Alright, so Lil' Kim is not about uplifting females or strong social messages. She's all about money, men, and the things you can do with both of those. But so what? She's also got the backing of Un Riviera and Biggie (RIP). And let's not forget a production roster that included Puffy's Hitmen in their prime, Minnasotta and Jermaine Dupri.
The opener, "Big Momma Thang," is a nice pairing of Kim with Jay-Z, who spits a good-but-forgettable verse about money and (...). The first single, "No Time," is a typical Bad Boy song.
The highlights come from songs that have a little rougher edge. Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick execute a hard-hitting beat and a simply piano loop for "Queen (...)," and "Crush on You" is a funny, danceable bouncer.
"Dreams" is Kim's answer to a rare Biggie b-side, where he fantasizes about "dreams of (...)an R&B (...)." Here, Kim has her own "dreams of (...)an R&B (...)." It's just as funny, and the beat is a headnodder.
Other highlights include "We Don't Need It," perhaps the most obscene song on the album, and that is saying a lot, especially since the Jermaine Dupri-engineered "Not Tonight" is all about (...).
There are a few generic moments sprinkled throughout, but in general, "Hard Core" is a good debut by a good female rapper, who is occasionally outshined by her production team.
Alright, so Lil' Kim is not about uplifting females or strong social messages. She's all about money, men, and the things you can do with both of those. But so what? She's also got the backing of Un Riviera and Biggie (RIP). And let's not forget a production roster that included Puffy's Hitmen in their prime, Minnasotta and Jermaine Dupri. The opener, "Big Momma Thang," is a nice pairing of Kim with Jay-Z, who spits a good-but-forgettable verse about money and (... ). The first single, "No Time," is a typical Bad Boy song. The highlights come from songs that have a little rougher edge. Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick execute a hard-hitting beat and a simply piano loop for "Queen (... )," and "Crush on You" is a funny, danceable bouncer. "Dreams" is Kim's answer to a rare Biggie b-side, where he fantasizes about "dreams of (... )an R&B (... ). " Here, Kim has her own "dreams of (... )an R&B (... ). " It's just as funny, and the beat is a headnodder. Other highlights include "We Don't Need It," perhaps the most obscene song on the album, and that is saying a lot, especially since the Jermaine Dupri-engineered "Not Tonight" is all about (... ). There are a few generic moments sprinkled throughout, but in general, "Hard Core" is a good debut by a good female rapper, who is occasionally outshined by her production team.