The Notorious K.I.M.

The Notorious K.I.M.
Studio album by Lil' Kim
Released	June 27, 2000
Recorded	1999-2000
Genre	Hip hop, R&B, dirty rap
Length	77:13
Label	Atlantic, Undeas, Queen Bee, Big Beat
Producer	Sean Combs, Rockwilder, Jerome "Knobody" Foster, Kanye West, Rated R, Mario Winans
Lil' Kim chronology
Hard Core (1996) The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) La Bella Mafia (2003)
Singles from The Notorious K.I.M.
"No Matter What They Say" Released: May 28, 2000 "How Many Licks?" Released: July 1, 2000

The Notorious K.I.M. is the second studio album by rapper Lil' Kim, released on June 27, 2000. It debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling 230,000 in its first week, among Kim's highest peaks and biggest first week sales yet, and reached the top of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. A commercial success, The Notorious K.I.M. was certified platinum by the RIAA and has sold over one million copies in the U.S. and over 2.5 million copies worldwide.

The album has produced two singles that attained moderate Billboard chart success. Lead single "No Matter What They Say," peaked at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Second single "How Many Licks?", featured R&B Sisqo, performed the same reaching the bottom half of the Hot 100.

Background

Production and title

In dedication to The Notorious B.I.G., The Notorious K.I.M. was in a "memorial" to the late rapper. "I felt Biggie's spirit while I was working on this album. I thought it was a perfect name for the album. Also, I am known in a notorious way, my style and lyrics. I've been known in a notorious way over the years.", Kim told Jet Magazine.

"This album to me is more creative and more versatile than my last album. I think that's what people have been looking for. My whole image, to me, the reason why I came out with 'Hard Core,' the sexy thing, was to make me different from every other female rapper that was out. That's exactly what I'm trying to do now, is make myself different, because now we have a lot of rappers doing the same thing that I did when I came out the first time. What I'm trying to do is separate myself again from the rappers that are out now."

—Lil' Kim, MTV News

In a 2000 interview, Kim explaned to MTV that she attempted to collaborate with the original producers of her first album "Hard Core" but she wasn't satisfied with the final results. "Some of the producers that I worked with, they just didn't know what I wanted, so I worked with new producers this time, and I kind of told them what I wanted", Kim told MTV. Without re-teaming with the collaborated of her debut album "Hard Core" (with the exception of Nasheim Myrick), Production for the album was handled primarily by Mario "Yellowman" Winans, Fury, Richard "Younglord" Frierson, Rated R, Rockwilder, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Shaft, Kanye West, and Timbaland.

Partial delay

In the summer of 1999, 12 songs from Notorious K.I.M. were widely available through Internet file-sharing services and bootleg outlets. As a result, Kim went back into the recording studio and recorded 11 songs in three weeks. The set was initially scheduled for several release delays since 1999 (August and November 1999, and April 25, 2000), due to bootlegging and legal problems involving her record label. In a statement to Entertainment Weekly Online, Kim explained, "I wanted to put out the best album possible for my fans, and I needed more time in the studio to do this." Sean "Puffy" Combs also explained "I am a perfectionist and so is Kim, and we will only put out an album when it's right."

Reception

Commercial performance

One week after its release, The Notorious K.I.M. debuted atop the U.S. Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, and at number four on the official Billboard 200, with a successful first week sales of 230,000 copies — more than half as much as her previous debut effort, Hard Core (1996), and ultimately a little over spent 25 weeks on that chart. While it became Kim's first album to reach the top of the R&B Albums Chart, it also scored her her highest peak position on the Billboard 200. Due to the success the number one single, "Lady Marmalade" (which featured Mya, Pink, and Christina Aguilera), the album re-entered the official Billboard 200 on June 1, 2001, it spent another 12 weeks on the charts, accumulating a total of 37 weeks on the Billboard 200.

The album has sold more than a million copies domestically, and received a platinum certification by the RIAA. Outside the States, it opened at number 67 on the United Kingdom and spent 11 weeks on the charts. It also peaked at number 70 on the France chart and number 85 on the Netherlands chart. In Canada, it debuted at number 11 and spent 8 weeks on the Canadian charts. It received a gold certification by the CRIA. The album has sold 3 million worldwide.

Altogether The Notorious K.I.M. spawned four singles: The lead album's first single, "No Matter What They Say" made it to the bottom half on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart with a peak position of number 60, becoming Kim's first least successful single. It, however, reached number 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, number 6 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, and number 35 on the UK Singles Chart chart. The second from the album, "How Many Licks?", featured Sisqo, underquoted this success with peak positions of number 75 and 36 respectively on the Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. A third single, "Hold On", featured Mary J. Blige was serviced to U.S. radio only.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Entertainment Weekly	(B+)
Mixmag
NME	(8/10)
PopMatters	(mixed)
RapReviews.com	(7.5/10)
Rolling Stone
Slant
The Source
USA Today

The Notorious K.I.M. received generally mixed reviews from most professional music critics. Many critics were displeased with the album's '80s retro camp and tributes to the late Notorious B.I.G. while some critics praised the album's use of samples and raunchy lyrics. Jam Music critic Mike Ross stated "failed to live up to its hype. Entertainment Weekly journalist Tom Sinclair gave the album a B+, stating "The Notorious K.I.M.'s barrage of aural sex is complemented by strong, often lush production and surprisingly, witty samples and interpolations. While some critics enjoyed the album's glossy production, some considered the album to be too over the top. Rolling Stone Magazine gave the album 3 stars, called the album "too weak and retro", and Devon Powers of Pop Matters called the album "overdone", stating "what Kim has overdone on this album is the camp - she's almost become a caricature of herself.

