Hard Core (Lil' Kim album)

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. With recording her debut album, Hard Core was mainly recorded at The Hit Factory in Manhattan, New York City.{{cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Kenny |url=http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/86554.php |title=Legendary Hit Factory Studio Turning Into Condos |publisher=NobodySmiling.com |date=August 9, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205162959/http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/news/86554.php |archive-date=December 5, 2008 |access-date=February 28, 2012}} Working with a number of producers, including Sean "Puff Daddy" 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Lil_Kim/Biography/ |title=Lil Kim Biography |publisher=Starpulse |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220140531/http://www.starpulse.com/Music/Lil_Kim/Biography/ |archive-date=February 20, 2012 |access-date=February 28, 2012}} The album was originally titled "Queen Bee".{{cite web |url=http://thesource.com/2014/07/11/why-70-of-women-should-know-lil-kims-hardcore-album/ |title=Why 70% Of Women Should Know Lil' Kim's Hardcore Album |work=The Source |date=July 11, 2014 |access-date=July 17, 2014}}

Guest artists included Jay-Z, the Notorious B.I.G., and other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Hardcore-Lil-Kim/dp/B000000112 |title=Hardcore: Lil Kim: Music |website=Amazon |year=1996 |access-date=February 28, 2012}} The promotional campaign for the album, including the album cover, featured provocative advertisements of Kim dressed in a skimpy bikini and surrounded by furs.{{cite web |url=http://www.hiphopgalaxy.com/Lil-Kim-hip-hop-92.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125232203/http://www.hiphopgalaxy.com/Lil-Kim-hip-hop-92.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 25, 2013 |title=Lil Kim |publisher=Hip Hop Galaxy |date=March 14, 2007 |access-date=February 28, 2012}}

During the recording sessions, Kim and B.I.G made a demo for the track "Street Dreams", never released officially. "Big Momma Thang" was originally intended to be a diss towards Faith Evans and 2Pac but was re-recorded after Biggie disapproved of it. The verse containing remarks against Faith was replaced by Jay-Z's vocals while the third verse, which had a diss on 2Pac, was re-recorded by Kim.

The first singles from Hard Core, the gold-certified "No Time" peaked in the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, top 10 of the Hot R&B Singles chart, and topped the Rap Songs chart, making Lil' Kim the first female rap artist to have two consecutive number-one singles on that chart. Both singles peaked in the top 50 of the UK Singles Chart. A third single, "Not Tonight" (Remix), became a huge top 10 success in 1997, peaking at number six on the Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and topping the Rap Songs chart. The single also reached the top 20 on the UK chart and number 10 in Germany. The single was certified platinum by the RIAA.{{cite certification|region=United States|artist=Lil Kim|title=Not Tonight|access-date=November 29, 2016}} It was nominated in 1998 for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. “Big Momma Thang” was released to commercial radio in the fall of 1996.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Birchmeier |first=Jason |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/hard-core-mw0000597321 |title=Hard Core – Lil' Kim |website=AllMusic |access-date=February 28, 2012}}

| rev2 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev2score= A{{cite magazine |last=Bernard |first=James |url=http://www.ew.com/article/1997/01/10/hardcore |title=Hard Core |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=January 10, 1997 |access-date=November 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227062130/http://ew.com/article/1997/01/10/hardcore/ |archive-date=December 27, 2016 |url-status=dead}}

| rev3 = Muzik

| rev3Score = 5/10{{Cite magazine |last=Springer |first=Jacqueline |date=February 1997 |title=Lil' Kim: Hard Core |url=http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik021_february_1997_2.pdf |magazine=Muzik |issue=21 |page=94 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220402181504/http://www.muzikmagazine.co.uk/issues/muzik021_february_1997_2.pdf |archive-date=2 April 2022 |access-date=16 July 2022}}

| rev4 = RapReviews

| rev4score = 7/10{{cite web |last=Simelane |first=Vukile |url=http://www.rapreviews.com/archive/BTTL_kimhardcore.html |title=Lil' Kim :: Hardcore :: Undeas Recording/Big Beat |work=RapReviews |date=February 1, 2005 |access-date=April 4, 2012}}

| rev5 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev5score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite book |chapter=Lil' Kim |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t9eocwUfoSoC&pg=PA486 |access-date=November 26, 2016 |last=Kemp |first=Rob |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |edition=4th |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2004 |page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/486 486] |isbn=0-7432-0169-8}}

| rev6 = The Source

| rev6score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite magazine |last=Lewis |first=Miles Marshall |author-link=Miles Marshall Lewis|title=Lil' Kim: Queen Bee |magazine=The Source |issue=87 |date=December 1996 |page=132 |issn=1063-2085}}

| rev7 = Spin

| rev7score = 7/10{{cite magazine |last=Bernstein |first=Jonathan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=X1aghtVf0GEC&pg=PA141 |title=Lil' Kim: Hard Core |magazine=Spin |volume=12 |issue=9 |date=December 1996 |page=141 |issn=0886-3032 |via=Google Books}}

