This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It includes attribution to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help improve this article by introducing reliable sources. Tagged since August 2010. It relies largely or entirely upon a single source. Tagged since August 2010. Its tone or style may not reflect the formal tone used on Wikipedia. Tagged since May 2011.

Robin Yvette Allen (born June 11, 1968), better known by her stage name The Lady of Rage, is an American rapper and actress best known for collaborations with several Death Row Records artists, including Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dogg on the seminal albums The Chronic and Doggystyle.^[1] She has been described as "one of the most skillful female MCs" with a "mastery of flow" and "hard-core lyrics".^[2]

Musical career[link]

In the summer of 1988, the Lady of Rage met Shahkim of the Original Outlaw Brothers, an upstart rap group from Queens, New York. From the moment Shahkim heard her rap he was convinced she was the best female rapper around and after convincing her he could get her a record deal, he brought her to his group. The members of the Outlaw Brothers made Rage a member of the group and they eventually were signed to a production deal with the L.A. Posse ( who went on to produce several big hits for LL Cool J). At the time, the LA Posses had several artist in the camp. MC Breeze, The Real Roxanne, and they also had several relationships with different labels. Rage, along with all the artists in the camp worked diligently out of Chung King Studios in lower Manhattan recording, writing and more recording. In 1991, Lady of Rage met with Chubb Rock, providing vocals for his track, "Bring Em Home Safe" on his The One album, which she recorded under the name of 'Rockin’ Robin'.^[3]

Dr. Dre then discovered her after the L.A.Posse were letting him listen to some of the tracks on their album and the vocals she recorded for the L.A. Posse's They Come in All Colors in 1991.^[4] She appeared on several tracks from Dr. Dre's 1992 classic The Chronic album, and on Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggystyle in 1993.^[5]

In 1994, she had a hit single with "Afro Puffs" (from the soundtrack to Above the Rim) which reached #5 on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.^[6] She also made an appearance on Tha Dogg Pound's album Dogg Food on the track "Do What I Feel". Though she had made more than a dozen appearances on soundtracks as well as albums from her Death Row Records cohorts, the Lady of Rage didn't release an album until '97. Her debut solo album, Necessary Roughness, was released in June 1997 and peaked at #7 on the Billboard R&B Album chart and 32 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart.^[7] Her solo album was originally called Eargasm and was continually pushed back - it was meant to have been the next album on Death Row Records after The Chronic, and then after Doggystyle, before finally being released in 1997.^[8]

After the release of her album and a guest-appearance with Gang Starr alongside Kurupt ("You Know My Steez (Three Men and a Lady Remix)") in 1998,^[9] Rage left Death Row Records and the music industry generally to focus on acting, appearing in an episode of Kenan & Kel.^[10] The Lady of Rage also went on to be featured in several television sitcoms, most notably as Coretta Cox in the very well received The Steve Harvey Show on The WB from 1996 to 2002 - she also had a small part in Next Friday as Baby D, big little sister of Day Day's ex girlfriend.^[11]

In 2000, she made another rapping appearance on Snoop Dogg's "Set It Off" on his album Tha Last Meal, a solo track "Unfucwitable" on Snoop Dogg Presents...Doggy Style Allstars Vol. 1 and "Batman & Robin", which appeared on Snoop Dogg's Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss album.^[12]

In 2007 she signed to Shante Broadus' label, Boss Lady Entertainment, and recorded a street album called From VA 2 LA.^[13] She also made appearances on Bigg Snoop Dogg Presents…Welcome to tha Chuuch: Da Album and Cali Iz Active.^[14]

She is currently a part of the FEM (Females Earning Money) Movement along with fellow female rappers Babs (of Da Band), Lady Luck, and Amil.^[15] In 2008, she performed with MC Lyte, Yo-Yo, and Salt-n-Pepa at the BET Hip Hop Awards.^[16] In the summer of 2010 she joined Snoop Dogg during his headlining set at the Rock the Bells festival concert series, along with Warren G, RBX and Tha Dogg Pound for a performance of the classic Doggystyle album in its entirety.

Rapping technique[link]

Lady of Rage describes much of her rapping technique in the book How to Rap - she notes the importance of having a strong vocabulary,^[17] writing poetry,^[18] having different styles of flow,^[19] using 'rests',^[20] researching lyrics,^[21] taking your time to write lyrics,^[22] working with producers,^[23] doing guide vocals,^[24] and her compound rhymes in the track 'Unfucwitable' are broken down.^[25]

Discography[link]

1997 Necessary Roughness

• Released: 1997
• Label: Death Row / Interscope

2005 Va to La

• Released: 2005
• Label: Boss Lady Entertainment

2011 Verbal Abuse Released: 2011 TBC

• Label: TBC

Filmography[link]

• The Steve Harvey Show
• Kenan & Kel
• Next Friday
• Ride (film)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lady of Rage at Allmusic
• The Lady of Rage at the Internet Movie Database

Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg performing at the Snoop Dogg Supafest in April 2011.
Background information
Birth name	Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr.
Born	(1971-10-20) October 20, 1971 (age 40)
Origin	Long Beach, California, United States
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper
Years active	1992–present
Labels	Death Row, No Limit, Priority, Star Trak, Geffen, Doggystyle
Associated acts	Tha Dogg Pound, Tha Eastsidaz, 213, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, 2Pac, Pharell, R. Kelly, Ice Cube, Akon, Game, Brandy Norwood, Eminem, Wiz Khalifa
Website	snoopdogg.com

Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. (born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school. Shortly after graduation, he was arrested for cocaine possession and spent six months in Wayside County Jail. His music career began in 1992 after his release when he was discovered by Dr. Dre. He collaborated on several tracks on Dre's solo debut, The Chronic and on the titular theme song to the film Deep Cover.

Snoop's debut album Doggystyle, was released in 1993 under Death Row Records making a debut at No.1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts. Selling almost a million copies in the first week of its release, Doggystyle quickly became certified 4× platinum in 1994 and spawned several hit singles, including "What's My Name" and "Gin & Juice". In 1994, Snoop released a soundtrack on Death Row Records for the short film Murder Was The Case, starring himself. In early 1996, Snoop Dogg was cleared of charges over his bodyguard's 1993 murder of Philip Woldemariam. His second album, late 1996's Tha Doggfather, also debuted at No.1 on both charts with "Snoop's Upside Ya Head" as the lead single. The album sold only half as well, being certified double platinum in 1997.

Tha Doggfather was his last release for Death Row before he signed with No Limit Records, where he recorded his next three albums. Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told in 1998, No Limit Top Dogg in 1999 (making it his last album of the 90s), and Tha Last Meal in 2000, which was his last No Limit Records album. Snoop then signed with Priority/Capitol/EMI Records in 2002, where he released his album Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss. Then he signed with Geffen Records in 2004 for his next three albums R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, and Ego Trippin'. Malice 'n Wonderland (2009) and Doggumentary (2011), his most recent release, were on Priority.

In addition to music, Snoop Dogg has starred in motion pictures and hosted several television shows: Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, Snoop Dogg's Father Hood and Dogg After Dark. He also coaches a youth football league and high school football team. He has run into many legal troubles, some of which caused him to be legally banned from the UK and Australia, although the UK ban was later reversed after a long legal battle.^[1] He is the cousin of Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, RBX and Lil' ½ Dead and the cousin of R&B singers Brandy and Ray J. Starting September 2009, Snoop was hired by EMI as the chairman of a reactivated Priority Records.^[2]

Life and career[link]

Early life[link]

Named after his stepfather, Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Sr. (December 10, 1948 – November 9, 1985, Los Angeles), Calvin Broadus was born October 20, 1971 at the Los Altos Hospital in Long Beach, California, the second of three sons of Beverly Broadus (née Tate; born April 27, 1951, McComb, Mississippi).^[3][4][5] His father, Vernall Varnado (born December 13, 1949, Magnolia, Mississippi),^[3] was a Vietnam veteran, singer, and mail carrier who was said to be frequently absent from his life.^[6] Broadus' parents nicknamed him "Snoopy" as a child because of his appearance, but usually addressed him as Calvin at home.^[7][8] His mother and stepfather divorced in 1975. At an early age, Broadus began singing in Golgotha Trinity Baptist Church and playing piano; when he was in sixth grade, he began rapping.^[9][10] He attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, and was convicted for cocaine possession, serving six months at the Wayside County Jail.^[7]