Critics were also not impressed with her references to the late Notorious B.I.G. Jam Music critic Mike Ross says of the album, "Were it not for the Notorious B.I.G.'s death, there wouldn't be much substance to this 'long-awaited' new album, the most blatant exploitation of the big rapper's memory since Puff Daddy's 'I'll Be Missing You'. In a review for the Rolling Stone, journalist Rob Sheffield says the vocal samples of The Notorious B.I.G. "just make you mourn the man and his moment, neither of which is ever coming back." Devon Powers, a journalist for Pop Matters, says "even her props to Biggie lose their sentimentality for being too easily commercial and convenient, and in the All Music review for the album, Jason Birchmeier stated that "Biggie had played a large role in the success of Hard Core, and his absence here is gaping." However, Slant Magazine critic Sal Cinquemani comments that the album "combines essential hip-hop elements - sex, guns, drugs, and cash - with a strange sense of vulnerability," and states her song "Hold On" is a "touching tribute to the late rapper.

Despite the album's flaws, critics remained impressed with her raunchy lyrics and attitude. Sheffield of Rolling Stone states "Lil' Kim still has an admirably tough and nasty mouth on her, and it's good to hear a Queen Bee sting. Cinquemani states "despite ventures into solemn territory and gangsta rap, the album continues down Kim's path of female sexual liberation."

Track listing

No.	Title	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Lil' Drummer Boy" (featuring Cee-Lo of Goodie Mob and Redman)	Sean Combs, Mario Winans	4:31
2.	"Custom Made (Give It to You)"	Fury, Daniel Glogower	3:06
3.	"Who's Number One?"	Richard "Younglord" Frierson	3:13
4.	"Suck My Dick"	Rated R	4:03
5.	"Single Black Female" (featuring Mario Winans)	Mario Winans	4:14
6.	"Revolution" (featuring Grace Jones and Lil' Cease)	Sean Combs	4:54
7.	"How Many Licks?" (featuring Sisqó)	Sean Combs, Mario Winans	3:43
8.	"Notorious KIM"	Rockwilder	3:39
9.	"No Matter What They Say"	Darren "Limitless" Henson	4:16
10.	"She Don't Love You"	Shaft	3:31
11.	"Queen Bitch Part II" (featuring Puff Daddy)	Nasheim Myrick	3:58
12.	"Don't Mess with Me"	Kanye West, Deric "D-Dot" Angelettie	4:48
13.	"Do What You Like" (featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A.)	Shaft	5:16
14.	"Off the Wall" (featuring Lil' Cease)	Sean Combs, Mario Winans	4:05
15.	"Right Now" (featuring Carl Thomas)	Shaft	2:32
16.	"Aunt Dot" (featuring Lil' Shanice)	Mario Winans	5:25
17.	"Hold On" (featuring Mary J. Blige)	Nasheim Myrick	6:06
18.	"I'm Human"	Mario Winans	4:25

Sample credits

• "Custom Made (Give It to You)" contains a sample of Lil Louis's "French Kiss".
• "Who's Number One?" contains a sample of Eddie Kendricks's "Keep on Truckin'".
• "Suck My Dick" contains excerpts and a sample of The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Me & My Bitch".
• "Single Black Female" contains a sample of Sade's "The Sweetest Taboo".
• "No Matter What They Say" contains a sample of Eric B. & Rakim's "I Know I Got Soul", Special Ed's "I Got It Made", The Sugarhill Gang's Rapper's Delight, Brandy's Top of the World.
• "She Don't Love You" contains an interpolation of "Betcha She Don't Love You".
• "Don't Mess with Me" contains a sample of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker".
• "Off the Wall" samples Beat Box (song) by The Art of Noise
• "Right Now" contains interpolation of "Tom's Diner" written by Suzanne Vega and sample of Vaughn Mason's "Break for Love".
• "Hold On" contains a sample of Willie Hutch's "Baby Come Home".

Leftover tracks

• "Makes No Sense" (featuring Tanya Stephens)
• "Diamonds" (featuring Kelly Price)
• "Nobody Do It Better Than Us" (featuring Puff Daddy)
• "All Hail the Queen" (featuring Puff Daddy)
• "Bad Girl" (featuring RuPaul)
• "Rockin' It"
• "Good Time" (featuring Lil Cease)

Charts and certifications

Chart

Chart (2000)	Peak position
Canadian Albums Chart	11
Germany Albums Chart	76
French Albums Chart	70
Netherlands Albums Chart	85
Swiss Albums Chart	100
UK Albums Chart	67
U.S. Billboard 200	4
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums	1
Year-end chart (2000)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	89
Decade-end chart (2000-09)	Peak position
Decade-End top-selling R&B/Hip-Hop albums	100

Certifications

Country	Certification (sales thresholds)
United States	Platinum (RIAA)
Canada	Gold (CRIA)

Album credits

Personnel

• Executive Producers - Sean "Puffy" Combs & Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones
• Associate Executive Producers - Damion "D-Roc" Butler & Hillary Weston
• Mastered at - Sterling Sound, NYC by Chris Athens
• A&R Direction - Hillary Weston
• Project Coordinator - Jamel "Mann" Jackson
• Product Management - Joi L. Brown
• Photography - David LaChapelle
• Art Direction & Design - Lynn Kowalewski
• Hair - Dione Alexander
• Make-Up - Nzingha Gumbs
• Stylist - Misa Hylton-Brim
• Assistant Stylists - Lonnie Barnes & Melinda David
• Jewelry provided by - Jacob the Jeweler
• Album Pro-Tools Engineering - Jimmie Lee Patterson, Marc Pfafflin, Ben Allen, Roger Che, Steven Dent & Michael Patterson
• Album Assistant Engineers - Lynn Montrose & Dominick Mancuso