Lil' Kim

Lil' Kim

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Exclusive: Lil' Kim On "Nasty One," Fashion, Kanye West & More

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The GRAMMY-winning rap pioneer discusses everything from her new music to her favorite album in her catalog, fashion, motherhood, and more
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 20, 2018 - 4:23 pm

To be in Lil' Kim's presence is to be in the presence of rap royalty. From her daring 1996 debut album, Hard Core, to her new single, "Nasty One," the Brooklyn rapper has spit uncompromising verses and sported unparalleled looks on her way to becoming a true giant – despite her small stature – in the hip-hop genre and culture. And while she is quick to give credit to those before her who paved the way for her to become an artist, her influence on the music and fashion of today is undeniable. Simply put, there is only one Lil' Kim.

Lil' Kim Talks "Nasty One," Kendrick Lamar & More

The GRAMMY-winning artist stopped by our headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., to give us the lowdown on "Nasty One," tease her upcoming fifth full-length album, dish on her fashion influences, discuss the joys of motherhood, relive her GRAMMY Moment, and much more.

You've got new music, with a new sound. "Nasty One." has your edge but with a dancehall vibe. How did this song come together?

"Nasty One" is my first official single off of my upcoming album, and I am so excited because I get to do something different but still me. So [on] "Nasty One," I wanted to bring the Caribbean flavor because I'm from Brooklyn, so we have all kind of culture there, Caribbean, Latin, that's a big part of what Brooklyn is made up of, so I wanted to kind of give my tribute to Brooklyn and just doing something that I haven't done in a while. I mean, I have "Lighters Up" from Naked Truth, but that was the last kind of Caribbean feel song that I've done, so "Nasty One" was like a happy medium because I had to give that sex kitten Lil' Kim.

Your album is due out in November - what else do you have up your sleeve on this album, and can you tease any collaborations or anyone you'd love to work with this time around?

Well, I want to, but I don't want to give away all of them because I don't want to jinx it… But one of my sisters, which is Remy Ma, we know she's on there, but I would love to collaborate with Kendrick Lamar. I love him, and I recently grew a newfound love for Kendrick Lamar because after seeing him act. I think that's his debut acting role, on "Power." I'm even more in love with him because he showed me that this is what a star is made of. The music is his platform but he's so dimensional as far as talent.

Your fans can be very opinionated about you exploring new sounds. Do you find it difficult balancing your artistic freedom with pleasing your fan base?

I love the fact that my fans are so passionate. I thank God all of the time that I have the fan base that I have because they give me a cult following. They go with me to the end through thick and thin… And they're always motivating me and pushing me. But then they get on my nerves because if I take too long with a song, or if I go in a direction where they don't want me to go but I feel and I know it's the best thing for my life and my career, I have to do it regardless of what they say, and it's a constant struggle between myself and my fans. Now, I will say, sometimes I do follow some of their advice and I give them exactly what they want. But guys, you have to come to a happy medium with me. Just realize I do know what I'm doing. It may take long sometimes, but you guys, trust me. I'm a hustler first, so we've got to get this money [laughs].

For some artists, albums are like their children. Which album in your catalog would you consider your favorite child?

Every time I make an album, they are always like my babies. It's like I birth them, seriously… My first love, it would probably be Hard Core. But… I do have to say favorite, or the one that maybe is closer to my heart, is La Bella Mafia, and I would say that because after Biggie passed, La Bella Mafia was the first album I got to do where I got to be super creative on my own, because after Biggie passed, the first album I had to do on my own without him around was Notorious K.I.M. and I love that album, but it was like I had so many people telling me which way to go, and then Puffy, the executive producer, which I love working with Puffy, but he's my big brother. I had to do my big brother's thing and I didn't really get to be in control. So I felt [like] Janet Jackson on the La Bella Mafia.

You had control.

Yeah, I had more control, and it was fun because I got to do all of the stuff I wanted to do and I got to experiment... That's when I kind of started singing more. I mean, I did sing on Notorious K.I.M., but I kind of started getting melody and stuff like that in there, and that's one of my biggest albums. One of my biggest records that stayed at number one without a video came from La Bella Mafia and that's "Magic Stick" with 50 Cent. That song was on the charts, I think it was No. 1 for 13 weeks without a video. It's crazy.

That's unheard of! Any other moments stick out from those early years of your career.