As a teenager, Snoop Dogg frequently ran into trouble with the law. Snoop Dogg was a member of the Rollin' 20 Crips gang in the Eastside of Long Beach,^[11][12] although he stated in 1993 that he never joined a gang.^[9] Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine.^[7] Snoop Dogg's conviction caused him to be frequently in and out of prison for the first three years after he graduated from high school. Snoop, along with his cousins Nate Dogg and Lil' ½ Dead and friend Warren G, recorded home made tapes as a group called 213, named after the Long Beach area code at the time. One of his early solo freestyles over En Vogue's "Hold On" had made it to a mixtape which was heard by influential producer Dr. Dre, who phoned to invite him to an audition. Former N.W.A member The D.O.C. taught him how to structure his lyrics and separate the thematics into verses, hooks and chorus.^[13]

[edit] 1992–93: Doggystyle

When he began recording, Broadus took the stage name Snoop Doggy Dogg. Dr. Dre began working with Snoop Dogg, first on the theme song of the 1992 film Deep Cover, and then on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic with the other members of his former starting group, Tha Dogg Pound. The huge success of Snoop Dogg's debut Doggystyle was partially because of this intense exposure.^[7]

To fuel the ascendance of West Coast G-funk hip hop, the singles "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" and "Gin and Juice" reached the top ten most-played songs in the United States, and the album stayed on the Billboard charts for several months.^[7] Gangsta rap became the center of arguments for censorship and labeling, with Snoop Dogg often used as an example of violent and misogynistic musicians.^[14] Doggystyle, much like The Chronic, featured a host of rappers signed to or affiliated with the Death Row label including Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Nate Dogg and others. Rolling Stone music critic Touré asserted that Snoop had a relatively soft vocal delivery compared to other rappers: "Snoop's vocal style is part of what distinguishes him: where many rappers scream, figuratively and literally, he speaks softly."^[9]

A short film about Snoop Dogg's murder trial called Murder Was The Case, was released in 1994, along with an accompanying soundtrack. On July 6, 1995, Doggy Style Records, Inc., a record label founded by Snoop Dogg, was registered with the California Secretary of State as business entity number C1923139.^[15]

[edit] 1996–97: Tha Doggfather

After Snoop Dogg was acquitted of murder charges on February 20, 1996, he and the mother of his son and their kennel of 20 pit bulls moved into a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) home in the hills of Claremont, California and by August 1996 Doggy Style Records, a subsidiary of Death Row Records, signed The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson as one of the record label's first artists.^[16]

However, by the time Snoop Dogg's second album, Tha Doggfather, was released in November 1996, the price of living (or sometimes just imitating) the gangsta life had become very evident. Among the many notable hip hop industry deaths and convictions were the death of Snoop Dogg's friend and labelmate 2Pac and the racketeering indictment of Death Row co-founder Suge Knight.^[7] Dr. Dre had left Death Row earlier in 1996 because of a contract dispute, so Snoop Dogg co-produced Tha Doggfather with Daz Dillinger and DJ Pooh.

This album featured a distinct change of style as compared to Doggystyle, and the leadoff single, "Snoop's Upside Ya Head", featured a collaboration with Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson. While the album sold reasonably well, it was not as successful as its predecessor. However, Tha Doggfather had a somewhat softer approach to the G-funk style. The immediate aftermath of Dr. Dre's withdrawal from Death Row Records, realizing that he was subject to an iron-clad time-based contract (i.e., that Death Row practically owned anything he produced for a number of years), Snoop Dogg refused to produce any more tracks for Suge Knight, other than the insulting "Fuck Death Row", until his contract expired.^[11] In an interview with Neil Strauss in 1998, Snoop Dogg stated that though he had been given lavish gifts by his former label they had withheld royalty payments to the artist.^[17]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic said that after Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg began "moving away from his gangsta roots toward a calmer lyrical aesthetic":^[7] for instance, Snoop participated in the 1997 Lollapalooza concert tour, which featured mainly alternative rock music. Troy J. Augusto of Variety noticed that Snoop's set at Lollapalooza attracted "much dancing, and, strangely, even a small mosh pit" in the audience.^[18]

[edit] 1998–2000: No Limit, Top Dogg and Tha Last Meal

Snoop signed with Master P's No Limit Records (distributed by Priority/EMI Records) in 1998 and debuted on the label with Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told that year. His other albums from No Limit were No Limit Top Dogg in 1999 (selling over 1,503,865 copies) and Tha Last Meal in 2000 (selling over 1,000,000).^[7] In 2001, his autobiography, Tha Doggfather, was published.

[edit] 2002: Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$

In 2002 he released the album Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$, on Priority/Capitol/EMI Records, selling over 1,300,000 copies. The album featured the hit singles "From tha Chuuuch to da Palace" and "Beautiful", featuring guest vocals by Pharrell. By this stage in his career, Snoop Dogg had left behind his "gangster" image and embraced a "pimp" image.

[edit] 2004–05: R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece

In 2004, Snoop signed to Geffen Records/Star Trak Entertainment both of which are distributed through Interscope Records; Star Trak is headed by producer duo The Neptunes, which produced several tracks for Snoop's 2004 release R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece. "Drop It Like It's Hot" (featuring Pharrell), the first single released from the album, was a hit and became Snoop Dogg's first single to reach number one. His third release was "Signs", featuring Justin Timberlake and Charlie Wilson, which entered the UK chart at #2. This was his highest entry ever in the UK chart. The album sold 1,724,000 copies in the U.S. alone, and most of its singles were heavily played on radio and television. Snoop Dogg joined Warren G and Nate Dogg to form the group 213 and released album The Hard Way in 2004. Debuting at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it included single "Groupie Luv". Together with fellow rappers Lil' Jon, Xzibit and David Banner, Snoop Dogg appeared in the music video for Korn's "Twisted Transistor".

[edit] 2006: Tha Blue Carpet Treatment

Snoop Dogg's appeared on two tracks from Ice Cube's 2006 album Laugh Now, Cry Later, including the single "Go to Church", and on several tracks on Tha Dogg Pound's Cali Iz Active the same year. Also, his latest song, "Real Talk", was leaked over the Internet in the summer of 2006 and a video was later released on the Internet. "Real Talk" was a dedication to former Crips leader Stanley "Tookie" Williams and a diss to Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Governor of California. Two other singles on which Snoop made a guest performance were "Keep Bouncing" by Too $hort (also with will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas) and "Gangsta Walk" by Coolio.

Snoop's 2006 album, Tha Blue Carpet Treatment, debuted on the Billboard 200 at No.5 and has sold over 850,000 copies. The album and the second single "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly were well received by critics. In the album, he collaborated in a video with E-40 and other West Coast rappers for his single "Candy (Drippin' Like Water)".

[edit] 2007–08: Ego Trippin'

In July 2007, Snoop Dogg also made history by becoming the first artist to release a track as a ringtone prior to its release as a single, which was "It's the D.O.G." On July 7, 2007, Snoop Dogg performed at the Live Earth concert, Hamburg.^[19] Snoop Dogg has ventured into singing for Bollywood with his first ever rap for an Indian movie Singh Is Kinng; the title of the song is also "Singh is Kinng". He also appears in the movie as himself.^[20] The album featuring the song was released on June 8, 2008 on Junglee Music Records.^[21] He released his ninth studio album, Ego Trippin' (selling 400,000 copies in the U.S.), along with the first single, "Sexual Eruption". The single peaked at No.7 on the Billboard 100, featuring Snoop using autotune. The album featured production from QDT (Quik-Dogg-Teddy).

[edit] 2009–10: Malice n Wonderland and More Malice

Snoop was appointed an executive position at Priority Records. His tenth studio album, Malice n Wonderland, was released on December 8, 2009. The first single from the album, "Gangsta Luv", featuring The-Dream, peaked at No.35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at No.23 on the Billboard 200, selling 61,000 copies its first week, making it his lowest charting album. His third single, "I Wanna Rock", peaked at No.41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Snoop features on the latest Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach. The fourth single from Malice n Wonderland, titled "Pronto", featuring Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009. Snoop re-released the album under the name More Malice.

[edit] 2011–12: Doggumentary

Snoop collaborated with Katy Perry on the first single from her second mainstream album, "California Gurls", which was released on May 11, 2010. Snoop can also be heard on the track "Flashing" by Dr. Dre and on Curren$y's song "Seat Change". He was also featured on a new single from Australian singer Jessica Mauboy, titled "Get 'em Girls" (released September 2010). Snoop's latest effort was backing American recording artist, Emii, on her second single entitled "Mr. Romeo" (released October 26, 2010 as a follow-up to "Magic"). Snoop also collaborated with American comedy troupe The Lonely Island in their song "Turtleneck & Chain", in their 2011 album Turtleneck & Chain.

Snoop Dogg's newest studio album is Doggumentary. The album went through several tentative titles including Doggystyle 2: Tha Doggumentary and Doggumentary Music: 0020 before being released under the final title Doggumentary during March 2011.^[22] Snoop was featured on Gorillaz' latest album Plastic Beach on a track called: "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" with the The Hypnotic Brass, he also completed another track with them entitled "Sumthing Like This Night" which does not appear on Plastic Beach, yet does appear on Doggumentary. He also appears on the latest Tech N9ne album All 6's and 7's (released June 7, 2011) on a track called "Pornographic" which also features E-40 and Krizz Kaliko.

