Producers include: Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., Ski, The Notorious B.I.G., Cornbread, Stretch Armstrong, Prestige, Jermaine Dupri.

Engineers include: Kenny Ortiz, Jermaine Dupri, Tony Black, Phil Tan.

Principally recorded at The Hit Factory, New York, New York.

"Not Tonight" was nominated for a 1998 Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group.

Personnel: Adilah, The Notorious B.I.G. (vocals).

Audio Mixers: Richard Travali; Axel Niehaus; Tony Smalios; Tony Black.

Photographer: Michael Lavine.

Lil' Kim certainly lives up to her provocative billing on Hard Core. Just a notch or two below other mid-'90s East Coast hardcore rap classics like the Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Hard Core emulates much of the gangsta attitude that had characterized the West Coast rap of the time yet retains an East Coast production style that is built upon sampling rather than G-funk. There's plenty of substance here as well as style, though the Queen Bitch herself gives it to you raw and salaciously like you'd expect, yet also quite wittily and nimbly. It's her wit and nimbleness that truly set her apart from her peers, as few and far between as they may be. After all, there's no shortage of porno rap out there, but few of the niche style's practitioners can earn your respect while still tickling your fancy. Kim is one of those very few, and she showcases her talents throughout Hard Core, beginning with "Big Momma Thang," her album-opening duet with Jigga. Elsewhere, she flosses with Puff Daddy on "No Time" ("Yeah, I Momma, Miss Ivana/Usually rock the Prada, sometimes Gabbana/Stick you for your cream and your riches/Zsa Zsa Gabor, Demi Moore, Prince Diane, and all them rich bitches"); imposes her gangstressness Biggie-style on "Queen Bitch" ("Hit hard like sledge hammers, bitch with that platinum grammar/I am a diamond-cluster hustler/Queen bitch, supreme bitch/Kill a nigga for my nigga by any means bitch"); and puts all the fellas in their proper place on the empowering "Not Tonight" ("The moral of the story is this/You ain't lickin' this, you ain't stickin' this/And I got witnesses, ask any nigga I been with/They ain't hit sh*t till they stuck they tongue in this...I don't want dick tonight/Eat my pussy right"). The relentless sexuality can be a bit much, even for the most ardent fans of hardcore rap. Even so, it's hard to think of such a categorically dirty rap album that's this accomplished, and it's furthermore refreshing to hear a woman turn the tables for once, particularly so cleverly with such a venerable supporting cast. ~ Jason Birchmeier

While male rappers like the Notorious B.I.G. and Snoop Doggy Dogg are praised for kickin' that hard-core hip-hop and keepin' it real, female MCs who talk dirty or otherwise try to represent from that same lifestyle are usually criticized for it. Double standard maybe? Well, if Too Short can talk about pimpin' and Kool G. Rap can get props for gangsta-fied lyrics, it's high time a rapper like Lil' Kim got hers.

As the only female member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil' Kim named herself the Lieutenant, and stole the show on that band's 1995 debut album, CONSPIRACY. Lyrically, there is no doubt she's talented, but it's her rhymin' delivery that clinches things on HARD CORE. Often reminiscent of the classic album READY TO DIE by her mentor the Notorious B.I.G., the production on every track is phat, and earns Lil' Kim her crown as the new queen of hard-core rap.