Hard Core
Encyclopedia
Hard Core is the debut studio album
by American
rapper Lil' Kim
. It was released on the Atlantic
subsidiary Big Beat Records on November 12, 1996 in the United States
. The album was notable for its overt raunchy sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics shortly after its release.
The album debut at number eleven on the U.S. Billboard 200
and number one on Billboards Top R&B Albums
, and reached the top ten of the Canadian Albums Chart
. In the United States, Hard Core was certified double platinum
by the RIAA, sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and is considered by many, a classic, hip hop album.
's Conspiracy
album, Lil' Kim appeared on records by artists such as Mona Lisa
, the Isley Brothers
, and Total
. With recording her debut album, Hard Core was principally recorded at Manhattan
-based studio, The Hit Factory
, in New York City. Working with a number of producers
, including Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
and Jermaine Dupri
, the album featured edgy hardcore rap and explicit sexuality, as the title suggested, which at the time were two territories that had long been the province of male rappers.
Guest artists included Jay-Z
, The Notorious B.I.G.
, and other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A.. The promotional campaign for the album, including the album cover, featured provocative advertisements of Kim dressed in a skimpy bikini and surrounded by furs
.
and number one on the Billboard Top R&B Albums
chart. In the United States, it was certified double platinum
by the RIAA for more than two million copies shipped to music stores. In Canada, the album peaked at number nine.
The first two singles from Hard Core, the platinum "No Time" and remix version of "Crush on You
" both peaked in the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, top ten of the Hot R&B Singles chart, and topped the Rap Songs chart- making the rapper the first female rap artist to have two consecutive number-one hits on that chart. Both single peaked at in the top fifty in the UK Singles Chart
. A third single "Not Tonight" (Ladies Night Remix)" became a huge top ten success in 1997, peaked at number six on the Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and also topped the Rap Songs chart. The single also reached the top twenty on the UK charts and number ten in Germany
. The single was certified platinum
by the RIAA.. It was nominated in 1998 for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
.
chart. The first single from the album, "No Time", a duet with Sean "Puffy" Combs, became a number one rap single. The album quickly garnered positive reviews, as The Source
called the album "...a solid debut because phat beats and rhymes are really all it takes, and they're both present...", while Rolling Stone
magazine included Hard Core in its list of "Essential Recordings of the 90's". Rolling Stone concluded in reviewing the album in the magazine's 2004 version of the Rolling Stone Album Guide
:
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapper Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
. It was released on the Atlantic
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
subsidiary Big Beat Records on November 12, 1996 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album was notable for its overt raunchy sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics shortly after its release.
The album debut at number eleven on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number one on Billboards Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
, and reached the top ten of the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. In the United States, Hard Core was certified double platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
by the RIAA, sold more than 2 million copies worldwide and is considered by many, a classic, hip hop album.
Release and reception
After making her debut recording appearance on Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
's Conspiracy
Conspiracy (Junior M.A.F.I.A. album)
- References :...
album, Lil' Kim appeared on records by artists such as Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa (singer)
Kimberly Ledbetter, known by her professional stage name, Mona Lisa, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, actress, model and record producer...
, the Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers
The Isley Brothers are a highly influential, successful and long-running American music group consisting of different line-ups of six brothers, and a brother-in-law, Chris Jasper...
, and Total
Total (band)
Total was an American R&B girl group and one of the signature acts of Sean Combs' Bad Boy Records imprint during the 1990s.-Emergence & Total:...
. With recording her debut album, Hard Core was principally recorded at Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-based studio, The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory
The Hit Factory was a recording studio in New York City famous for its clientele. It was officially closed for business April 1, 2005 whereas other Hit Factory studio locations remained open, such as in Miami, Florida.-History:...
, in New York City. Working with a number of producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, including Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
and Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri
Jermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
, the album featured edgy hardcore rap and explicit sexuality, as the title suggested, which at the time were two territories that had long been the province of male rappers.
Guest artists included Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
, The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
, and other members of Junior M.A.F.I.A.. The promotional campaign for the album, including the album cover, featured provocative advertisements of Kim dressed in a skimpy bikini and surrounded by furs
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
.
Chart performance
The Hard Core album debuted and peaked at number eleven on the U.S. Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and number one on the Billboard Top R&B Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. In the United States, it was certified double platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
by the RIAA for more than two million copies shipped to music stores. In Canada, the album peaked at number nine.
The first two singles from Hard Core, the platinum "No Time" and remix version of "Crush on You
Crush on You (Lil' Kim song)
"Crush on You" is a single by Lil' Kim from her debut album and features fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A. members Lil' Cease & The Notorious B.I.G.. It peaked at number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. The original album version had Lil' Cease rapping alone, while the single version featured him with Lil' Kim....
" both peaked in the top twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, top ten of the Hot R&B Singles chart, and topped the Rap Songs chart- making the rapper the first female rap artist to have two consecutive number-one hits on that chart. Both single peaked at in the top fifty in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. A third single "Not Tonight" (Ladies Night Remix)" became a huge top ten success in 1997, peaked at number six on the Hot 100, number three on the Hot R&B Singles chart, and also topped the Rap Songs chart. The single also reached the top twenty on the UK charts and number ten in Germany
Media Control Charts
The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...
. The single was certified platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
by the RIAA.. It was nominated in 1998 for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group
The Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group was awarded between 1991 and 2011, alongside the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance. Previously a single award was presented for Best Rap Performance....
.
Critical response
Released on November 12, 1996, Hard Core became an immediate hit, debuting at #11 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. The first single from the album, "No Time", a duet with Sean "Puffy" Combs, became a number one rap single. The album quickly garnered positive reviews, as The Source
The Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
called the album "...a solid debut because phat beats and rhymes are really all it takes, and they're both present...", while Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine included Hard Core in its list of "Essential Recordings of the 90's". Rolling Stone concluded in reviewing the album in the magazine's 2004 version of the Rolling Stone Album Guide
Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Rolling Stone Album Guide, previously known as The Rolling Stone Record Guide, is a book that, along with its sister publication Rolling Stone magazine, contains professional reviews of popular music...
