Lil Kim’s story has been extensively detailed in interviews, movies, and even TV shows, but in a statement to People announcing her debut memoir, she insists, “Many people have thought they knew the story of Lil’ Kim, but they have no idea.” Looking to correct that oversight, Kim teamed up with God Save The Queens: The Essential History of Women in Hip-Hop author Kathy Iandoli to write The Queen Bee, coming out November 2 via Hachette Books. “I’m excited to finally get to tell my story after all this time,” Kim says.
Kim, counted by most — if not all — of today’s emerging female rap talents as one of the biggest influences on their careers, has been revered for decades as a rap pioneer and a fashion icon. Her legacy was already examined in print in numerous books, including the recently released The Motherlode by Clover Hope, which aimed to profile the oft-overlooked female contribution to the history, culture, and music of hip-hop. Lil Kim was one of the rare exceptions.
While Kim hasn’t released very much new material in recent years — with the exception of 2019’s 9, her first full-length album release since 2005’s The Naked Truth and a handful of underrated mixtapes — she’s still very much a fixture of hip-hop’s tapestry, contributing her voice to BET’S American Gangster series as fans continue to clamor for her and Foxy Brown to participate in Swizz Beatz’s Verzuz hits battle.
You can pre-order The Queen Bee here.
