Hard Core (Lil' Kim album)
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Hard Core is the debut album of rapper Lil' Kim, released November 12, 1996 on the Atlantic subsidiary Big Beat Records. The album was principally recorded at the legendary Manhattan-based studio, The Hit Factory.[1] The album was notable for its overt sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics soon after its release.[2]
Release and reception
After making her debut recording appearance on Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s Conspiracy album, Lil' Kim appeared on records by artists such as Mona Lisa, the Isley Brothers, and Total, until recording her debut album, Hard Core, at the Hit Factory in New York City. Working with a number of producers, including Sean "Puffy" Combs and Jermaine Dupri, the album featured edgy hardcore rap and explicit sexuality, as the title suggested, which at the time were two territories that had long been the province of male rappers.[3] Guest artists included Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A..[4] The promotional campaign for the album, including the album cover, featured provocative advertisements of Kim dressed in a skimpy bikini and furs.[5]
Released on November 12, 1996, Hard Core became an immediate hit, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200 chart. The first single from the album, "No Time", a duet with Sean "Puffy" Combs, became a number one rap single.[6] The album quickly garnered positive reviews, as The Source called the album "...a solid debut because phat beats and rhymes are really all it takes, and they're both present...", while Rolling Stone magazine included Hard Core in its list of "Essential Recordings of the 90's".[7] Rolling Stone concluded in reviewing the album in the magazine's 2004 version of the Rolling Stone Album Guide[8]:
Hip-hop had never seen anything like Brooklynite Kimberly Jones at the time of her solo debut: She single-handedly raised the bar for raunchy lyrics in hip-hop, making male rappers quiver with fear with lines like "You ain't lickin' this, you ain't stickin' this . . . I don't want dick tonight/Eat my pussy right" ("Not Tonight"). Riding the wing of Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Kim's Hard Core helped put East Coast hip-hop back on top in the late '90s. The album's overreliance on old '70s funk samples doesn't detract a bit from the Queen Bee's fearless rhymes: In "Dreams", she demands service from R. Kelly, Babyface, and nearly every "R&B dick" in the field. A landmark of bold, hilarious filth.
"Not Tonight" was nominated in 1998 for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. The album was certified platinum on June 3, 1997 and then double platinum on March 14, 2001.[9]
Track listing
| # | Title | Time | Songwriters[10] | Producer(s) | Guests(s) | Sample(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Intro in A-Minor" | 2:14 | ||||
| 2 | "Big Momma Thang" | 4:17 | Adrian Bartos Harvey Fuqua James Lloyd Sylvester James |
Stretch Armstrong | Jay-Z, Lil' Cease |
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| 3 | "No Time" | 5:00 | Sean Combs Steven Jordan |
Steven "Stevie J" Jordan for The Hitmen | Puff Daddy |
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| 4 | "Spend a Little Doe" | 5:35 | David Willis | Ski |
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| 5 | "Take It! (Interlude)" | 0:46 |
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| 6 | "Crush On You" | 4:35 | Andreao Heard James Lloyd Jeff LorberCam'ron |
Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard | Lil' Cease, Notorious B.I.G. |
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| 7 | "Drugs" | 4:20 | D. Owen, Christopher Wallace, Fabian Hamilton Isaac Hayes |
Fabian Hamilton | Notorious B.I.G. |
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| 8 | "Scheamin' (Interlude)" | 0:49 |
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| 9 | "Queen Bitch" | 3:17 | Christopher Wallace, Carlos Broady Nashiem Myrick |
Carlos "6 July" Broady & Nashiem Myrick for The Hitmen | Notorious B.I.G. |
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| 10 | "Dreams" | 4:39 | Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool Reggie Andrews |
Daven "Prestige" Vanderpool for The Hitmen |
| |
| 11 | "M.A.F.I.A. Land" | 4:37 | Bert Kaempfert Brent Toussaint Herbert Rehbein Richard Ahlert |
Brent "Faraoh" Toussaint |
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| 12 | "We Don't Need It" | 4:10 | James Lloyd Mark Richardson Rayshaun Spain |
Minnesota | Trife, Lil' Cease | |
| 13 | "Not Tonight" | 4:31 | K. Jones Jermaine Dupri |
Jermaine Dupri | Jermaine Dupri | |
| 14 | "Player Haters (Interlude)" | 0:53 |
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| 15 | "Fuck You" | 2:53 | Antoine Spain Chris Cresco Christopher Wallace Rayshaun Spain |
Chris "Cornbread" Cresco Christopher Wallace |
Junior M.A.F.I.A. |
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| 16* | "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)" bonus track |
4:14 | Carlos Crespo K. Jones Rick Spain Chester Wallace |
Armando Colon Rashad Smith |
Da Brat, Angie Martinez, Missy Elliott Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes |
Chart performance
| Chart (1996) | Peak position[11] |
|---|---|
| Billboard Top 200 | 11 |
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums | 1 |
| Top Canadian Albums | 9 |
Personnel
- Lil' Kim - vocals, rapping
- Stretch Armstrong, Corn Bread, Andreao Heard, Carlos Broady, Stevie J., Fabian Hamilton, Ski - producer
- Kenny Ortiz, Phil Tan - engineer
- Sean Combs, Christopher Wallace - executive producer, additional vocals
- Jermaine Dupri - producer, engineer
- Tony Black - engineer, mixing
- James Cruz, Herb Powers, Jr. - mastering
- Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jay-Z - additional vocals
- LaMarquis Mark Jefferson - bass
- Michael Levine - photography
References
- ^ Legendary Hit Factory Studio Turning Into Condos....Aug 9, 2006 hip hop news
- ^ Lil' Kim: ...Read all about Lil' Kim. Get the full history of Lil' Kim, a Lil' Kim discography - at UGO.com
- ^ Lil Kim biography at StarPulse.com
- ^ Buy.com ...Find, shop, and buy computers, laptops, books, dvd, videos, games, video games, music - Hard Core product notes
- ^ HipHopGalaxy.com: hip hop and rap music, news...Includes hip hop and rap music culture, news, lyrics, artists, reviews, clothing and more.
- ^ Allmusic.com Lil Kim biography
- ^ CD Universe - Your Online Music StoreShop online at CD Universe for music CDs, movies....
- ^ Lil' Kim: Rolling Stone - Rolling Stone gives you total Lil' Kim coverage including... Lil Kim bio
- ^ RIAA searchable database - Sales, certification dates, ...
- ^ "Discogs: Lil Kim - Hard Core". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2008-01-07.
- ^ allmusic: Chart history - Hard Core