"Came Back For You" is one of my first Hard Core records that got nominated for a GRAMMY, and Kanye [West] always says ... You know he did that [record], and Kanye was just a little kid with braces, and he was like, "Kim, I love you. I want to be a part of your label." I'm like, me? It was funny because he kind of wanted to roll with me. I was like, "that's a blessing," but I didn't know a thing about forming an artist or helping artists or stuff like that. I was like, "I love you any which way I can help you." He was like, "okay, I got some songs for you." He played "Came Back For You" and I was like, "this is the one." And that song got nominated for a GRAMMY, so when I see Kanye, Kanye goes, "Kim, you know that's the first song I've ever gotten nominated for a GRAMMY for. I was like, "see? I'm your good luck charm."… I love him. He's like my family.

No doubt about it, you're a fashion icon, and a chameleon who’s able to switch it up. What is inspiring your looks these days?

You know, it's funny. My mom, when she was younger, she looked just like Diana Ross… and she loved Diana Ross, so that made sense. And I used to always watch Lady Sings the Blues, my mom said, when I was young, I was like, "mommy, play it again. Play it again!" And she said I would just do all the moves and I would go in her closet and I would make the clothes try to resemble what was in that movie. So I always took that style with me, and so these days, I kind of feel like Diana Ross is inside.

I've been doing a lot more changes [in my new videos] because I wanted to bring that young Hollywood with the old Hollywood mix. I like happy mediums when it comes to anything. My music, my fashion ... That's just me. I like to be right in the middle. Not too over the top, but not too under dressed. I think, these days, I've just been looking for that chic look but still fly… A little bit of this, a little bit of that.

Hip-hop and R&B is #1 right now with consumers, according to all the streaming data. How does it feel to see the genre you helped pioneer come out on top in 2018?

Yeah. That's amazing. I think that the growth and the accomplishment in R&B and Hip Hop is just a great thing. There were times, even before I came into music, probably before I was born, when rap music was an underground thing. It would never make it mainstream, is what people thought. People like the Sugarhill Gang… I always did my homework. Even though I was young, a baby probably when they came out or whatever, as I got older, I did my homework, and I wanted to know all the female rappers that probably didn't know about... It's like they had to kind of break down doors for us.

You broke down the doors for a lot of other people, too. And not just in music. In pop culture, fashion. So how does it feel to see your influence playing out around you? Any specific instances catch your eye?

When Beyoncé dresses up like Lil' Kim on Halloween and calls it National Lil' Kim Day, I was living… I was like, "that is so awesome." And just to look at how Beyoncé's pictures next to mine, were exactly alike. She did not miss a beat. I'm talking about down to my mole, down to the necklace I wore, down to the color eyeshadow that I wore, down to the Chanel sign being spray painted in my blue wig. I was living. I love her for that. Thank you, Beyoncé. That was just a moment. I will never forget that. That was just so dope.

You have a beautiful daughter, Royal Reign. She just turned four. When do you think you'll give her permission to listen to a Lil' Kim record?

You know what's so funny? When I'm recording now, she has her favorites. She liked "Nasty One" before it even came out… She loves the groove. She's very smart. She's very musically inclined, because we always played music around her. It's funny, because people think when you have a baby, you have to be very, very quiet. No. It's sometimes the opposite. Sometimes you have to play a little noise so that they can stay asleep. When it's too quiet, a little pin drop will wake them up. I kind of kept music around her, and so she loves it. It's funny because if there's songs with curses in it, she'll censor herself. She goes [silent pause] and she'll keep singing, so she knows the difference, and I like that. So that means it won't be hard to teach her when she gets older, right from wrong.

I'm curious, outside of music, what are some things you enjoy? Maybe something that helps you relax or recharge your batteries. Do you have any surprising hobbies?