[edit] 2012–present: Reincarnated

On February 4, 2012, Snoop Dogg announced a new documentary alongside his new upcoming studio album entitled Reincarnated.^[23] Snoop Dogg is set to headline the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Canada this summer. ^[24]

Other ventures[link]

Media appearances[link]

Snoop Dogg has appeared on television and in films throughout his career. In 1998, Snoop had a cameo appearance in the film Half Baked as the "Scavenger Smoker".^[25] In 2000, Snoop (as "Michael J. Corleone") directed Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle, a pornographic film produced by Hustler. The film, combining hip hop with x-rated material, was a huge success and won "Top Selling Release of the Year" at the 2002 AVN Awards.^[26] Snoop then directed Snoop Dogg's Hustlaz: Diary of a Pimp in 2002 (using the nickname "Snoop Scorsese").^[27]

In 2001, Snoop lent his voice to the animated show King of the Hill, in which he played a white pimp named Alabaster Jones.^[28] He played a lead character in the movie The Wash with Dr. Dre. He portrayed a drug dealer in a wheelchair in the film Training Day, featuring Denzel Washington.^[29] In 2001, Snoop starred in the horror film Bones, with him playing a murdered mobster who returns from the dead to exact his revenge against those who murdered him.

In 2002, Snoop hosted, starred in, and produced his own MTV sketch comedy show entitled Doggy Fizzle Televizzle. Snoop was filmed for a brief cameo appearance in the television movie It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002), but his performance was omitted from the final cut of the movie.^[30] On November 8, 2004, Snoop Dogg was starred in the episode "Two of a Kind" of NBC's series Las Vegas.^[31]

In 2004, Snoop appeared on the Showtime series The L Word as the character "Slim Daddy". He also notably played the drug dealer-turned-informant character of Huggy Bear, in the 2004 remake film of the 1970s TV-series of the same name, Starsky & Hutch. He appeared as himself in the episode "MILF Money" of Weeds,^[32] and made an appearance on the TV shows Entourage^[33] and Monk,^[34] for which he recorded a version of the theme, in July 2007.

Snoop Dogg at WrestleMania XXIV at Orlando's Citrus Bowl with Ashley Massaro and tag team partner Maria, March 30, 2008

Snoop founded his own production company, Snoopadelic Films, in 2005. Their debut film was Boss'n Up, a film inspired by Snoop Dogg's album R&G, starring Lil Jon and Trina.^[35]

In December 2007, his reality show Snoop Dogg's Father Hood premiered on the E! channel.^[36] Snoop Dogg joined the NBA's Entertainment League.^[37] On March 30, 2008 he appeared at WrestleMania XXIV as a Master of Ceremonies for a tag team match between Maria and Ashley Massaro as they took on Beth Phoenix and Melina.^[38]

On May 8 and May 9, 2008, Snoop appeared as himself on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, with a new opening theme recorded by the artist presented for both episodes. In the episodes, Snoop performs at the bachelorette party for character Adriana Cramer, and credits Bo Buchanan with helping him get his start in show business.^[39][40] On February 24, 2010, Snoop Dogg reprised his role, performing his song "I Wanna Rock" from his new album, Malice n Wonderland, as well as once again performing a special remixed, vocal rendition of the show's opening theme.^[41] In recent interviews he has explained that, as a child, One Life to Live was one of his favorite shows, and he still regards the show fondly. He has also stated that he has always been a particular fan of Robert S. Woods, who has portrayed the character of Bo Buchanan since 1979.

In 2009, Snoop Dogg appeared in Sacha Baron Cohen's film Brüno as himself performing a rap addition to the song "Dove Of Peace".^[42] On October 19, 2009, Snoop Dogg was the guest host of WWE Raw.

In July 2009, Snoop revealed his desire to appear in the popular soap opera Coronation Street while touring in the UK. However ITV bosses were said to be less keen.^[43]

In 2010, Snoop Dogg appeared in an episode of I Get That a Lot on CBS as a parking-lot attendant.

In June 2010, Snoop created a music video for True Blood accompanying a song he wrote for one of the main characters of the show entitled "Oh Sookie."^[44][45]

In March 2011, Snoop participated in Comedy Central's Roast of Donald Trump with other comedians and media personalities.^[46]

January 2, 2012, appeared on the The Price Is Right and raised $72,000 for his charity, Snoop Youth Football League.

Endorsements[link]

Snoop Dogg performing live in Hawaii, July 23, 2005.

• St. Ides
• Snoop Dogg 40 Oz Malt liquor
• Adidas Originals
• Boost Mobile cell phone
• Chrysler 300
• Colt 45 Blast
• Metro PCS Samsung Galaxy 4G
• Orbit Gum
• AOL commercial with Jerry Stiller
• Cal Worthington's Ford dealership in Long Beach, California
• "Snoop Doggs" – foot-long hot dogs manufactured in Massachusetts, a joint venture with Platinum One Media^[47]
• "Snoop Dogg Board Company (SDBC)" – skateboards and Luggage fabrication company (with Pentagon Distribution)
• "Snooperbowl" and "Snoop Youth Football league"^[48]
• "Chronic Candy" – candy that tastes like marijuana (from Switzerland and is currently banned in some cities of US)
• Love Don't Live Here No More, Doggy Tales Vol.1 – love novel (co-written by David E. Talbert, published by Atria and Snoopadelic Films) ISBN 0-7432-7363-X^[49]
• Tha Doggfather : The Times, Trials, And Hardcore Truths Of Snoop Dogg – autobiography (published by William Morrow) Hardcover ISBN 0-688-17158-3, Paperback ISBN 0-06-107607-4^[50]
• Fear & Respect (project cancelled as of March 1, 2006) – PlayStation 2 video game (developed by Midway Games)
• "Doggy Biscuitz" – shoe brand (in partnership with Pony International)^[51]
• "Snoop Dogg Clothing" – streetwear (distributed at Macy's)
• "WRFF" – unique design scooters (in cooperation with Salton, Inc.)^[52]
• "Hip Hop Gaming League" – a celebrity online gaming competition (hosted by Global Gaming League)^[53]
• "Snoop Dogg figures" (Vital Toys, SOTA Toys)^[54]
• "Snoop Dogg Boxing" – mobile phone game (Sony Pictures Mobile)
• "Snoop Dogg Pet Accessory Line" (in conjunction with Jakks Pacific)^[55]
• Snoop Dogg is a celebrity voice of a TomTom GPS navigation system.^[56][57] He stated on George Lopez's talk show Lopez Tonight that he is tired of hearing directions from the same woman.
• In August 2008, Snoop Dogg announced the launch of a new streetwear line called Rich & Infamous, via a partnership with Robert Thorne Co. The line was unveiled during the Magic Tradeshow in Las Vegas.^[58]
• "Hack is Wack" – Promoting Norton AntiVirus.^[59]
• "Coffee Cup With A Cause" with 7 Eleven.^[60]
• "Serious Pimp" clothing line.^[61]
• "iFizzle" iPhone Application.^[62]
• "Vybe Mobile"^[63]
• "Pepsi Max" – Zero Calories^[64]

Style and rap skills[link]

Kool Moe Dee ranks Snoop at No.33 in his book There's a God on the Mic, and says he has "an ultra-smooth, laidback delivery",^[65] and "flavor-filled melodic rhyming".^[66] Peter Shapiro describes Snoop's delivery as a "molasses drawl"^[67] and Allmusic notes his "drawled, laconic rhyming" style.^[7] Kool Moe Dee refers to Snoop's use of vocabulary, saying he "keeps it real simple...he simplifies it and he's effective in his simplicity".^[68]

Snoop is known to freestyle some of his lyrics on the spot for some songs – in the book How to Rap, Lady of Rage says, "Snoop Dogg, when I worked with him earlier in his career, that's how created his stuff... he would freestyle, he wasn't a writer then, he was a freestyler,"^[69] and The D.O.C. states, "Snoop's [rap] was a one take willy, but his shit was all freestyle. He hadn't written nothing down. He just came in and started busting. The song was "Tha Shiznit"—that was all freestyle. He started busting and when we got to the break, Dre cut the machine off, did the chorus and told Snoop to come back in. He did that throughout the record. That's when Snoop was in the zone then."

