Lil Kim appeared on Hot 97 on Friday to promote her new single “Took Us a Break,” and addressed several topics, including her collaboration with Remy Ma, her upcoming album, Nicki Minaj, and more.
First, she responded to Jermaine Dupri’s story on N.O.R.E.’s Drink Champs podcast, where he revealed that the Notorious B.I.G. pulled a gun on her. It took place at a studio session for Usher’s My Way track “Just Like Me.”
“Of course I remember that day, but it’s not the first time he told that story though,” Kim says at around the 11:55 mark. “He told that story on VH1’s Driven. He told that story. It happened. The story is not exactly how he said it, but it is very close to the truth. We did have a very violent relationship. I don’t know, I hate that. For a while, that’s all I attracted. It is what it is. He was everything.
"That is a true story. He tried to sleep with…there was a girl,” she continues. “She was actually on my Countdown to Lockdown show. She’s like my family. That story is so true. Like c’mon. He said something to the effect like, ‘Well, I’m saying, she asked me for the $400. I told her, what is she going to do with that $400?’ I’m like, ‘Is that OK?’ I think though he was trying to expose the fact that she wasn’t my real friend and family member.”
Kim then delved into the music she’s been working on, recalling a time when her and Detail–a prominent producer for YMCMB – were building her new sound. She says fans will get two sides of her: Hard Core Kim and contemporary Kim.
“One thing about me, everyone should know and remember this. I’m basically a part of the new wave and the new generation because 10 years ago when everything started to shift in change sonically and with the new sound coming in and everything, I was always in the clubs,” she says at the 18:30 mark. “I never stopped knowing what was going on. I never stopped knowing how were people dancing and watching them dancing to new music. I never stopped that. I was always in there. Me and Puffy.”
Later, Kim addresses the chatter surrounding her upcoming collaboration with Remy Ma, “Wake Me Up.” Kim doesn't actually have a verse on the record (she sings the bridge and hook), but she plans to be on a remix with one if people like it. She states that this is not a diss record towards Nicki Minaj as previously reported, explaining she would rather name-check her enemies than throw subliminals.
“I hate that because No. 1, my mind is always on that bag," she says at the 21:55 mark. "The messed up thing is because we are real artists, and me and Remy do what we do, no matter what we say, if I be like, ‘Fake-ass such and such.’ They’ll be like ‘Oh! She’s talking about such and such.’ I feel like people know me and Remy well enough that if we are going to talk about somebody, we are going to say their name. We are going to address them. We gonna make that or whatever. We just making music.”
To further her point, she reminded us that she has one of the biggest records uniting women (“Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)”). She adds that the younger generation of female MCs tend to go at legends, which isn’t cool.
“At the end of the day, I’m always for the unity. I got the biggest “Ladies Night” record. So I don’t understand how people can say I was never for unity,” she says at the 24:00 mark. “Everyone is like, ‘That’s blasphemy almost to say that.’ I’ve always embraced every female.”
“My video “Get Money” had females that came before me cause that’s the only way to do it,” she adds. “When you come in the game, you don’t come in the game disrespecting idols. Why would I say that to Salt-N-Pepa? I’m the new such and such. You sit down. Why would I say that to Salt-N-Pepa? Why would I say that to MC Lyte? These are the girls that made it possible for me. These are the girls that influenced me and gave me life.You don’t come into the industry like that and a lot of girls come in the industry like that. It’s wack. And it always catches up to you later.”
Finally, she builds anticipation for “Wake Me Up,” saying this song will set an example as two bosses coming together.
“What me and Remy doing is boss. It’s boss. This is what guys do. This is what 50 [Cent] and Fat Joe did. When you’re real, you recognize real,” she says.
You can watch the whole interview above, which also touches on the death of Prodigy, the Bad Boy Reunion Tour, and Beyoncé and Jay Z dressing up as Biggie and Kim for Halloween.