I do like to play tennis. I have a tennis court at my house. Sometimes that helps, because it's like, if you're angry about something… Sometimes, it's just chilling in the back of the house with the baby, letting her ride the bike. Or sometimes it's just going out for ice cream. I like to drive around in the neighborhood. Driving in the car is really relaxing to me, so when I get to go on long trips, that's ... I get to kick back and relax…. What else is one of my hobbies? Shopping. Shopping, shopping, shopping [laughs]. It relaxes [me], but when it starts to get five hours later, I get really hungry and I still don't stop. I'm still like "Let's go to the next store," and everyone is like, "Kim, are you sure? We haven't eaten yet." I'm like, "no. We've got to go. Let's push through. Gotta push through. We've got to get those Louboutins by seven." [laughs]

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61st GRAMMY Awards
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Album Of The Year Nominees Revealed | 2019 GRAMMY Awards

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Albums by Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, Drake, H.E.R., Post Malone, Janelle Monáe, Kacey Musgraves, and music from and inspired by 'Black Panther' receive nominations.
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Dec 7, 2018 - 5:33 am

The 2019 GRAMMYs are just around the corner, and now the nominations are in for the coveted honor of Album Of The Year. While we'll have to wait until the 61st GRAMMY Awards air on CBS on Feb. 10 to find out who will win, let's take a look at which albums have been nominated for one of the most anticipated GRAMMY Awards each year.

Invasion Of Privacy – Cardi B

With the success of her breakout single, "Bodak Yellow," which earned two GRAMMY nominations for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance at the 60th GRAMMY Awards last year, Cardi B set the stage for one of the most anticipated debut rap albums in recent memory. Invasion Of Privacy arrived on April 5, 2018, and showed the Bronx-born and raised rapper had a lot more to show.

In June, "I Like It" with J Balvin and Bad Bunny made it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Cardi the first ever female rapper to earn two No. 1 hits. "I Like It" is also nominated for Record Of The Year, "Be Careful" received a nod for Best Rap Performance and Invasion Of Privacy is up for Best Rap Album this year. Tack on Cardi's nomination alongside Maroon 5 for "Girls Like You" for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance bring her total nominations this year to five.

By The Way, I Forgive You – Brandi Carlile

Since exploding from the folk music scene into the mainstream in 2007 with her the title track from her sophomore album, The Story, Brandi Carlile has released a string of quality folk/roots albums. Her latest, By The Way, I Forgive You, shows Carlile and longtime writing/singing partners, twins Tim and Phil Hanseroth, in top form. The album's lead single, "The Joke," encapsulates the spirit and power of love and forgiveness, two main themes of the album.

"I wrote 'The Joke' about a reckoning and a revolution and a time that's coming when we'll realize that love has already conquered the world and pick it back up," Carlile told us in July. 

The album, Carlile's sixth, yielded the same number of GRAMMY nominations—an impressive six—for the 61st GRAMMY Awards, including Best Americana Album as well as Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Best American Roots Song and Best American Roots Performance for "The Joke."

Scorpion – Drake

From the very beginning of 2018, chart titan Drake saw a groundswell of buzz for his fifth album, Scorpion. When it finally dropped in late June, the album already had three successful singles: "God's Plan," "Nice For What" and "I'm Upset." Shortly after the album's release, the album's fifth single, "In My Feelings," would climb to put Drake at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third time of year. Simply put, the Canadian rapper spent the better part of the year shattering streaming and chart records, and the ambitious and hit-laden double-disc album Scorpion was well worth the wait for fans. The project was a hit for voters as well, as Drake clocked in with an impressive seven nominations for the 61st GRAMMY Awards.

H.E.R. – H.E.R.

With her soulful songs and jaw-dropping musicianship only further fueling the mystique of her persona, H.E.R. stepped into the light this year, releasing her widely acclaimed self-titled debut. Apropos of her moniker's meaning (Having Everything Revealed), H.E.R. showed the world her gift, with a breakthrough performance of "Focus" and "Best Part," both from her debut LP, at the BET Awards this summer alongside Daniel Caesar. After a string of successful EPs, H.E.R. gave her fans a new, more complete idea of H.E.R.'s musical ability and remarkable potential. In addition to the coveted Album Of The Year nomination, she's also up for Best New Artist.

Beerbongs & Bentleys – Post Malone

Not to be outdone online, Post Malone broke streaming records this year as well by earning the most streams in one week when Beerbongs & Bentleys arrived on April 27. Real name Austin Richard Post, the singer/rapper entered a new stratosphere of popularity with his sophomore album—and he brought many of this friends along for the joyride, as the album includes cameos by the likes of 21 Savage, Ty Dolla Sign, Nicki Minaj, G-Eazy and YG. Post Malone is nominated in a total of four categories at the 61st GRAMMY Awards.