Peter Shapiro says that Snoop debuted on "Deep Cover" with a "shockingly original flow – which sounded like a Slick Rick born in South Carolina instead of South London"^[70] and adds that he "showed where his style came from by covering Slick Rick's 'La Di Da Di'".^[67] Referring to Snoop's flow, Kool Moe Dee calls him "one of the smoothest, funkiest flow-ers in the game".^[66] How to Rap also notes that Snoop is known to use syncopation in his flow to give it a laidback quality,^[71] as well as 'linking with rhythm' in his compound rhymes,^[72] using alliteration,^[73] and employing a "sparse" flow with good use of pauses.^[74]

Snoop re-popularized the use of -izzle speak, particularly in the pop and hip-hop music industry.^[75]

Personal life[link]

Snoop Dogg in August 2009

Broadus's father left the family when Broadus was three months old. Snoop married his high school sweetheart, Shante Taylor, on June 12, 1997. On May 21, 2004, he filed for divorce from Shante, citing irreconcilable differences.^[76] The couple renewed their wedding vows on January 12, 2008.^[77] R&B singers Brandy and Ray J are his first cousins.^[78] In 2002, the rapper announced he was giving up marijuana, one of his image trademarks, for good.^[79] According to his IMDb biography, Snoop is a fan of the thrash metal band Metallica^[80] and performed their song "Sad But True" on the band's 2003 MTV Icon Special which is available on YouTube.^[81] A DNA test read by George Lopez on Lopez Tonight revealed Snoop Dogg to be of 0% East Asian, 23% Native American, 6% European, and 71% African descent.^[82]

Snoop is an avid fan of hometown teams Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers. Snoop is also an avid Pittsburgh Steelers fan.^[83] and is often seen wearing Pittsburgh Steelers apparel. Snoop has mentioned that his love for the Steelers began in the 1970s during the team's dynasty years while watching the team with his grandfather growing up in L.A.^[84] In the 2005 offseason, Snoop mentioned that he wanted to be an NFL head coach, "probably for the Steelers".^[85] The following year, he was in attendance for the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XL and later in Super Bowl XLIII. He is also a fan of the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, often wearing a No.5 jersey, and has been seen at Raiders training camps.^[86] He did his own free style rap based on his similarities with Tony Romo.^[87][88] He is also a fan of the USC Trojans Football team. He has also shown affection for the New England Patriots, as he has been seen performing at the Gillette Stadium and picked the Patriots as the favorite to win Super Bowl XXXIX against the Eagles.^[89][90] On August 6, 2009, Snoop visited the training camp of the Baltimore Ravens at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland.^[91] He was invited by Ray Lewis the day after his concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland.

A certified football coach, Snoop Dogg has been head coach for his son's youth football teams and the John A. Rowland High School team.^[92][93]

Snoop Dogg is an avid hockey fan; he sported a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey (with the name and number 'GIN AND JUICE' 94 on the back) and a jersey of the now-defunct Springfield (MA) Indians of the American Hockey League in his 1994 music video, "Gin And Juice". On the E! show, Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood, Snoop Dogg and his family received lessons on playing hockey from the Anaheim Ducks, then returning to the Honda Center to cheer on the Ducks against the Vancouver Canucks in the episode Snow in da Hood.^[94]

In 2009, it was revealed that Snoop Dogg was a member of the Nation of Islam. On March 1, 2009, he made an appearance at the Nation of Islam's annual Saviours' Day holiday, where he praised minister Louis Farrakhan. Snoop claimed to be a member of the Nation of Islam, but he declined to give the date on which he joined. He also donated $1,000 to the organization.^[95][96][97]

Snoop claimed in a 2006 interview with Rolling Stone magazine that unlike other hip hop artists who've superficially adopted the pimp persona, he was an actual professional pimp in 2003 and 2004, saying "That shit was my natural calling and once I got involved with it, it became fun. It was like shootin' layups for me. I was makin' 'em every time." He goes on to say that upon the advice of some of the other pimps he knew, he eventually gave up pimping to spend more time with his family.^[98]

Legal issues[link]

Mug shot of Snoop Dogg taken in September 1993.

Shortly after graduating from high school, he was arrested for possession of cocaine.^[7]

While recording Doggystyle in August 1993, Snoop Dogg was arrested in connection with the death of Phillip Woldermarian, a member of a rival gang who was shot and killed by Snoop's bodyguard, McKinley Lee; Snoop was charged with murder along with Lee as he was driving the vehicle from which the shooting had commenced. Snoop and Lee were defended by Johnnie Cochran.^[99] Both Snoop and Lee were acquitted; Lee was acquitted on grounds of self-defense, but Snoop Dogg remained entangled in the legal battles around the case for three years.^[100]

In July 1993, Snoop was stopped for a traffic violation and a firearm was found by police while conducting a search of his car. In February 1997, he pleaded guilty to possession of a handgun and was ordered to record three public service announcements, pay a $1,000 fine, and serve three years' probation.^[101][102]

In May 1998, Snoop Dogg was fined and arrested for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession.^[103]

In October 2001, Snoop Dogg was arrested again for a misdemeanor of marijuana possession.^[103] In 2002 he pleaded no contest and was fined a total of $398.30 and received a suspended 30-day jail sentence.^[104]

Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound, and The Game were sued for assaulting a fan on stage at a May 2005 concert at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. The accuser, Richard Monroe, Jr., claimed he was beaten by the artists' entourage while mounting the stage.^[105] He alleged that he reacted to an "open invite" to come on stage. Before he could, Snoop’s bodyguards grabbed him and he was beaten unconscious by crewmembers, including the rapper and producer Soopafly; Snoop and The Game were included in the suit for not intervening. The lawsuit focuses on a pecuniary claim of $22 million in punitive and compensatory damages, battery, negligence, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.^[106] The concerned parties appeared in court in April 2009.

On April 26, 2006, Snoop Dogg and members of his entourage were arrested after being turned away from British Airways' first class lounge at Heathrow Airport. Snoop and his party were not allowed to enter the lounge because some of the entourage were flying first class, other members in economy class. After the group was escorted outside, they vandalized a duty-free shop by throwing whiskey bottles. Seven police officers were injured in the midst of the disturbance. After a night in jail, Snoop and the other men were released on bail on April 27, but he was unable to perform at the Premier Foods People's Concert in Johannesburg on the same day. As part of his bail conditions, he had to return to the police station in May. The group has been banned by British Airways for "the foreseeable future."^[107][108] When Snoop Dogg appeared at a London police station on May 11, he was cautioned for affray under Section 4 of the Public Order Act for use of threatening words or behavior.^[109] On May 15, the Home Office decided that Snoop Dogg should be denied entry to the United Kingdom for the foreseeable future due to the incident at Heathrow as well as his previous convictions in the United States for drugs and firearms offenses.^[110][111] Snoop Dogg's visa card was rejected by local authorities on March 24, 2007 because of the Heathrow incident.^[112] A concert at London's Wembley Arena on March 27 went ahead with Diddy (with whom he toured Europe) and the rest of the show. However the decision affected four more British performances in Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow^[113] and Budapest (due to rescheduling).^[114] As of March 2010, Snoop Dogg has been allowed back into the UK.^[1]

On September 27, 2006, Snoop Dogg was detained at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California by airport security, after airport screeners found a collapsible police baton in Snoop's carry-on bag. The baton was confiscated but Snoop was allowed to board the flight. He has been charged with various weapons violations stemming from this incident. Donald Etra, Snoop's lawyer, told deputies the baton was a prop for a musical sketch. Snoop was sentenced to three years' probation and 160 hours of community service starting on September 20, 2007.^[115]

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on October 26, 2006 at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, California while parked in a passenger loading zone. Approached by airport security for a traffic infraction, he was found in possession of marijuana and a firearm, according to a police statement. He was transported to Burbank Police Department Jail, booked, and released on $35,000 bond. He faced firearm and drug possession charges on December 12 at Burbank Superior Court.^[116]

He was again arrested on November 29, 2006, after performing on The Tonight Show, for possession of marijuana and a firearm.^[117]

Snoop was arrested again on March 12, 2007 in Stockholm, Sweden after performing in a concert with P. Diddy in Stockholm's Globe Arena after he and a female companion reportedly "reeked" of marijuana. They were released four hours later after providing a urine sample. The results on urine determined whether charges would be pressed. However the rapper denied all charges.^[118][119]

On April 26, 2007, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship banned him from entering the country on character grounds, citing his prior criminal convictions. He had been scheduled to appear at the MTV Australia Video Music Awards on April 29, 2007.^[120] Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship lifted the ban in September 2008 and had granted him visa to tour Australia. DIAC said "In making this decision, the department weighed his criminal convictions against his previous behaviour while in Australia, recent conduct – including charity work – and any likely risk to the Australian community ... We took into account all relevant factors and, on balance, the department decided to grant the visa."^[121]

Snoop Dogg's many legal issues forced San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom to withdraw his plan to issue a proclamation to the rapper.^[122]