}}

Hard Core received critical acclaim. 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".{{cite magazine |title=Essential Recordings of the 90's |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=May 13, 1999 |page=76 |issn=0035-791X}} In 2003, PopMatters wrote, "Track for track, Hard Core{{'}}s thuggette-auctioneering flow melds the perfect hybrid of yoni power Mafioso and Park Avenue duchess."{{cite web |last=Sawyer |first=Terry |url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/lilkim-hardcore/ |title=Lil' Kim: Hardcore |work=PopMatters |date=February 21, 2003 |access-date=November 26, 2016}} Rolling Stone concluded in reviewing the album in the magazine's 2004 version of The Rolling Stone Album Guide:{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lilkim/biography |title=Lil' Kim: Biography |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=April 23, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423133705/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lilkim/biography |archive-date=April 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |access-date=February 28, 2012}}

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 fom R. Kelly, Babyface, and nearly every "R&B dick" in the field. A landmark of bold, hilarious filth.

LL Cool J's website rockthebells.com wrote that "Kim's high glamour, sex appeal and commercial success made her a new standard for female rappers."{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=Stereo |title=Classic Albums: 'Hard Core' by Lil Kim |url=https://rockthebells.com/articles/lil-kim-hardcore-classic-albums/ |access-date=2023-03-23 |website=rockthebells.com |language=en}} In July 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Hard Core as the 78th best debut album of all time.{{cite magazine |last2=Browne |first2=David |last3=Dolan |first3=Jon |last4=Freeman |first4=Jon |last5=Hermes |first5=Will |last6=Hoard |first6=Christian |last7=Lopez |first7=Julyssa |last8=Reeves |first8=Mosi |last9=Rosen |first9=Jody |last10=Sheffield |first10=Rob |last1=Shachtman |first1=Noah |title=100 Best Debut Albums of All Time |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-best-debut-albums-of-all-time-143608/lil-kim-hard-core-1996-2-1373349/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=1 July 2022 |date=1 July 2022}}

Hard Core debuted and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and at number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/r-b-hip-hop-albums/1996-11-30 |title=Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: The Week of November 30, 1996 |magazine=Billboard |access-date=November 29, 2016}} selling 78,000 copies in its first week.{{cite magazine |last=Mayfield |first=Geoff |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-g8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA112 |title=Between the Bullets: Hit-Hop |magazine=Billboard |volume=112 |issue=29 |date=July 15, 2000 |page=112 |issn=0006-2510 |via=Google Books}} Despite not spending another week inside the top 30, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 14, 2001, and had sold 1.5 million copies in the United States by June 2000.{{cite web | url=http://latimes.com/local/la-me-biggie25jun00-story.html | title=Lil' Kim: Notoriously misunderstood | website=Los Angeles Times | date=June 25, 2000 }} In Canada, the album peaked at number 62. As of November 2016, Hard Core had sold over five million copies worldwide.{{cite web |last=Preezy |first=Brown |url=https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/lil-kim-hard-core-album-anniversary-466518/ |title=A Definitive Track Ranking Of Lil Kim's 'Hard Core' Album |work=Vibe |date=November 12, 2016 |access-date=April 8, 2022 |quote=...with more than 5 million copies sold worldwide, making it the most successful release from a female rapper at the time.}}

In August 2018, the album entered the top 10 Hip Hop/Rap Albums chart on iTunes, reaching number six despite the album being released nearly 22 years prior and eventually reached number one for a short time. It also peaked at number 22 on the overall albums chart on iTunes.{{cite web |url=https://revolt.tv/stories/2018/08/17/revisiting-female-rap-bible-lil-kims-hard-core-0700ddd99d |title=Revisiting the "Female Rap Bible," Lil' Kim's 'Hard Core' |access-date=March 5, 2019}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Intro in A-Minor

| length1 = 2:14

| title2 = Big Momma Thang

| note2 = featuring Jay-Z

| writer2 = {{hlist|Kimberly Jones|James Lloyd|Adrian Bartos|Sylvester James|Harvey Fuqua}}

| extra2 = Stretch Armstrong

| length2 = 4:17

| title3 = No Time

| note3 = featuring Puff Daddy

| writer3 = {{hlist|Jones|Sean Combs|Steven Jordan}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|Combs|Stevie J}}

| length3 = 5:00

| title4 = Spend a Little Doe

| writer4 = {{hlist|Jones|David Willis}}

| extra4 = Ski

| length4 = 5:35

| title5 = Take It!

| length5 = 0:46

| title6 = Crush on You

| note6 = performed by Lil' Cease

| writer6 = {{hlist|Lloyd|Andreao Heard|Jeff Lorber}}

| extra6 = Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard

| length6 = 4:35

| title7 = Drugs

| writer7 = {{hlist|Jones|Fabian Hamilton|D. Owen|Isaac Hayes}}

| extra7 = Hamilton

| length7 = 4:20

| title8 = Scheamin{{'}}

| length8 = 0:49

| title9 = Queen Bitch

| writer9 = {{hlist|Jones|Carlos Broady|Nashiem Myrick}}

| extra9 = {{hlist|Broady|Myrick}}

| length9 = 3:17

| title10 = Dreams

| writer10 = {{hlist|Jones|Daven Vanderpool|Reggie Andrews}}

| extra10 = Prestige

| length10 = 4:39

| title11 = M.A.F.I.A. Land

| writer11 = {{hlist|Jones|Brent Toussaint|Bert Kaempfert|Herbert Rehbein|Richard Ahlert}}

| extra11 = Brent "Faraoh" Toussaint

| length11 = 4:37

| title12 = We Don't Need It

| note12 = featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A.

