The Naked Truth is the fourth studio album by rapper Lil' Kim, released on September 27, 2005. This album was released on the first day of Kim's sentencing, in which she went to jail for nearly a year on perjury charges.
[edit] Critical reception
The album received largely mixed to positive reviews with 5 star ratings from The Source (in which she became the first female rapper to ever receive the 5 mics rating), Vibe Magazine, and The Village Voice and less than favorable reviews from The New York Times and AllMusic. Blender Magazine gave the album four stars calling it her 'strongest work since her pheromone-thick 1996 debut'. While the album did receive several 5 star ratings, Pitchfork Media journalist Jess Harvell, who gave the album a positive 7.8 rating stated "The Naked Truth may be better than 80% of the other rap albums to be released in 2005, but that doesn't make it another Ready to Die."[11] In February of 2012, both The Source founder Dave Mays and the former editor-in-chief Kim Osorio, stated on Power 105.1's The Breafast Club, a later correction was made and the album was actually awarded 4 and a half mics. [12]
[edit] Commercial reception
The Naked Truth was released on September 27, 2005 in the United States. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200, and #3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart with selling 136,480 copies in its first week of release. The album also became her shortest run on the album charts, falling out of the 200 albums chart in just eight weeks. According to Nielsen Soundscan, the album was not as successful as her first three albums. As of 2008, the album has sold over 595,000 copies. [13]. This led to the separation between Kim and Atlantic records, after a ten year relationship.
[edit] Tanya Stephens controversy
In August 2006, dancehall singer Tanya Stephens filed a lawsuit against Lil' Kim claiming she had plagiarized the song "Durty" by using her song "Mi and Mi God" from her 1997 album Too Hype. The suit also claims Kim sings the song with a West Indian accent and that the lyrics are so "duplicative" that Stevens wants the song's rights and receive all past and future royalties for it.[14] Lil' Kim's lawyer, L. Londell McMillian responded to these accusations by stating, "The lawsuit against Atlantic Records and Lil' Kim is the result of Royalty Network Inc.'s failed attempts to extract unreasonable sums and percentages of Lil' Kim's new song for an interpolated use of a song, which happens all the time in hip-hop. There are no damages to Tanya Stephens, they never objected until after their efforts failed, and Kim was and remains willing to be fair".[15] It is unknown whether or not the lawsuit remains unresolved.
[edit] Track listing
| Producer |
| 1. |
"Intro" |
Dan The Man for "DaMan" Productions & "Big Hill" for Queen Bee Entertainment |
0:39 |
| 2. |
"Spell Check" |
Red Spyda for House of Spydas |
3:39 |
| 3. |
"Lighters Up" |
Scott Storch |
4:23 |
| 4. |
"Shut Up Bitch Intro" |
|
0:56 |
| 5. |
"Shut Up Bitch" |
Michael "Mr. Williams" Williams & Roger "Mista Raja" Greene for Associ Industries |
4:19 |
| 6. |
"Whoa" |
Jonathan "J.R." Rotem for Networth Entertainment |
4:08 |
| 7. |
"Slippin'" |
Denaun Porter |
4:16 |
| 8. |
"Answering Machine Skit 1" |
|
2:27 |
| 9. |
"All Good" |
Jeekyman for Darlock Entertainment |
4:31 |
| 10. |
"I Know You See Me" |
Kevin "Khao" Cates for Grand Hustle Entertainment |
3:53 |
| 11. |
"W.P.I.M.P. Skit" |
Dan The Man |
0:30 |
| 12. |
"Quiet" (featuring Game)" |
Michael "Mr. Williams" Williams & Roger "Mista Raja" Greene for Associ Industries |
4:02 |
| 13. |
"Durty" |
Terrance "Hot Runner" Lovelace for Hot Runners Entertainment |
4:10 |
| 14. |
"Answering Machine Skit 2" |
|
2:23 |
| 15. |
"We Don't Give a F*** (featuring Bun B & Twista)" |
Terrance "Hot Runner" Lovelace for Hot Runners Entertainment |
4:22 |
| 16. |
"Gimme That (featuring Maino)" |
Jeekyman for Darlock Entertainment |
4:27 |
| 17. |
"Kitty Box" |
7 for Aurelius Productions |
3:49 |
| 18. |
"Kronik (featuring Snoop Dogg)" |
"Fredwreck" Nassar for DoggyStyle Productions |
4:32 |
| 19. |
"Winners and Losers Skit" |
|
0:57 |
| 20. |
"Get Yours (featuring T.I. and Sha-Dash)" |
Kevin "Kaho" Cates for Grand Hustle Entertainment |
4:09 |
| 21. |
"Last Day" |
Jonathan "J.R." Rotem for Networth Entertainment |
4:29 |
| 22. |
"Last Day Skit" |
|
5:30 |
[edit] Album outtakes
- "The Game's In Trouble"
- "Brooklyn 4 Life" (featuring Maino & Papoose)
[edit] Authorized remixes
[edit] Certifications, peaks and sales
[edit] Album credits
[edit] Personnel
- Executive Producers - Kimberly 'Lil' Kim' Jones, Christopher 'Notorious B.I.G.' Wallace, and Craig Kallman
- Co-Executive Producers - Hillary Weston, Jean Nelson, and Gee Roberson
- Queen Bee A&R - Jean Nelson and Dre Weston
- Atlantic A&R - Gee Roberson and Kyambo "HipHop" Joshua
- Atlantic A&R Administration - Lanre Gaba
- Queen Bee Product Manager - Jamel Jackson
- Atlantic Product Manager - Veronica Alvericci
- Album Engineer - Dan The Man for Dan Man Productions
- Mastering Engineer - Chris Gehringer for Sterling Sound, NY
- Assistant Mastering Engineer - Will Quinell for Sterling Sound, NY
- Management - Hillary Weston
- Legal Affairs - L. Londell McMillian
- Business Affairs - Berdon LLP
- Sample Clearances - Deborah Mannis-Gardiner
- Photography (Cover Photo & Page 12) - Robert D'Este
- Photography (Outside Inlay & Page 2 - 11) - Roger Erickson
- Styling - Patty Wilson and Kithe Brewster
- Hair - Will Robinson
- Makeup - JJ
- Atlantic Art Producer - Andrew Zach
- Atlantic Art Direction - Ellen To
- Design - Ellen To & Alex Kirzhner
[edit] References
[edit] External links
