Music is getting dirtier. Last summer, mothers and children would dance happily to 'Boom Boom Boom', the Vengaboys' ode to the joy of taking a stranger to your room and "spending the night together", while this year, Sisqo and the Bloodhound Gang have done their very best to corrupt us. It's all a long way from the days when Mike Reed would do his best to protect us from anything that even alluded to the dark act.
The DJ in question would, in all probability, explode upon hearing 'The Notorious KIM'. If hip-hop is accepted to be predominantly male, frequently sexist, infatuated with power, money and sex, and largely self-obsessed, Lil' Kim takes that idea and turns, well, one aspect of it around.
Opening with the by now traditional statement of intent, self-righteous comparisons with Larry Flint in the name of free speech are entirely appropriate, anticipating lyrics that would challenge a Hustler editorial in the vulgarity stakes. The 'French Kiss'-sampling 'Give It To You' is an early indicator of the standard, Lil' Kim's self-justification taking on an impressive authority when rapped over the synthesised breathy vocal. 'How Many Licks', with contributions from Sisqo, is aggressively sexual in the way 'Thong Song' cried out to be, an outburst of sexual experiences and desires, imposingly and effectively combined with pornographic sound effects.
"Me and Puff's like Janet and Mike, you make us wanna scream" exclaims Kim, on closing track, 'I'm Human'. As grand as this 'us versus the world' mentality appears, it's less impressive in the face of 'Queen Bitch II', a collaboration with the Daddy himself. There's obvious potential, but the track is less than vibrant, slightly over-produced and overtly preachy, although a solitary blip in the face of dynamic production and inspired lyricism throughout the album.
Lil' Kim states in the closing track, "women are talking over, for the new millennium". It's a ambitious statement, considering the debt her style on this album owes to, for example, Busta Rhymes, but 'The Notorious KIM' leaves most albums endorsed by the Family in the proverbial shade. If she manages to progress beyond the standard 'sex-and-money' angle, there's a chance
that she could be right.