Dirty Computer – Janelle Monáe

At the 60th GRAMMY Awards, Janelle Monáe delivered one of the most poignant and powerful speeches in recent memory, calling attention to the #TimesUp movement. Three months later, she made an equally powerful statement with her third studio album, Dirty Computer. With the catchy and bold singles "Make Me Feel," "Django Jane" and "Pynk" leading the way, Monáe set a new precedent for what it means to make infectious music with a message in 2018.

“[Creatives] have the power to create the culture and shape it to what we want it to be,” she told us earlier this year. “And we also have the power to undo the culture if it does not serve us well.”

Golden Hour – Kacey Musgraves

Country music might be the platform Kacey Musgraves has chosen for her music, but it certainly is not a constriction for the singer/songwriter. On Golden Hour, Musgraves takes her signature stir-up of crafty lyric turns, progressive social themes and authentic twang to a new level, all while opening herself up more candidly than she has in the past.

"This album feels very special and different to me because it feels like my most personal." Musgraves told us back in July. "I don't feel like I've really let people in on this scale previously."

Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By – Various Artists

Music has always played a key integral role in film, but for this year's transcendent blockbuster "Black Panther," the soundtrack took on a life of its own. Led by the Kendrick Lamar and SZA hit "All The Stars," which earned four nominations of its own including Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Rap/Sung Performance, Black Panther: The Album, Music From And Inspired By looks to make history as just the third ever movie soundtrack to win Album Of The Year, joining the soundtracks for Saturday Night Fever at the 21st GRAMMY Awards, The Bodyguard at the 36th GRAMMY Awards and, most recently, O Brother, Where Art Thou? at the 44th GRAMMY Awards.

Lil' Kim

Lil' Kim

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One Take: Lil' Kim Shows Love For Brooklyn, Salt-N-Pepa, 'Scarface' & More

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The hip-hop legend reveals her first concert, first album she ever bought, favorite studio snacks, shoe preference, and more in this rapid-fire Q&A challenge
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Sep 6, 2018 - 11:36 am

GRAMMY winner Lil' Kim dropped a brand-new single, video and sound this summer with "Nasty One," proof that the hip-hop legend still has plenty more to share with her fans. We sat down with her recently to play One Take, GRAMMY.com's rapid-fire question game that challenges your favorite artists to see how many questions about life, music and everything in between they can answer in just 60 seconds.

One Take With Rapper Lil' Kim

In this episode, Lil' Kim tells us her favorite spot to hang out in Brooklyn, the first concert she attended, her dream vacation spot, her favorite lyric from "Nasty One," and more.

Valee

Valee

Photo: Daniel Mendoza/Recording Academy

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Exclusive: Valee On "Womp Womp," Chicago Hip-Hop, Sade & Pusha T

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The Chicago rapper stopped by our tent backstage after his performance at Lollapalooza to talk about GOOD Job You Found Me, his latest single, the benefits of boredom, and more
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Aug 3, 2018 - 3:36 pm

If you've been hearing Valee's name everywhere lately, you're not alone. The Chicago rapper's stock skyrocketed after his mixtape 1988 put him on the map last year. This year he released his latest project GOOD Job, You Found Me back in March, dropped his single "Womp Womp" in May, and landed a spot on Pusha T's Daytona Tour. The tour kicks off this month and promises to put his signature flow in front of bigger and bigger audiences.

Following his set at Lollapalooza, Valee came through to talk about his latest music, his love for the smooth-voiced Sade, how boredom feeds his creativity, and more.

Valee Talks GOOD Job, You Found Me, Sade & More

Let's talk about GOOD Job, You Found Me. What did you accomplish with this project and where did the name come from?

Good Job, You Found Me was my first EP release through the label [G.O.O.D. Music], to keep momentum going and to introduce myself. And, that [name] was actually the bio on my puppy's Instagram page, so we chose to use that and everybody loved it.

How did "Womp Womp" happen? Do you remember where you were when you made it?

I'm at home, and then I get a call to go to the studio, and Jeremih is downtown, Chicago, at the studio. So I pull up there, but he was already finishing up his part on "Womp Womp," and so he's like, "Yo, you wanna shoot at it?" So I shoot at it, and it was a good experience, flew right through it.

You're a distinctive rapper, and I'm wondering if you know where that comes from. What were the influences that helped you build who you are?