| writer12 = {{hlist|Lloyd|Jones|Rayshaun Spain|Mark Richardson}}

| extra12 = Minnesota

| length12 = 4:10

| title13 = Not Tonight

| note13 = featuring Jermaine Dupri

| writer13 = {{hlist|Jones|Dupri}}

| extra13 = Dupri

| length13 = 4:31

| title14 = Player Haters

| length14 = 0:43

| title15 = Fuck You

| note15 = featuring Trife and Larceny

| writer15 = {{hlist|Jones|R. Spain|Antoine Spain|Chris Cresco|Christopher Wallace}}

| extra15 = {{hlist|The Notorious B.I.G.|Cornbread}}

| length15 = 2:53

| total_length = {{duration|m=52|s=43}}

}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = 1997 reissue bonus track

| title16 = Not Tonight

| note16 = Remix) (featuring Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez

| writer16 = {{hlist|Jones|Elliott|Lisa Lopes|Shawntae Harris|Martinez|Robert Bell|Ronald Bell|George Brown|Meekaaeel Muhammad|Claydes Smith|James Taylor|Dennis Thomas|Earl Toon}}

| extra16 = {{hlist|Rashad Smith|Armando Colon}}

| length16 = 4:24

| total_length = {{duration|m=56|s=59}}

}}

Notes

• "Take It!", "Crush on You", "Drugs," "Queen Bitch," and "Fuck You" feature additional vocals by the Notorious B.I.G.
• The intro of "Spend a Little Doe" is performed by Big Troy and Lil' Kim, and its hook is performed by Fela.
• The interlude of "Take It!" is performed by Lil' Cease and Trife.
• "Dreams" features additional vocals and a hook performed by Adilah.
• The hook of "We Don't Need It" is performed by Junior M.A.F.I.A.

Sample credits

• "Big Momma Thang" contains a sample of "Was It Something I Said" by Sylvester.
• "No Time" contains a sample of "Take Me Just as I Am" by Lyn Collins.
• "Spend a Little Doe" contains a sample of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" by Frank Chacksfield and His Orchestra.
• "Crush on You" contains a sample of "Rain Dance" by Jeff Lorber.
• "Drugs" contains a sample of "Bumpy's Lament" by Soul Mann & the Brothers.
• "Dreams" contains a sample of "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins.
• "We Don't Need It" contains a sample of "The One I Need" by Shirley Murdock.
• "Not Tonight" contains a sample of "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson.
• "Not Tonight" (Remix) contains a sample of "Ladies' Night" by Kool & the Gang.

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Hard Core.{{cite AV media notes |title=Hard Core |type=liner notes |others=Lil' Kim |publisher=Atlantic Records |year=1996 |id=92733-2}}

{{div col}}

• Lil' Kim – vocals, rapping
• Stretch Armstrong – producer
• Corn Bread – producer
• Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard – producer
• Carlos Broady – producer
• Stevie J. – producer
• Fabian Hamilton – producer
• Ski – producer
• Sean Combs (Puff Daddy) – executive producer, additional vocals
• Christopher Wallace – executive producer, additional vocals
• Kenny Ortiz – engineer
• Phil Tan – engineer
• Jermaine Dupri – producer, engineer, additional vocals
• Tony Black – engineer, mixing
• James Cruz – mastering
• Herb Powers Jr. – mastering
• Lil' Cease – additional vocals
• Junior M.A.F.I.A. – additional vocals
• Jay-Z – additional vocals
• LaMarquis Mark Jefferson – bass
• Michael Lavine – photography

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-end}}

{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Hard Core}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Lil' Kim|title=Hard Core|award=Platinum|number=2|type=album|relyear=1996|certyear=2001|date=March 14, 2001|access-date=January 2, 2014|salesamount=1,500,000|salesref={{cite web |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/11/lil-kims-hard-core-vs-foxy-browns-ill-na-na |title=Lil' Kim's Hard Core vs. Foxy Brown's Ill Na Na |work=XXL |date=November 18, 2011 |access-date=November 25, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630060331/http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2011/11/lil-kims-hard-core-vs-foxy-browns-ill-na-na |archive-date=June 30, 2013}}|refname="RIAA"}}

{{end}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Lil' Kim}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1996 debut albums

Category:Albums produced by Jermaine Dupri

Category:Albums produced by Rashad Smith

Category:Albums produced by Sean Combs

Category:Albums produced by Stevie J

Category:Atlantic Records albums

Category:Big Beat Records (American record label) albums

Category:Lil' Kim albums