Lil' Kim - La Bella Mafia (Album) [iTunes Plus AAC M4A]

Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Music, Hardcore Rap, Gangsta Rap, East Coast Rap
Released: Mar 03, 2003

Kimberly Jones has always had talent on her side - both her own and that of her studio associates. La Bella Mafia moves with an agitated funkiness that brings to mind the best of Missy Elliot. Although these tracks are the products of several different producers (Timbaland, Kanye West, Swizz Beatz), this fact seems beside the point, given the album's cohesive sound and identity. Any doubters will have to hold their tongues for at least a moment, as Kim literally backs her boastfulness with a series of stomping hip-hop tracks that repay multiple hearings while also inciting unstoppable dance-floor action. Many listeners will be drawn initially by "Magic Stick," a droll, sexy collaboration with 50 Cent. However, they should stick around for the rest; this is one album that goes much deeper than its sexy cover.

Lil' Kim - The Notorious Kim (Album) [iTunes Plus AAC M4A]

Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Music, Hardcore Rap, East Coast Rap
Released: Jun 16, 2000

Lil' Kim - Hard Core (Album) [iTunes Plus AAC M4A]

Genres: Hip-Hop/Rap, Music, East Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap
Released: Nov 08, 1996

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."