Snoop Dogg was banned from Parkpop, a festival in the Netherlands on June 27, 2010, where he was scheduled to perform. The mayor and law enforcement officials asked organizers of the festival to find an artist more “open and friendly” to play the event.^[123]

Snoop Dogg was arrested again on January 7, 2012 for possession of Marijuana charge after Border control agents discovered a small amount of marijuana on his tour bus. Snoop Dogg was stopped at the same Sierra Blanca, Texas, checkpoint where country singer Willie Nelson was arrested for marijuana possession in 2010. The agents conducted a routine inspection of his tour bus at the U.S.– Mexico border checkpoint, east of El Paso, Texas and thought they smelled marijuana. Snoop Dogg was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia, released and given a court date of Friday, January 20, 2012.^{[citation needed]}

Discography[link]

• Doggystyle (1993)
• Tha Doggfather (1996)
• Da Game Is to Be Sold, Not to Be Told (1998)
• No Limit Top Dogg (1999)
• Tha Last Meal (2000)
• Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss (2002)
• R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece (2004)
• Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (2006)
• Ego Trippin' (2008)
• Malice n Wonderland (2009)
• Doggumentary (2011)
• Reincarnated (2012)

Filmography[link]

• 1994: Murder Was the Case (Platinum)
• 1998: Caught Up
• 1998: Half Baked (cameo appearance)
• 1998: Da Game of Life
• 1998: Hot Boyz
• 1998: Ride
• 1999: Whiteboyz
• 1999: Urban Menace
• 2000: Tha Eastsidaz
• 2000: Up in Smoke Tour
• 2001: Baby Boy
• 2001: Training Day
• 2001: King of the Hill (voice)
• 2001: Bones
• 2001: The Wash
• 2003: Malibu's Most Wanted
• 2003: Old School
• 2004: Starsky & Hutch
• 2004: Soul Plane
• 2004: Volcano High
• 2005: Boss'n Up
• 2005: Racing Stripes (voice)
• 2006: The Tenants
• 2006: Weeds: Himself
• 2006: Hood of Horror
• 2007: Arthur and the Invisibles (voice)
• 2007: Monk
  • During the opening credits, he covered the title song by Randy Newman "It's a Jungle out There".
• 2007: The Boondocks
• 2008: Singh Is Kinng (as Himself)
• 2008: Snoop Dogg's Father Hood (as Himself)
• 2009: Futurama: Into the Wild Green Yonder (voice)
• 2009: Dogg After Dark: Himself
• 2009: Xavier: Renegade Angel (voice)
• 2009: Brüno (cameo appearance)
• 2009: Falling Up
• 2010: Down for Life
• 2010: One Life to Live as Calvin Broadus
• 2010: Straight Outta L.A. (as Himself)
• 2010: Freaknik: The Musical
• 2010: Malice n Wonderland as Malice
• 2010: Big Time Christmas as Himself
• 2011: 90210 (TV series) as Himself
• 2011: Roast of Donald Trump

Awards[link]

Snoop Dogg was also a judge for the 7th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.^[124]

Further reading[link]

	Book: Snoop Dogg
Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print.

• Snoop Dogg (1999). Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials, and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg. New York, N.Y., U.S.: William Morrow and Company. ISBN 0-688-17158-3 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Snoop Dogg

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Snoop Dogg

• Official website
• Snoop Dogg at Geffen Records
• Snoop Dogg at Allmusic
• Snoop Dogg at MTV
• Snoop Dogg discography at Discogs
• Snoop Dogg at the Internet Movie Database

{{Navbox musical artist | name = Tha Dogg Pound | title = Tha Dogg Pound | bodyclass = hlist | background = group_or_band | above =

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• Soopafly
• Bad Azz
• RBX
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• Lil' Half Dead
• Roscoe
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DJ Premier
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Edward Martin
Born	(1966-03-21) March 21, 1966 (age 46) Houston, Texas, United States
Origin	Houston, Texas, USA
Genres	Hip hop, East Coast Hip Hop
Occupations	Record producer, DJ
Instruments	Drum machine Keyboard Sampler Turntable
Years active	1984 – present
Labels	Wild Pitch/EMI (1987–1990) Chrysalis/EMI (1991–1998) Virgin/EMI (1998–2003) Year Round (2003–)
Associated acts	Gang Starr Foundation, M.O.P., Royce da 5'9", Christina Aguilera, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Nas, Kool G Rap, Blaq Poet, Apathy, Big L, Bun B, D.I.T.C., Game, Termanology, AZ, Buckshot LeFonque, Mobb Deep, Torae
Website	DJ Premier on Myspace

Christopher Edward Martin (born March 21, 1966),^[1] better known by his stage name DJ Premier (also known as Preem, Premo, or Primo for short), is an American record producer and DJ, and was the instrumental half of the hip hop duo Gang Starr, together with emcee Guru. Born in Houston and raised in Prairie View, Texas, he has lived in Brooklyn, New York, for much of his professional career. Rolling Stone identified Premier as arguably Hip-Hop's greatest producer of all time.^[2]

The Source named DJ Premier one of the five greatest producers in hip-hop history,^[3] while the editors of About.com ranked him #1 on their Top 50 Hip-Hop Producers list.^[4] He also made the "Finals" in the search for The Greatest Hip-Hop Producer of All Time by Vibe.^[5] He attended Prairie View A&M University.^[6]

Productions[link]

Premier is known for producing all of Gang Starr's songs as well as many of the Gang Starr Foundation's songs. His work also includes production for heavyweight rappers such as (alphabetic order) Apathy, Big L, Bun B, Canibus, D.I.T.C., Fat Joe, Game, Jay-Z, Kanye West, KRS-One, Lord Finesse, M.O.P., Mos Def, Nas, Rakim, Royce Da 5'9", The LOX, The Notorious B.I.G., Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, rock band Limp Bizkit, Big L, Big Daddy Kane, Ill Bill, Joell Ortiz, and pop/R&B singer Christina Aguilera, among many others.

Premier collaborated with MC Jeru the Damaja on the album The Sun Rises in the East, released in 1994, as well as the 1996 follow-up, Wrath of the Math.^[1] Also from the Gang Starr Foundation, Premier produced and supervised Group Home's Livin' Proof; although overlooked at the time of its 1995 release, the album has since come to find similar acclaim.^[1] Among others in that are closely tied to the Gang Starr Foundation who have worked with DJ Premier include Afu Ra, Bahamadia, Krumbsnatcha, Big Shug, Smiley the Ghetto Child, and NYGz. He recently produced the majority of Blaq Poet's Tha Blaqprint in 2009 and will produce the entirety of NYGz debut album.

Style and influences[link]

DJ Premier's style of production epitomizes the New York sound of his earlier peers. He is known for sampling jazz, funk, and soul artists, as well as sampling an artist's past work when creating a new track for that same artist. For example, on Jay-Z's "So Ghetto", from the 1999 album, Vol. 3… Life and Times of S. Carter, Premier samples an older Jay-Z song, 1997's "Who You Wit II".^[7] In addition, his encyclopedic memory of hip-hop lyrics allows him to distinctively speak with his hands by scratching in lyrics from several different songs to construct new phrases.^[8] Premier's beats are known for his oft-imitated combinations of short vocal samples, often from multiple artists, to create a chorus. Premier has also experimented with atonal samples that are not confined to soul, jazz, and funk. For example, he sampled chopped up seminal electro-acoustic music from the 1960s on the track “Mental Stamina” by Jeru the Damaja.

In an interview with XXL Magazine, DJ Premier was asked how his sound evolved, to which he replied, "Marley Marl is my number one inspiration. Jam Master Jay, Mixmaster Ice and UTFO. Grandmaster D and Whodini. DJ Cheese, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa. Jazzy Jay, even Cut Creator. Seeing them do what they do. It’s black music, it’s black culture, it comes from the ghetto. How can you not relate to ghetto people when that’s the rawest form of blackness? Even though it’s not a good place in regards to the economy and how bad people have it in the neighborhood, the realism’s there, and that’s what we were born out of. So I very much pay respect by doing the same type of music in return." DJ Premier attended Prairie View A & M University and may have been influenced by the musical atmosphere at the university.^[9]

Relationships with artists[link]

The early line-up of the Gang Starr Foundation in the mid-1990s included Jeru The Damaja, Group Home, Big Shug, and Gang Starr. DJ Premier was fully responsible for the production of Jeru the Damaja's first two albums, The Sun Rises in the East and Wrath of the Math. Jeru released three albums since then, with Premier having nothing to do with any of them.^[1]

As far as Group Home was concerned, Premier commented, "They don't respect what fed them," in a 2003 interview, going on to say that the only reason he produced a track on their second album was because Guru said he would rhyme on it.^[10]

Besides the Gang Starr Foundation, Premier is closely affiliated with M.O.P., which he names as one of his all-time favorite groups. The relationship started with the remix of “Rugged, Neva Smoove” in 1994, a single from the group's first album, which also included the exclusive B-side “Downtown Swinga.” From then, Premier produced about one-third of the songs on each subsequent album and overseeing and mixing the projects. On M.O.P.'s 2009 Foundation album, however, DJ Premier provided only one track, which was called "What I Wanna B."

