Lil Kim -- Bella Mafia: first thoughts?

This biggie droppin' is getting a bit much. But there's something spectacularly oceanic about the track, def. way more onna sampladelia tip than her earlier stuff.

I'm not listening in order, so maybe there's some cohesion to the album that I'm missing but it feels frustratingly dissociated from any personality play as yet.

these radio sketches are really tired anyway.

sigh. Nothing is living up to the first couple tracks. this is pretty r&b driven hip-hop but so at peace -- nothing as disturbing and provoking even as her guest on the Xtina album.

this track is begging for a dancehall ragga remix.

All the tracks are solid, I'll give you that. But that's about all they feel like.

Haha yes it IS! It is a fucking cover! Ahem, interpolation.

But it does have that Kim absurdism that's missing from this album. The trying way to hard italiano bravura -- the not evocatively but dumbly detailed narrative.

No, she will not. Ever. Gardener gotta pull weeds, dishwasher gotta wash dishes, Li'l Kim gotta talk about Biggie all day.

Lil' Kim's total lack of self-reflection makes her perfect for single tracks but somewhat frustrating over a whole album surely (cf. Foxy Brown, whose tracks sound better in eachother's company).

It's tough choice what's worst about that track, Tomekk's crappy beats, the Troopa Da Don verse or Kims attempts at German.

thug luv
the jump off
magic stick
heavenly father
can you hear me now?

GOLDEN.

this album seems so restrained in comparison to all other kim albums - her vocals are deeper in the mix, there's far less smut, and as sterling point out at the time many of the beats don't blow you away immediately (though initially-underwhelming ones like 'magic stick' and 'the jump off' definitely improve with time). but over the whole album the persona kim constructs of this mourning mafia widow is very convincing. yeah it's not that different to her usual self but it seems particularly focused here.

And Notorious KIM is your default Kim album? Seriously? That's easily her worst!

1. Hardcore
2. La Bella Mafia
3. Naked Truth
4. Notorious KIM

xp

it's got 'how many licks?' and 'suck my dick' and 'aunt dot' and 'i'm human' and 'no matter what they say' and 'she don't love you' and 'who's number one' and that pat benatar one on it! hip-pop!

But "Aunt Dot" is the one I've still gotta put on a mixtape sometime.

I'm excited to see how her time in jail will influence her music.

and yeah "Aunt Dot" is the best song on Notorious KIM IMO.

"fuck barney and lambchops -- I don't love them hoes!" lmao.

I haven't actually listened to Hardcore much, owing to, well, the lack of Kim on it.

my friend anna-marie and i have it basically all off by heart. the first verse!

This goes out to all my n****s in jail
Beatin' they dicks to the XXL
Magazine... D'ya like how I look in the aqua green?
Get ya vaseline!

(the way she draws out the vowel sounds on the last syllable is DIRRTY)

So, um, KIM IS BACK! New single:

http://concreteloop.com/2007/11/new-music-from-lil-kim

LOL @ "beat the pussy up like it stole somethin'". Also, her verse on the Gucci Mane "Freaky Gurl" remix is CLASSIC. She killed it..

Is there a follow-up song to Aunt Dot? I *LOVE* that song but its ending is kind of abrupt and I dont know enough Kim to figure out where next to look..

incredible piece

http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/lil-kim-hard-core-body-politics-personal-essay-record-club/

oh so any minor bullshit can fuel the worst music writing thread for weeks on end and this amazing bit of writing gets 0 attention in 4 hrs, oh ilx

Yeah this is fantastic, the connections drawn between Fiona Apple and Kim feel intuitively right to me

(It's 7.40am here fyi)

hey lex I read it and liked it fwiw

although "liked" is probably the wrong word for such a powerful piece