Biography
Who is Lil' Kim?
Early life and real name
Lil' Kim was born Kimberly Denise Jones on July 11, 1974. Her birthplace is the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. She was the second child of Linwood Jones, who was a former United States Marine, and she has an older brother named Christopher.
As a child, Jones attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn. When she was nine years old, her parents separated, and she was raised by her father. At fourteen, she left home, began living on the streets, and ultimately dropped out of high school before later attending Brooklyn College Academy.
How Lil' became famous
As a teenager in Brooklyn, Jones met Christopher Wallace, who was known professionally as the Notorious B.I.G. Wallace introduced her to the rap group Junior M.A.F.I.A., where she adopted the stage name Lil' Kim. The group released their debut album, Conspiracy, in 1995. The record generated successful singles including Player's Anthem and Get Money, and it received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Following her work with Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil' Kim launched her solo career. She began recording her debut studio album in late 1995 while making guest performances on various rhythm and blues projects.
Career highlights
In November 1996, Lil' Kim released her debut solo album, Hard Core. The release featured singles such as No Time, Crush on You, and Not Tonight. It became the highest debut in the United States for a female rap album at the time and eventually achieved double platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.
She later released her second album, The Notorious K.I.M., in June 2000. In 2001, she teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mýa to record Lady Marmalade for the Moulin Rouge! Film soundtrack. The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks and earned Lil' Kim a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. Her third album, La Bella Mafia, followed in 2003 and also earned a platinum certification with singles like The Jump Off and Magic Stick.
Fashion and cultural impact
Beyond her music career, Lil' Kim became recognized as a fashion icon for her luxurious and risk-taking approach to style. She modeled for various brands including Candie's, Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat throughout her career. Her 1999 denim campaign fashion shoot introduced the Money Nails design created by nail artist Bernadette Thompson, which featured acrylic nails with pieces of an actual one hundred dollar bill.
Her outfit at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards also drew widespread media attention and secured her status as a fashion trendsetter. Later in her career, she released additional albums such as The Naked Truth in 2005 and her fifth studio album, 9, in 2019.
Birthday and age
Lil' Kim was born on July 11, 1974, which makes Lil' 52 years old today. That birthday falls under the Cancer sign. Lil' shares the date with 66 other famous people.
Explore more
