booking trustworthy: Lil' Kim Is In 'Kanye West Mode'

Friday, March 9, 2012

Lil' Kim Is In 'Kanye West Mode'

Kim tells 'RapFix Live' she doesn't 'give a ish' what people think about her, and she won't say whether 'If You Love Me' is about Maino.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Lil' Kim
Photo: Uptin Saiidi / MTV News

There is no female MC with a career trajectory quite like Lil' Kim's.

When she first debuted alongside the Notorious B.I.G.'s Junior M.A.F.I.A. in 1995 on their hit single "Player's Anthem," Kim was a sexy temptress with lyrics as captivating as her looks. Kim grew to be a soloist and, after Biggie's untimely demise, she became the Queen Bee of Junior M.A.F.I.A. There have been a number of ups and downs in her career, but today, the Notorious K.I.M. feels that she is at her artistic peak.

"Creatively, as an artist, I think I'm in my Kanye West mode; you do whatever you wanna do and don't give a ish what nobody got to say about it. It's all about taking chances," she told Sway when she appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live."

If Kim's daring new single "If You Love Me" is any indication, then it's safe to say that she is in her 808s & Heartbreak period, the album on which Kanye traded in his rap bars for Auto-Tuned melodies. Ms. La Bella Mafia released the song this past Valentine's Day on iTunes. While she doesn't completely abandon her rap bars, she's singing on the song's hook. "If you love me, you would say it in front of the world," Kim croons.

Kim, who is working on a new album, revealed to Sway that the track was based on real-life experience. "It's a true story. Somebody had allegedly made a record to me," she teased without saying who that somebody is.

Sway pushed further and asked Kim if the record was in response to Maino's "That Could Be Us" single. In the past, the two have been linked romantically, but Kim wouldn't reveal who "If You Love Me" was really about. "I plead the fifth," she said, laughing.

"There is a lot in my life, in my personal life, as far as dealing in relationships, that people don't know," Kim said, "and if they found out, they'll be like, 'What? You were with who?' "

What do you think about Lil' Kim's latest music? Let us know in the comments!

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