Recent and future projects[link]

DJ Premier has his own record company named Year Round Records. Among its artists are New York group NYGz, New Jersey rapper Nick Javas, and Houston rapper Khaleel. Tha Blaqprint by Blaq Poet, which has thirteen Premier productions, was released by Year Round Records through Fat Beats Records. On December 7, Premier's label Year Round Records released a digital compilation album titled Get Used to Us. At the moment Year Round plans to release a debut album fully produced by DJ Premier with the NYGz tenatively called Hustla's Union: Local NYG along with a Nick Javas debut album named Destination Unknown. Khaleel, another label-mate of Year Round Records, is planned to release a debut album titled Already!.

DJ Premier hosts a weekly 2 hour show Live From HeadQCourterz on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Hip-Hop Nation on Fridays.

DJ Premier was one of the artists followed in the 2012 documentary Re:GENERATION music project. The film followed his production of the song Regeneration using live performance of his work by the Berklee Symphony Orchestra [1]

In a recent interview, DJ Premier said he will produce a beat for Immortal Technique's upcoming album, titled The Middle Passage. He contributed a song on Game's last album The R.E.D. Album called "Born in the Trap." and a song on Bushido's last album Jenseits von Gut und Böse.^[6] In an interview in 2012, DJ Premier confirmed on Shade45 that he is working with Eminem on his upcoming album.

Discography[link]

• The Sun Rises in the East (with Jeru The Damaja) (1994)
• Livin' Proof (with Group Home) (1995)
• Wrath of the Math (with Jeru The Damaja) (1996)
• Beats That Collected Dust (2008)
• Tha Blaqprint (with Blaq Poet) (2009)
• DJ Premier Presents Get Used To Us (2010)
• Beats That Collected Dust Vol. 2 (2011)
• Premo Pimpin' EP (with Wais P) (2011)
• StOoDiOtYmE EP (with Bumpy Knuckles) (2012)
• The Kolexxxion (with Bumpy Knuckles) (2012)
• TBA (with Nas)
• TBA (with M.O.P.)
• Pete Rock v.s. Premier (with Pete Rock)
• Return Of The Boom Bip (with KRS-ONE)

References[link]

External links[link]

• DJ Premier on Twitter
• DJ Premier at Allmusic
• DJ Premier discography at Discogs
• Fansite/newsite about DJ Premier

Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975^[1]), better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A..

Jones was born and raised in Brooklyn, living much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. As a teenager, Kim would rap for fun, being heavily influenced by other female MCs like MC Lyte and Lady of Rage. When word got to The Notorious B.I.G. that she could rhyme, he made Jones perform a freestyle for him on the spot. Impressed with her, he took her in and she began her music career in 1995 with the group Junior M.A.F.I.A., whose debut album Conspiracy generated three hit singles. In late 1996, her solo debut album Hard Core was released. Hard Core was certified double platinum and spawned three consecutive #1 rap hits that included: "No Time" "Not Tonight (Ladies Night remix)" and "Crush on You", a record for a female rapper. Her following albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003), both were certified platinum by the RIAA, making Kim the only female rapper besides Missy Elliott to have at least 3 platinum albums so far. Kim solidified her star power in 2001, when "Lady Marmalade", a song Kim was featured on, went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. That made her the second female rapper to earn a #1 on that chart.

In 2005, she served a year long prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends' involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album The Naked Truth was released. Lil' Kim returned to the public spotlight in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars.

Early life[link]

Jones was born in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of the New York City borough Brooklyn to parents Linwood Jones and Ruby Mae.^[2] At the age of 9, her parents separated, and her father raised her until he expelled her from home when she was a teenager. Thus, she lived with her friends and even on the streets. While struggling through her personal life, Kim met The Notorious B.I.G., who was a key figure in both her personal and artistic life, particularly when Wallace had gained popularity and influence through his relationship with Bad Boy Records.^[3] As a teenager, Jones attended Brooklyn College Academy, the same school were fellow rappers Nas and Foxy Brown attended. She dropped out of high school as a teenager, and worked as a cashier for department store Bloomingdale's for a short period of time.

Music career[link]

Early career with Junior M.A.F.I.A.[link]

In 1994, B.I.G. was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn based group, Junior M.A.F.I.A., which included Lil' Kim. The group's first and only album was titled Conspiracy.^[3] Three hit singles came from Conspiracy: "Player's Anthem" (peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and #2 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart), "I Need You Tonight" (#43 R&B, #12 Rap), and "Get Money" (#17 on the Billboard Hot 100, #4 R&B, #2 Rap).^[4] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified Conspiracy Gold on December 6, 1995, marking sales of 500,000 units. "Player's Anthem" was Gold, and "Get Money" went Platinum (sales of a million units).^[5]

[edit] Hard Core (1996)

After a year with Junior M.A.F.I.A., Jones began a solo career by making guest performances on R&B albums and recording her debut album, Hard Core, which was released in November 1996. The album peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200 and #3 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.^[6] Hard Core was RIAA-certified double platinum on March 14, 2001 after having been certified Gold on January 6, 1997 and Platinum on June 3, 1997.^[7] The album's lead single "No Time", a duet with Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs (who would later change his stage name to "P. Diddy" and then "Diddy"), reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart^[3] and was certified Gold by the RIAA.^[5] The following single, "Crush on You", reached #6 on the Hot 100 and #2 on the rap chart.^[8] A remix of the album's track "Not Tonight" saw Lil' Kim team up with Missy Elliott, Angie Martinez, Da Brat and Left Eye of TLC. The song was part of the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence movie Nothing To Lose, nominated for a Grammy Award, and certified Platinum.^[5] In one stockholders' meeting of Warner Bros. Records, activist C. Delores Tucker criticized the label "for producing this filth," referring to perceived graphic sexual content in Kim's lyrics, and labeling them "gangsta porno rap".^[9]

[edit] The Notorious K.I.M. (2000-2002)

From 1998 to 2000, Kim continued her road to stardom under the management of B.I.G.'s best friend, Damion "D-Roc" Butler's "Roc Management", touring and modeling for various fashion and pop culture companies including Candies, Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat. In 1998, she performed in P. Diddy's "No Way Out" tour.^[10] In the same year, she launched her own label Queen Bee Entertainment and even though she had not had an album of her own released, she was seen on dozens of remixes and guest appearances on other artist's records. On June 27, 2000, Kim released her second album The Notorious K.I.M. The album marked a new image and revamped look for the rapper. Despite the limited success of its singles, the album reached #4 on the Billboard 200, and #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It was certified platinum by the RIAA.^[5] It was on this LP that the well-known hip-hop feud between Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown blossmed.

In 2001, Lil' Kim teamed up with Christina Aguilera, Pink, and Mýa to remake "Lady Marmalade", which was originally written about a bordello in New Orleans and performed by the group Labelle (which included diva Patti LaBelle) 25 years earlier. The song was recorded for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack, released in April 2001, and stayed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks. The song also went to #1 in 50 countries around the world. This was a big accomplishment for female rap, as well as for Kim, who scored her first #1 Hot 100 hit and became the first female rapper in history to hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. "Lady Marmalade" also garnered Kim her first Grammy Award.

Lil' Kim also performed in two international hit singles. "In the Air Tonite", a remix of the Phil Collins song "In the Air Tonight" and duet with Collins, was released as a single from the Collins tribute album Urban Renewal. "Kimnotyze" is the lead single of record producer DJ Tomekk's compilation album Beat Of Life, Vol 1. It was released in Switzerland, Austria and Germany only. The song was successful, becoming Lil' Kim's third consecutive Top 10 hit in Germany after her number 5 hit "Lady Marmalade".

In 2002, Lil' Kim recorded a new entrance theme for then World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Women's Champion Trish Stratus entitled, "Time to Rock 'n Roll", which was used during broadcasts, until Stratus' retirement. The single was released on WWE Anthology, a compilation of entrance theme music to various professional wrestling superstars.

[edit] La Bella Mafia (2003)

On March 4, 2003, Kim released her third critically acclaimed album, La Bella Mafia. Highly rated (4.5 mics) by music magazine The Source, La Bella Mafia spawned the hit "The Jump Off" featuring Mr. Cheeks, which climbed to number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. The single "Magic Stick", feat. 50 Cent, hit #2 on the Hot 100 without a video ever being shot.

