Lil' Kim

 Kimberly Denise Jones, born July 11, 1974, [2] is better known as Lil' Kim. She is an American performer and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of her teenage years in the streets after being removed from her home. Jones started freestyle rapping in her teens, and was inspired by female hip-hop artists such as Lady of Rage and MC Lyte. In 1994 she was discovered by another rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., who invited her to join his group Junior M.A.F.I.A. Their debut album, Conspiracy, was a success in 1994, and earned them two top 20 singles in America. They were invited to join the group Junior M.A.F.I.A. [3] and have sold over six million copies across the globe. It was the most successful debut in the US for a female-oriented rapper at the time. [4] Her subsequent albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) as well as La Bella Mafia (2003) were also certified platinum. Lil' Kim climbed to the top spot on U.S. charts in 2001. Billboard Hot 100 with the single "Lady Marmalade" (a remake of LaBelle' 1974 single) along with Mya, Pink, and Christina Aguilera. The Jump Off and Magic Stick were also noteworthy singles at the time. The latter reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Kim's 2nd highest-charting lead artist single.