In 2017, Jones admitted her relationship with Wallace was "very violent" after Jermaine Dupri claimed that he witnessed Wallace pull a pistol out on Jones. In a 2010 interview with Ed Lover on Power 105, Jones revealed that Wallace assaulted her and she described an incident where he choked her until she passed out. "I already knew the kind of relationship that Biggie and I had, and I knew that was something that couldn't take place." Wallace called Jones three days before his death and told her he loved her. Jones decided to terminate the pregnancy. Jones did not make it public until 1999 during an interview with The Source. In 1996, during the recording of her debut album, Jones became pregnant with Wallace's child. With Jones focusing on starting her rap career, the engagement to Powell was eventually called off and the couple split. During this time, Jones met Christopher Wallace. The couple became engaged while he was incarcerated. Jones and Powell continued their relationship with Jones visiting frequently and kept in touch by writing letters to each other. After a couple of months of seeing each other, Powell was arrested for robbery and was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. The pair met at the Empire Roller Skating rink in Brooklyn. From 1998 to 2000, Lil' Kim continued working 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 Candie's, Versace, Iceberg, and Baby Phat. That same year, she launched her own label Queen Bee Entertainment. The tour continued through to 1998 and became one of the highest grossing hip-hop tours of all time, grossing an estimated $16 million. In 1997, Lil' Kim promoted Hard Core by performing on P. Delores Tucker criticized the label "for producing this filth", referring to perceived graphic sexual content in Lil' Kim's lyrics, and labeling them "gangsta porno rap". In one stockholders' meeting of Warner Bros.
LIL KIM LIGHTERS UP INSTRUMENTAL MOVIE
The song was part of the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence movie Nothing to Lose, nominated for a Grammy Award, and certified platinum. 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 with the song peaking at 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following single was "Crush on You", a remixed version of the track that appeared on Hard Core. The album's lead single "No Time", a duet with Combs, reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot Rap Tracks chart and was certified gold by the RIAA.
Hard Core was certified double platinum by the RIAA on Maafter having been certified gold on Januand platinum on June 3, 1997. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, the highest debut for a female rap album at that time, and number 3 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, selling 78,000 copies in its first week of release and has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. They first attempted a reconciliation in 1998 after Lil' Kim called Brown and her mother after the two were held at gunpoint during a house burglary.Īfter a year with Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil' Kim began her solo career by making guest performances on R&B albums and recording her debut album, Hard Core, which was released in November 1996. Brown noted that the breakdown of their relationship was influenced by their conflicting entourages. In 1997, the feud led to the deterioration of their friendship, and also resulted in the cancellation of a collaborative album Thelma & Louise. Media outlets additionally noted similarities between the sleeve covers of Lil' Kim' Hard Core and Brown's Ill Na Na, where the two were shown wearing the same outfit. However, their first dispute developed after both of their debut studio albums were scheduled for release a week apart in November 1996.
The following year, they were featured in the Hot 97 NY Fashion Show, and additionally appeared on the covers of The Source and Vibe. In 1995, they collaborated with Da Brat for the remix of "No One Else" by Total. Once high school friends, Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown originally remained close despite becoming associates of clashing hip hop groups Junior M.A.F.I.A.