La Bella Mafia debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200. Kim was nominated for five Source Awards and won two ("Female Hip-Hop Artist of the Year", and "Female Single of the Year"). This album also got two Grammy Award nominations: Best Female Rap Solo Performance ("Came Back For You") and Best Rap Collaboration ("Magic Stick"). She was also nominated for Best Pop Collaboration with singer Christina Aguilera for the song "Can't Hold Us Down", from Aguilera's album Stripped.

Greg Thomas, an English professor at Syracuse University, began teaching "Hip-Hop Eshu: Queen B@#$H Lyricism 101". Kim herself was a guest speaker at the school. Professor Thomas considered Kim's lyrics "the art with the most profound sexual politics I've ever seen anywhere."^[11] David Horowitz criticized the course as "academic degeneracy and decline".^[12] Lil' Kim also made an appearance on the multi-platform videogame Def Jam: Fight for NY. Kim provided voice-overs for her part in the storyline, where the player may fight an opponent to have Lil' Kim as his girlfriend.^[13]

[edit] The Naked Truth (2005-2008)

Kim released a fourth album, The Naked Truth, on September 27, 2005, while serving a federal prison sentence (see below). It earned her a 5 mic rating from The Source, making her the only female rapper to ever receive a 5 mic rating. The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200 charts, giving Kim her Third Top 10 debut on the charts. The Naked Truth did not sell as well as her previous works, selling less than 400,000 copies. Kim has said that her prison sentence left her with no time to promote the project. There have been many rumors about a re-release of Truth but to no avail.The music video for The Naked Truth's first single, "Lighters Up" was number one on BET's 106 & Park for two weeks. "Lighters Up", was a Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart. The single also reached #67 on the German Single Chart, #12 on the UK Top 75 and #4 on the Finland Single Chart. The second single, "Whoa" was released on February 17, 2006. It reached No. 22 on Airplay. The Dance Remixes extended play was also released in 2005. Kim also made appearances on the show Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll and Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious in 2007 and 2008. Ms. G.O.A.T., an acronym for "Greatest Of All Time",^[14][15] is the debut mixtape by Lil' Kim. It was officially released on June 3, 2008^[16] and was produced by Mister Cee and DJ Whoo Kid, DJ's from New York City.^[17] Among critics, the album has received generally positive reviews.^[18][19][20] It has been called a representation of Lil' Kim's return to the streets.^[21] Tito Salinas of All Hip Hop says "Lil’ Kim shows that her time behind bars did not rust all of her swag away" on Ms. G.O.A.T.^[19] On the other hand, Ehren Gresehover of New York Mag says that although one of the tracks "The Miseducation of Lil' Kim" is not bad, he wished that it was Lauryn Hill who was making a comeback instead.^[22]

[edit] 5th Studio Album (2009-present)

On March 10, 2009, the song "Girls" by the Korean singer, Seven featuring Lil' Kim was released through digital stores for his U.S. debut single. Kim appeared in the music video that was released on the same day. "Girls" was produced by Darkchild. On March 24, 2009, Kim released the song "Download" featuring R&B singers T-Pain and Charlie Wilson. It was written by Lil Kim and T-Pain and produced by Trackmasters. The song samples "Computer Love" by Zapp. Peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. It eventually made it to the top 10 US Urban Radio airplay and the top 30 UK Single Charts at #22.

Kim confirmed in January, 2011 that she would be releasing her next album which is currently untitled in 2012.^[23] She is expected to make a guest appearance on a track from 50 Cent's upcoming studio album as well as Dr. Dre's 2011 album Detox and Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' album Still Cool.^[24]

Kim released a mixtape titled Black Friday on February 14, 2011. In a recent radio interview at 99 Jamz, Kim stated that her upcoming book, "The Price of Loyalty", is on hold to coincide with the release of her fifth studio album, to be release in the next coming months.^[25][26]

On June 19, Kim preformed along side G-Unit member Shawty Lo and hinted a possible working relationship with G-Unit Records. Kim is also featured along with Rick Ross on a track titled "Anything (To Find You)", by R&B singer Monica, off her upcoming album "New Life", but her verse was removed due to contractual issues. On November 28, 2011 Lil' Kim released a new buzz single called "I Am Not the One" which is available on iTunes. She has announced that she will be releasing an EP, but later on it was shelved. ^[27]

On Valentine's Day, 2012, Kim released the song "If You Love Me" as a gift to her fans. That same month it was announced she would make her return to the stage on BET's 'Rip the Runway.'^[28] It marked the her first televised performance in years. In March, 2012, during an interview with MTV's Sucker Free, Kim revealed that contract issues with production duo Trackmasters were the reason behind her album delay, saying "...contractually, by the courts, I could not record any music - I wasn’t supposed to put any music out.” ^[29]

Lil' Kim In October 2011

On March 23, 2012, the song "Keys To The City", a collaboration with Young Jeezy, was leaked to the internet. Release date of the song as a single has not been decided yet.

Other ventures[link]

Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown[link]

On March 9, 2006, BET premiered the show Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown, which was filmed before Kim headed to prison. The show became the highest rated premiere in BET history, with 1.7 million viewers. In May 2006, Debbie Harry released a Lil' Kim tribute song called "Dirty and Deep" in protest of her conviction. The song is available free from the Deborah Harry Home Page.

Dancing With the Stars[link]

Lil' Kim appeared on the eighth season reality show Dancing with the Stars, which began airing on March 9, 2009. She was paired with professional dancer Derek Hough until the dance couple was eliminated on May 5, 2009,^[30] putting her at fifth place from all thirteen contestants that season. During the second week of the season, judge Len Goodman said that she "must have a bionic booty," a nickname that resulted from her performance of the selected dance that evening.

Legal issues[link]

On March 17, 2005, Kim was convicted of three counts of conspiracy and one count of perjury for lying to a Federal grand jury about her and her friends' involvement in a 2001 shooting outside the Hot 97 studios in Manhattan.^[31] During the trial of her co-manager, Damion "D-Roc" Butler, and her bodyguard, Suif "Gutta" Jackson, a former member of the hip-hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A, she testified not to have known they were at the scene.^[32] However, video footage from a security camera placed all three at the scene, exiting the building. This directly contravened testimony before the grand jury.^[33] Butler and Jackson have since pled guilty to gun charges. Jackson was sentenced, in U.S. District Court, to twelve years in federal prison as part of plea bargain in which he admitted to firing at least twenty rounds during the incident. The length of the sentence was said to have been influenced by his previous gun-related convictions.^[32] In July 2005, Kim was sentenced to a one year and a day in prison, thirty days home detention upon release from custody, and three years of probation. She served the entirety of her sentence at the Federal Detention Center, Philadelphia in Center City, Philadelphia. She was released on July 3, 2006, after serving approximately 12 months.^[33] Kim, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Register #56198-054, was released from BOP supervision on August 2, 2006.^[34][35]

Discography[link]

• Hard Core (1996)
• The Notorious K.I.M. (2000)
• La Bella Mafia (2003)
• The Naked Truth (2005)
• TBA (2012)

Tours[link]

