Hard Core (Lil' Kim album)

Hard Core
Studio album by Lil' Kim
Released	November 12, 1996
Recorded	1995–96
Studio	The Hit Factory (New York City)
Genre	Hip hop dirty rap gangsta rap
Length	56:59
Label	Undeas Big Beat Atlantic
Producer	Various Carlos Broady Sean Combs Cornbread Jermaine Dupri Fabian Hamilton Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard Minnesota Nashiem Myrick The Notorious B.I.G. (also exec.) Prestige Lance "Un" Rivera (exec.) Ski Stevie J Stretch Armstrong Brent "Faraoh" Toussaint Jacob York (exec.)
Lil' Kim chronology
Hard Core (1996) The Notorious K.I.M. (2000)
Singles from Hard Core
"No Time" Released: October 29, 1996 "Crush on You (Remix)" Released: June 13, 1997 "Not Tonight (Remix)" Released: June 30, 1997

Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was released on November 12, 1996 by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving a success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with The Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer (besides this, he performed on four songs). She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album. Recording for the album took place from 1995 to 1996, mainly at The Hit Factory studio, in New York City.

The album was notable for its overt raunchy sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics and is considered a classic hip hop album.^[1] Hard Core debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Billboard's Top R&B Albums, selling 78,000 copies in its first week, and reached number 26 of the Canadian Albums Chart. In the United States, Hard Core was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

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.^[2] 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.^[3] The album was originally titled "Queen Bee".^[4]

Guest artists included Jay-Z, The Notorious B.I.G., and other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A.^[5] The promotional campaign for the album, including the album cover, featured provocative advertisements of Kim dressed in a skimpy bikini and surrounded by furs.^[6]

During the recording sessions, Kim and B.I.G made a demo for the track "Street Dreams", never released officially.

Singles

The first two singles from Hard Core, the platinum-certified "No Time" and the remix version of "Crush on You" both 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.^[7] It was nominated in 1998 for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[8]
Robert Christgau	[9]
Entertainment Weekly	A[10]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide	[11]
PopMatters	Favorable[12]
RapReviews.com	7/10[13]
The Source	[14]
Spin	7/10[15]

The album received critical acclaim, 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".^[14] Rolling Stone concluded in reviewing the album in the magazine's 2004 version of The Rolling Stone Album Guide:^[16]

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.

Commercial performance

Hard Core debuted and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart,^[17] selling 78,000 copies in its first week.^[18] Despite not spending another week inside the top 30,^[18] the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and had sold 1,489,701 copies in the United States as of November 2011.^[19] In Canada, the album peaked at number 62.^[20]

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Intro in A-Minor"			2:14
2.	"Big Momma Thang" (featuring Jay-Z and Lil' Cease)	Kimberly Jones James Lloyd Adrian Bartos Sylvester James Harvey Fuqua	Stretch Armstrong	4:17
3.	"No Time" (featuring Puff Daddy)	Jones Sean Combs Steven Jordan	Combs Stevie J	5:00
4.	"Spend a Little Doe"	Jones David Willis	Ski	5:35
5.	"Take It!"			0:46
6.	"Crush on You" (featuring Lil' Cease and The Notorious B.I.G.)	Lloyd Andreao Heard Jeff Lorber	Andraeo "Fanatic" Heard	4:35
7.	"Drugs" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)	Jones Fabian Hamilton D. Owen Isaac Hayes	Hamilton	4:20
8.	"Scheamin'"			0:49
9.	"Queen Bitch" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.)	Jones Carlos Broady Nashiem Myrick	Broady Myrick	3:17
10.	"Dreams"	Jones Daven Vanderpool Reggie Andrews	Prestige	4:39
11.	"M.A.F.I.A. Land"	Jones Brent Toussaint Bert Kaempfert Herbert Rehbein Richard Ahlert	Brent "Faraoh" Toussaint	4:37
12.	"We Don't Need It" (featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A.)	Lloyd Jones Rayshaun Spain Mark Richardson	Minnesota	4:10
13.	"Not Tonight" (featuring Jermaine Dupri)	Jones Dupri	Dupri	4:31
14.	"Player Haters"			0:43
15.	"Fuck You" (featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A. and The Notorious B.I.G.)	Jones R. Spain Antoine Spain Chris Cresco Christopher Wallace	The Notorious B.I.G. Cornbread	2:53

1997 reissue bonus track
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
16.	"Not Tonight" (Remix) (featuring Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy "Misdeameanor" Elliott and Angie Martinez)	Jones Elliott Lisa Lopes Shawntae Harris Martinez Robert Bell Ronald Bell George Brown Meekaaeel Muhammad Claydes Smith James Taylor Dennis Thomas Earl Toon	4:24

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.

Personnel

• 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
• 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

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996–97) Peak position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[20] 62 UK Albums (OCC)[21] 116 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[22] 15 US Billboard 200[23] 11 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[24] 3

Year-end charts Chart (1997) Position US Billboard 200[25] 68 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[26] 11

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[27]	2× Platinum	1,489,701[19]

References

1. Cummings, Jozen (May 2006). "Crime Doesn't Pay". Vibe. 14 (5): 56. ISSN 1070-4701. Retrieved August 22, 2014. With scanty clothing and the cachet that comes with having what many consider a classic album, Hard Core, Lil' Kim was one of the few female rappers whose consistent platinum sales showed that she could play with the big boys.
2. Rodriguez, Kenny (August 9, 2006). "Legendary Hit Factory Studio Turning Into Condos". NobodySmiling.com. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
3. "Lil Kim Biography". Starpulse. Archived from the original on February 20, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
4. "Why 70% Of Women Should Know Lil' Kim's Hardcore Album". The Source. July 11, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
5. "Hardcore: Lil Kim: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
6. "Lil Kim". Hip Hop Galaxy. March 14, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
7. "American certifications – Lil Kim – Not Tonight". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
8. Birchmeier, Jason. "Hard Core – Lil' Kim". AllMusic. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
9. Christgau, Robert. "CG: Lil' Kim". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
10. Bernard, James (January 10, 1997). "Hard Core". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
11. Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (November 2, 2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide. Simon & Schuster. p. 486. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
12. Sawyer, Terry (February 21, 2003). "Lil' Kim: Hardcore". PopMatters. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
13. Simelane, Vukile (February 1, 2005). "Lil' Kim :: Hardcore :: Undeas Recording/Big Beat". RapReviews.com. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
14. "Lil' Kim – Hard Core CD Album". CD Universe. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
15. Bernstein, Jonathan (December 1996). "Spins Platter du Jour". Spin. 12 (9): 141. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
16. "Lil' Kim: Biography". Rolling Stone. April 23, 2009. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved February 28, 2012.
17. "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: The Week of November 30, 1996". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2016.
18. Mayfield, Geoff (July 15, 2000). "Between the Bullets". Billboard. 112 (29): 112. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
19. "Lil' Kim's Hard Core vs. Foxy Brown's Ill Na Na". XXL. November 18, 2011. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
20. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 9804." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
21. "Chart Log UK: DJ Steve L. – LZ Love". Zobbel. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
22. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
23. "Lil' Kim – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Lil' Kim. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
24. "Lil' Kim – Chart history" Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums for Lil' Kim. Retrieved May 12, 2016.
25. "Billboard 200 Albums: Year End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
26. "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
27. "American album certifications – Lil' Kim – Hard Core". Recording Industry Association of America. March 14, 2001. Retrieved January 2, 2014. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH

External links

• Hard Core at Discogs (list of releases)