Basically, coming up, listening to Cash Money and Master P and my mother would listen to Sade and Erykah Badu, things like that. I didn't like that music back then, but now I guess, to look for soothing music or tones, you know, I would look to that, and I would love to do something with Sade, or Erykah Badu. Put out a nice Sade sample or something like that.

Yeah, you both have that breath in your tone. Well, if we see her, we'll pass along the message.

Yeah, I can't wait. It's gonna have to happen.

Tell me about getting ready to go on the road, and play some dates with Pusha T.

Yeah, for now, I know I have Detroit Monday. I'll be back here Wednesday for House of Blues in Chicago. And it's like, quite a few other spot dates, maybe 10 other spot dates, but for now, I know Detroit and Chicago, Wednesday. So I really can't wait to rock out here. House of Blues, I don't think I've performed there before. I may have, someone may have had me come out and do one song, but now it's my own show, or set, so I'm happy about that.

How did that come together? Did Pusha call you? How did this tour come to be?

Well, originally, me and Sheck Wes had a tour… and then we decided to wait and merge it with Pusha T's because he was going on one like, exactly a month and some change later. So, now we merged it with him. And then, congratulations to Pusha T, he just got married, couple of weeks ago. So, we're just gonna do 13, 14 spot dates now. So, it's gonna be nice.

You know, you've been an integral part of the Chicago scene for a long time, and I'm curious what you think about where it is right now. What's happening in Chicago right now that the rest of the world needs to know about?

I believe Chicago, right now, at this moment, has some of the best talent, and people are not afraid to express themselves musically and think outside of the box and not really limit themselves to one type of sound. And people are also getting away from the dangerous rapping, and making it more about fun. So, that's the good thing because now, people don't mind their kids doing music, you know. I, for certain, don't mind my son doing music. But if it had to stay dangerous? no.

What do you do outside of music to relax, or to recharge? What are your interests?

A lot of times I like to do nothing… I know I have things to do - features, things like that - but just having the ability to be bored sometimes, because that's when my best ideas come up, and then I just hurry and go with it, even if I wanna build something. But I gotta sit there and be bored first for a second.

What else are you working on at the moment?

I do have a new EP coming out through G.O.O.D. Music. It's gonna be all new music. I'm not sure how many tracks I wanna put on there, but it's gonna be very nice. Probably within the next month, month and a half, I'll be releasing it. And it's gonna be dope.

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Drake

Drake

Photo: Brian Steffy/Getty Images

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Listen: Drake's New Double Album 'Scorpion' Is Here

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After months of buildup and three singles, the GRAMMY-winning rapper's fifth album finally arrives
Nate Hertweck
GRAMMYs
Jun 29, 2018 - 7:41 am

Anticipation has been mounting all year for Drake's fifth album, Scorpion. Today, the wait is finally over as the Canadian rapper's new double album arrived.

Scorpion includes three previously released singles. "God's Plan" came first as part of Drake's Scary Hours EP in January. The song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and held strong in that spot, making Drake the first male solo artist in history to keep more than one single in the chart's top spot for double-digit weeks. "God's Plan" appears as the fifth track on the first "disc" of Scorpion.

"Nice For What" dropped in April, featuring a sample of Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" and dethroning "God's Plan" at No. 1. In May, Drake released the third single from Scorpion, "I'm Upset," which he followed with a nostalgic video for the song focused around a cast reunion of "Degrassi: The Next Generation," the Canadian teen television drama he acted on a decade ago. "I'm Upset" follows "God's Plan" as track six on disc one, while "Nice For What" anchors disc two of Scorpion as track four.

With 25 tracks total, Scorpion defies the Kanye West-led trend of releasing relatively short albums – in West's case, all of his recent releases as a producer or artist from the "Wyoming Session" have either seven or eight tracks. West also recently revealed Drake was indeed a co-writer on "Yikes" from Ye.

Drake also used featured guests sparingly on Scorpion, but the album does feature Jay-Z on "Talk Up," Static Major and Ty Dolla $ign on "After Dark," and even a posthumous appearance from Michael Jackson on "Don't Matter To Me."

Drake is all set to head out on tour in support of Scorpion. The Aubrey And The Three Amigos North American tour with Migos kicks off July 26 in Salt Lake City and wraps in Atlanta on Nov. 17. For a full list of dates and ticket info, visit Drake's website.

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