Lil' Kim - Hard Core
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Free Music Notes for Hard Core
Free Music Review: BIG RED
Hit: 3 Stars
THIS ALBUM IS GREAT! I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THE SONG 'CRUSH ON YOU'. THIS IS MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE WHOLE ALBUM!!! THE ONLY THING IS THAT THERE AINT NO KIM ON DA SONG!!!! WHATS UP WITH THAT??!! BUT OVERALL, THE ALBUM IS COMPLETE.Free Music Review: Hard Core by Lil Kim (*Back in the Day Series*)
Hit: 3 Stars
It all started back in 1995. The Notorious B.I.G. has just went triple platinum with his classic debut album Ready to Die. He kept his promise to his hometown friends, a group of 8 emcees from Brooklyn, New York called the Junior M.A.F.I.A. After getting them signed, recorded and distributed, the group produced two top ten rap singles, and their debut album Conspiracy went gold. The group's sole female member, Lil Kim, stole the show on the group's debut album, and no longer could she be held down. After collaborating with producers like Lance 'Un' Rivera, Sean 'Puffy' Combs & Jermaine Durpi, the outcome became one of the most influential female rap albums of all time.Starting it all off with the triple X-rated intro "In a Minor", you can tell that this album was going to be a fest. However, the album wasn't all about jaw-dropping lyrics & sales based on shock value, the album was actually bangin'. Jay-Z & Lil Cease showed up on "Big Momma Thang" & Puff Daddy guests on "No Time", the album's first single & Kim's first solo #1 single. From there the good tunes continue, such as "Spend a Little Doe", "Drugs" (Featuring The Notorious B.I.G.), "Queen B***h", "Dreams" & "Not Tonight". Kim's flow is hypnotic and the choice of beats to match the lyrical content were very wise.
However, the album isn't exactly flawless. She relies heavily on B.I.G. on this album, which is why his death was probably the best thing for her career. On top of this, Kim doesn't appear on 4 songs on her own debut. She isn't even on the album version of her second #1 single "Crush On You", instead the track is performed by Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil Cease & The Notorious B.I.G. She also floods the album with wack interludes such as "Intro", "Player Haters" & "Sceamin". At times the album seems like an extension of the Junior M.A.F.I.A. LP. Members of the M.A.F.I.A. guest on 5 of the 15 songs, and then of course there is the annoying chants of "JM Ya'll" on "Not Tonight" & the weak dedication to her team, "M.A.F.I.A. Land".
This album while not ground breaking, was a very influential release because no longer did women have to spit dressed in baggy clothes and looking like guys. Kim & fellow pot Foxy Brown made it ok to rap in dresses, short skirts & cute outfits, along with their hair done, diamonds & stelleto heels. They made it Ok for women to rap about what was really on their minds, all while pushing the boundries to the very limit. Had it not been for these two women, we would still be seeing women dressed in baggy jeans & over-sized sweat shirts rappin' about nothing, which was the case of women like Salt-N-Pepa & MC Lyte. Had it not been for their ability to record a hot dance track & a flow to get the party started, they wouldn't even be remembered.
Free Music Review: She Really Is Hard Core!
Hit: 5 Stars
I actually bought one of Lil'Kims cd Notorious Kim, but it was clean and I really liked that cd. So i got a hold of a copy of the unclean version and loved it more. Well anyway I decided to take a look at her first album Hard Core. I bought it right off the bat when i heard 2: Big Momma Thang. Then I bought it also because of the two other great singles 3: No Time and 6: Crush On You, track 7: Drugs is off the hook too. She takes what sounds like an old commercial sound and adds beats to it. This cd is awesome no one can top this cd. Go out and buy it before it's sold out. It was hard for me to get a hold of a copy and buy it!Free Music Review: Lil Kim's ..15 minutes of Fame
Hit: 4 Stars
LiL Kim's debut album "Hard Core" was solid. The beats and lyrics were hot. Of course Biggie produced and wrote most of the album but yo...she sounded good over the production. Lil mama can flow without a doubt...Free Music Review: One of the top modern female rappers
Hit: 3 Stars
Alright, so Lil' Kim is not about uplifting females or strong social messages. She's all about money, men, and the things you can do with both of those. But so what? She's also got the backing of Un Riviera and Biggie (RIP). And let's not forget a production roster that included Puffy's Hitmen in their prime, Minnasotta and Jermaine Dupri.The opener, "Big Momma Thang," is a nice pairing of Kim with Jay-Z, who spits a good-but-forgettable verse about money and (...). The first single, "No Time," is a typical Bad Boy song.
The highlights come from songs that have a little rougher edge. Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick execute a hard-hitting beat and a simply piano loop for "Queen (...)," and "Crush on You" is a funny, danceable bouncer.
"Dreams" is Kim's answer to a rare Biggie b-side, where he fantasizes about "dreams of (...)an R&B (...)." Here, Kim has her own "dreams of (...)an R&B (...)." It's just as funny, and the beat is a headnodder.
Other highlights include "We Don't Need It," perhaps the most obscene song on the album, and that is saying a lot, especially since the Jermaine Dupri-engineered "Not Tonight" is all about (...).
There are a few generic moments sprinkled throughout, but in general, "Hard Core" is a good debut by a good female rapper, who is occasionally outshined by her production team.