little over 25 weeks on that chart. While it became Kim's first album to reach the top of the R&B Albums Chart, it also scored her her highest peak position on the Billboard 200. Due to the success, the number one single, "Lady Marmalade" (which featured Mýa, Pink, and Christina Aguilera), the album re-entered the official Billboard 200 on June 1, 2001, it spent another 12 weeks on the charts, accumulating a total of 37 weeks on the Billboard 200. It received a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and has sold over 1.4 million copies in the United States.^[1]

Outside the States, it opened at number 67 in the United Kingdom and spent 11 weeks on the charts. It also peaked at number 70 in France and number 85 in Netherlands. In Canada, it debuted at number 11 and spent 8 weeks on the Canadian charts.^[21] It received a gold certification by the CRIA.^[22] As of 2007 the album has sold over 3.2 million copies worldwide.^[1]

Singles

Altogether The Notorious K.I.M. spawned two singles. The lead album's first single, "No Matter What They Say" made it to the bottom half on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with a peak position of number 60, becoming Kim's first least successful single. It, however, reached number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 6 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, and number 15 on the UK Singles Chart chart. The second from the album, "How Many Licks?", featured Sisqó, underquoted this success with peak positions of number 75 and 36 respectively on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. A third single, "Hold On", featured Mary J. Blige was serviced to U.S. radio only.

Track listing

Sample credits

• "How Many Licks?" contains a sample from the main theme to Knight Rider.
• "Custom Made (Give It to You)" contains a sample of Lil Louis's "French Kiss".
• "Who's Number One?" contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks's "Keep on Truckin'".
• "Suck My Dick" contains excerpts and a sample of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch".
• "Single Black Female" contains a sample of Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo".
• "No Matter What They Say" contains a sample of Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know I Got Soul", Special Ed's "I Got It Made", The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight", Brandy's "Top of the World".
• "She Don't Love You" contains an interpolation of "Betcha She Don't Love You".
• "Don't Mess with Me" contains a sample of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker".
• "Notorious K.I.M." contains a sample of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Goin Back to Cali".
• "Off the Wall" samples "Beat Box" by The Art of Noise.
• "Right Now" contains interpolation of "Tom's Diner" written by Suzanne Vega and sample of Vaughn Mason's "Break for Love".
• "Hold On" contains a sample of Willie Hutch's "Baby Come Home".

Leftover tracks

• "Diamonds" (featuring Kelly Price)
• "The Queen" (featuring Puff Daddy)
• "Good Time" (featuring Lil' Cease)
• "Nobody Do It Better Than Us"
• "Make No Sense" (featuring Tanya Stephens)
• "Bad Girl" (featuring RuPaul)

Charts and certifications

Album credits

• Executive Producers – Sean "Puffy" Combs & Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones
• Associate Executive Producers – Damion "D-Roc" Butler & Hillary Weston
• Mastered at – Sterling Sound, NYC by Chris Athens
• A&R Direction – Hillary Weston
• Project Coordinator – Jamel "Mann" Jackson
• Product Management – Joi L. Brown
• Photography – David LaChapelle
• Art Direction & Design – Lynn Kowalewski
• Hair – Dione Alexander
• Make-Up – Nzingha Gumbs
• Stylist – Misa Hylton-Brim
• Assistant Stylists – Lonnie Barnes & Melinda David
• Jewelry provided by – Jacob the Jeweler
• Album Pro-Tools Engineering – Jimmie Lee Patterson, Marc Pfafflin, Ben Allen, Roger Che, Steven Dent & Michael Patterson
• Album Assistant Engineers – Lynn Montrose & Dominick Mancuso

References