Headlining 2012: Return Of The Queen Tour Filmography[link] Films Year Film Role 1997 Gangstresses Herself 1999 She's All That Alex 2000 Longshot (film) Herself 2001 Zoolander Herself 2002 Juwanna Mann Tina Parker 2003 Those Who Walk in Darkness Soledad Gang of Roses Chastity 2004 Nora's Hair Salon Herself You Got Served Herself 2005 Lil' Pimp Sweet Chiffon (voice) There's a God on the Mic Herself 2008 Superhero Movie Xavier's daughter Television V.I.P. (as freedom fighter) (1999) DAG (as Gina Marie) (2001) Moesha (as Diamond) (2001) The Parkers (as herself) (2001) American Dreams as Shirley Ellis (October 12, 2003) Lil Kim: Countdown to Lockdown (2006) The Game (as herself) (2007) Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll (2007) Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious (2008) Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 8) (2009) Awards[link] This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (June 2011) Grammy Awards 1997: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Ladies Night (Not Tonight remix)" (with Missy Elliott, Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes, Da Brat, and Angie Martinez) (nominated) 2002: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Lady Marmalade" (WINNER) 2003: Best Female Rap Solo Performance for "Came Back for You" (nominated) 2003: Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Can't Hold Us Down" (with Christina Aguilera) (nominated) 2003: Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Magic Stick" (with 50 Cent) (nominated) 2008: Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Let It Go" (with Keyshia Cole & Missy Elliott) (nominated) MTV Video Music Awards 1998: Viewer's Choice for "All About The Benjamins" (with P. Diddy and others) 2001: Video of the Year for "Lady Marmalade" 2001: Best Video from a Film for "Lady Marmalade" My VH1 Awards 2001: Favorite Video ("Lady Marmalade") 2001: Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Just My Video? ("Lady Marmalade") Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards 1997: Best Video by a Female - Rap/R&B ("Crush On You") 1999: Best Video by a Female - Rap/R&B ("Not Tonight (remix)") Source Awards 2003: Female Artist of the Year 2003: Female Single of the Year "The Jumpoff" Teen Choice Awards 2001: Choice Song of the Summer ("Lady Marmalade") MOBO Awards 2003: Most Stylish Artist of the Year Radio Music Awards 2001: Song of the Year Top 40 Pop Radio-"Lady Marmalade" TMF Awards-Belgium 2001: Video of The Year-"Lady Marmalade" TMF Awards-Netherlands 2001: Video of The Year-"Lady Marmalade" ALMA Awards 2002: Outstanding Song- Motion Picture Soundtrack "Lady Marmalade" ASCAP Music Awards 2002: Song of the Year-"Lady Marmalade" MTV Japan Awards 2002: Best Choreography "Lady Marmalade" MVPA Video Awards 2002: Best Styling In A Video-"Lady Marmalade" VIBE Awards 2005: Album of the Year The Naked Truth (nominated) BET Awards 2006: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated) 2008: Best Song "Let It Go" (nominated) 2010: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated) American Music Awards 2003: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist 2005: Best Female Hip-Hop Artist (nominated) References[link] ^ a b Federal Bureau of Prisons ^ "The Lil Kim Picture Pages". Superiorpics.com. http://www.superiorpics.com/lil_kim/. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ a b c Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2008). "Lil' Kim > Biography". http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p198619/biography. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Junior M.A.F.I.A. > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p165563/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ a b c d "Gold and Platinum - Junior M.A.F.I.A.". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Junior%20M.A.F.I.A&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Lil' Kim > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p198619/charts-awards. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Gold & Platinum (Lil' Kim)". RIAA. http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Lil%20Kim&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2009&sort=CertificationDate&perPage=25. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Lil' Kim > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p198619/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Li'l Kim Comes Under Fire From Political Activist". MTV News. 1997-05-19. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1431197/19970519/lil_kim.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ "Puffy, Dru Hill, Mase, Busta, Lil' Kim To Hit The Road". MTV News. 1998-02-06. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1426803/19980206/rhymes_busta.jhtml. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ Wolf, Buck (2004-11-09). ["Hip-Hop Eshu: Queen B@#$H 101 -- The Life and Times of Lil' Kim" "Queen B 101: College Lessons in Stardom"]. ABC News. "Hip-Hop Eshu: Queen B@#$H 101 -- The Life and Times of Lil' Kim". Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ Horowitz, David (2006). The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. p. 333. ISBN 978-0-89526-003-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=CYqZjtVp00AC.  ^ "Def Jam: Fight for NY - Cheats". GameFAQs. GameSpot. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console//code/920170.html. Retrieved 2009-03-30.  ^ Megaproml, p. 104. ^ missxpose (4 December 2007). "MS. G.O.A.T.". MissXpose: Celebrity Gossip and Entertainment News. http://www.missxpose.com/2007/12/ms-goat/. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ "Ms. G.O.A.T.". All Music Guide. http://www.allmusic.com/album/ms-goat-r1334720. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ Janson, Jesse (23 December 2007). "Dj Whoo Kid & Mister Cee – Lil Kim "Ms. G.O.A.T.". Get Right Music. http://www.getrightmusic.com/2007/12/23/dj-whoo-kid-mister-cee-lil-kim-ms-goat-2/. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ "Lil Kim - Ms. G.O.A.T". DatPiff.com. 23 December 2007. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080405123128/http://www.datpiff.com/Lil-Kim-DJ-Whoo-Kid-Mister-Cee-Ms-GOAT-mid9559.html. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ a b Salinas, Tito (14 January 2008). "Lil' Kim: Ms. G.O.A.T. (Mixtape)". All Hip Hop. http://allhiphop.com/stories/reviews/archive/2008/01/14/19133653.aspx. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ "Lil’ Kim – Ms. G.O.A.T. Mixtape". Hip Hop Music. 27 December 2007. http://www.hiphopmusicdotcom.com/lil-kim-ms-goat-mixtape.html. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ "Ms. G.O.A.T. | Lil' Kim with Mister Cee & Whoo Kid". Mix Unit: The Hip Hop Shop. http://www.mixunit.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=10341. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ Gresehover, Ehren (17 December 2007). "2. Lil' Kim, "The Miseducation of Lil' Kim"". New York Mag. http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2007/12/rem_wish_you_a_merry_xmas.html. Retrieved 12 September 2010.  ^ "LiL KIm Interveiw (pt.2) NEW YEARS 2011 GME". YouTube. 2011-01-03. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_REPYaKrrko. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ "50 Cent Says He’s ‘Working With Eminem’ On Upcoming Black Magic LP". Rapfix.mtv.com. 2011-01-24. http://rapfix.mtv.com/2011/01/24/50-cent-eminem-black-magic-lil-kim-working/. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ "Lil Kim 99 Jamz Interview". YouTube. 2011-04-23. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RfoRlATGiGQ#at=322. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ singlecoversFM (2012-02-24). "Daily Music Juice: Lil' Kim To Hold Debut Single Off New Album". Dailymusicjuice.blogspot.com. http://dailymusicjuice.blogspot.com/2012/02/lil-kim-to-hold-debut-single-off-new.html#more. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ » by Danielle Canada November 27, 2011, 10:04am (2011-11-27). "Lil Kim Releasing Five-Track EP". Hip-Hop Wired. http://hiphopwired.com/2011/11/27/lil-kim-releasing-five-track-ep/. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ Khalila Douze (2012-02-24). "Exclusive: Estelle, Lil Kim to Perform on BET's 'Rip the Runway'". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/column/the-juice/exclusive-estelle-lil-kim-to-perform-on-1006276552.story#/column/the-juice/exclusive-estelle-lil-kim-to-perform-on-1006276552.story. Retrieved 2012-03-29.  ^ Nadeska Alexis (2012-03-22). "Lil Kim Attributes Album Delay To Contract Issues". RapFix. http://rapfix.mtv.com/2012/03/22/lil-kim-album-delay-contract-issues/. Retrieved 2012-03-29.  ^ "Television News, Reviews and TV Show Recaps - HuffPost TV". Television.aol.com. http://television.aol.com/dancing-with-the-stars/tag/lil+kim/. Retrieved 2012-03-09.  ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (March 17, 2005). "Lil' Kim Found Guilty Of Lying To Grand Jury, Investigators". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1498251/20050317/lil_kim.jhtml. Retrieved April 13, 2010.  ^ a b Rashbaum, Alyssa (September 23, 2004). "Lil' Kim's Bodyguard Sentenced To 12 Years For His Role In Shootout". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1491311/20040923/lil_kim.jhtml. Retrieved March 17, 2009.  ^ a b Moss, Corey (July 3, 2006). "Lil' Kim Released From Prison". MTV News. http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1535483/20060629/lil_kim.jhtml. Retrieved March 17, 2009.  ^ "Lil' Kim leaves prison, steps into Rolls." Philadelphia Inquirer. July 3, 2006. Retrieved on January 6, 2010. ^ "Kimberly Jones (56198-054)." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on January 6, 2010. External links[link] Official website Lil' Kim at the Internet Movie Database v t e Lil' Kim Discography Awards and nominations Studio albums and singles Hard Core "No Time" "Crush on You" "Not Tonight" "Queen Bitch" The Notorious K.I.M. "No Matter What They Say" "How Many Licks?" La Bella Mafia "The Jump Off" "Magic Stick" "Thug Luv" The Naked Truth "Lighters Up" "Whoa" Mixtapes Ms. G.O.A.T. Black Friday Soundtrack and Promotional "Lady Marmalade" "In the Air Tonite" "Kimnotyze" "Download" Featured singles "I Can Love You" "It's All About the Benjamins" "Money, Power & Respect" "Hit Em wit da Hee" "Notorious B.I.G." "Wait a Minute" "Get Down on It" "Can't Hold Us Down" "Let It Go" Film work She's All That Those Who Walk in Darkness Gang of Roses You Got Served Lil' Kim: Countdown to Lockdown Related articles Junior M.A.F.I.A. The Notorious B.I.G. Puff Daddy Mary J. Blige v t e Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 8) Shawn Johnson Gilles Marini Melissa Rycroft Ty Murray Lil' Kim Chuck Wicks Lawrence Taylor Steve-O David Alan Grier Steve Wozniak Holly Madison Denise Richards Belinda Carlisle Persondata Name Jones, Kimberly Denise Alternative names Lil' Kim Short description Rapper, actress, model Date of birth 1974-07-11 Place of birth Brooklyn, New York, U.S. Date of death Place of death