:
Hip-hop had never seen anything like Brooklynite Kimberly Jones at the time of her solo debut: She single-handedly raised the bar for raunchy lyrics in hip-hop, making male rappers quiver with fear with lines like "You ain't lickin' this, you ain't stickin' this . . . I don't want dick tonight/Eat my pussy right" ("Not Tonight"). Riding the wing of Notorious B.I.G.'s Ready to Die and Jay-Z's Reasonable Doubt, Kim's Hard Core helped put East Coast hip-hop back on top in the late '90s. The album's overreliance on old '70s funk samples doesn't detract a bit from the Queen Bee's fearless rhymes: In "Dreams", she demands service from R. Kelly, Babyface, and nearly every "R&B dick" in the field. A landmark of bold, hilarious filth.
Track listing
Sample credits
- "Big Momma Thang" contains a sample of SylvesterSylvester James-Studio albums:-Live albums:-Compilation albums:* Mighty Real UK #62* 12 By 12 * Immortal -Singles:-Additional recordings:*Lights Out San Francisco...
's "Was It Something I Said". - "No Time" contains a sample of Vicki AndersonVicki AndersonVicki Anderson is a soul singer best known for her performances with the James Brown Revue. She recorded a number of singles under both her birth and stage names...
's "Message from the Soul Sisters" and Lynn CollinsLynn CollinsViola Lynn Collins , better known as Lynn Collins, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Kayla Silverfox in the live-action film X-Men Origins: Wolverine.-Life and career:...
's "Take Me Just As I Am" and The Notorious B.I.G. - "Crush On You" contains excerpts and a sample of Jeff LorberJeff LorberJeff Lorber is an American Grammy Award-nominated keyboardist, composer, and record producer.After leading his own group, The Jeff Lorber Fusion, he went on to pioneer the smooth jazz genre....
's "Rain Dance". - "Drugs" contains a sample of Soul Mann & The Brothers "Bumpy's Lament".
- "Queen Bitch" contains a sample of Roberta FlackRoberta FlackRoberta Flack is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who is notable for jazz, soul, R&B, and folk music...
's "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye". - "Dreams" contains a sample of Lyn CollinsLyn CollinsLyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins....
's "Think (About It)Think (About It)"Think " is a funk song recorded by Lyn Collins and released as a single on James Brown's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown and featured instrumental backing from his band The J.B.'s...
" and Jimi Hendrix's "Who Knows". - "M.A.F.I.A. Land" contains a sample of Bert KaempfertBert KaempfertBert Kaempfert was a German orchestra leader and songwriter. He made easy listening and jazz-oriented records, and wrote the music for a number of well-known songs, such as "Strangers in the Night" and "Spanish Eyes".-Biography:He was born in Hamburg, Germany - where he received his lifelong...
's "Only a Fool". - "We Don't Need It" contains a sample of Lou DonaldsonLou DonaldsonLou Donaldson is a jazz alto saxophonist. He was born in Badin, North Carolina. He is best known for his soulful, bluesy approach to playing the alto saxophone, although in his formative years he was, as many were of the bebop era, heavily influenced by Charlie Parker.His first recordings were...
's "Ode to Billie JoeOde to Billie Joe"Ode to Billie Joe" is a 1967 song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry , a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single, released in late July, was a number-one hit in the United States, and became a big international seller. The song is ranked #412 on Rolling Stones list of...
" and Shirley MurdockShirley MurdockShirley Murdock is an American R&B singer, who is best known for her 1986 R&B hit single "As We Lay" and for her vocals on Zapp and Roger hit single Computer Love.-Career:...
's "The One I Need". - "Not Tonight" contains a sample of George BensonGeorge BensonGeorge Benson is a ten Grammy Award winning American musician, whose production career began at the age of twenty-one as a jazz guitarist....
's "Turn Your Love Around". - "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)" contains a sample of Kool & the GangKool & the GangKool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
's "Ladies Night".
Chart
| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
9 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
11 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States | 2x Platinum RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Personnel
- Lil' KimLil' KimKimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
- vocals, rappingRappingRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”... - Stretch Armstrong, Corn Bread, Andraeo "Fanatic" HeardAndreao HeardAndreao Heard is Grammy award-winning record producer from Greensboro, North Carolina, USA who is known by his nickname "Fanatic" and who has worked with artists such as Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Notorious B.I.G., Will Smith and Lil Kim. Heard was a member of P Diddy's Hitmen production team...
, Carlos Broady, Stevie J., Fabian Hamilton, SkiSki (producer)David Willis, otherwise known as DJ Ski and Ski Beatz, is an American record producer mainly working in hip hop.-Biography:Discovered by DJ Clark Kent, Ski was originally known as "MC Will-Ski". In the 1990s, he was a member of the group Original Flavor, the first group managed by future recording...
- producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Kenny Ortiz, Phil Tan - engineer
- Sean CombsSean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
, Christopher Wallace - executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
, additional vocals - Jermaine DupriJermaine DupriJermaine Dupri Mauldin , known as Jermaine Dupri or JD, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper.- Early life and career :...
- producer, engineer - Tony BlackTony BlackTony Black is an American actor. Black's younger brother, Alex, is also an actor.-Filmography:# The Falkland Man # Bubble Boy # Web Girl TV# Learning to Swim -External links:...
- engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - James Cruz, Herb Powers, Jr. - masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
, Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
- additional vocals - LaMarquis Mark Jefferson - bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
- Michael Levine - photography