Born out of hip-hop supergroup Junior M.A.F.I.A. with The Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim’s debut album Hard Core is exactly what the name suggests– a raucously raunchy celebration of sex, carnal pleasure, and female sexual liberation. When your opening track features a minute-long pornographic skit about a guy going to a peep show to watch Lil’ Kim enjoying herself it’s pretty clear this album is not for the faint of heart.
There’s a fine line between fine art and lowbrow shock artistry, and Kim has her feet planted on both sides of that line throughout the entirety of Hard Core. But when placed in the context of the era it’s undeniable that she was a trailblazer, one of the most influential female MC’s of all-time, and almost singlehandedly paved the way for female artists like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion to rise to prominence two decades later. In the 90’s a large scope of hip hop was a male-dominated industry, filled with bravado and quite simply an awfully antiquated way of viewing women and their value in the world. Kim grew up in that bubble and provided a stark counterpoint to all that testosterone– on tracks like “Big Momma Thang”, “We Don’t Need It”, and “Not Tonight” she flips the script on that perceived power balance, wielding her womanhood like a weapon and defining her standards for what she expects (“You ain’t lickin’ this, you ain’t stickin’ this / I don’t want d*** tonight, eat my p**** right”). On “Dreams” she runs down a list of R&B singers she wants to get with, providing the female version of Biggie’s “Just Playin’ (Dreams)” in the chorus hook.
Lil’ Kim’s Hard Core is so adept at pushing boundaries that it’s easy to look past how damn clean and solid her flow was. Much like Chuck D of Public Enemy, Kim’s enunciation and flow is pronounced and authoritative in a way that is immediately captivating. She’s commanded the room ever since.
Standout Songs: “Big Momma Thang”, “Not Tonight”, “Spend a Little Doe”, “Crush On You”
