Her real name is Kimberly Denise Jones, better known by her stage names Lil’ Kim, Queen Bee, or Queen of Hip-Hop. Lil Kim became one of the most revolutionary voices in the world of hip-hop, debuting in the 1990s with tracks such as “No Time” and “Big Momma Thang” while continuing to create music to till this day. Kim first rose to fame after being the founding member of the popular rap group called Junior M.A.F.I.A. She is widely regarded as one of the most successful and talented female rappers of all time. Apart from being a member of a Mafia group, she also gained a lot of fame with her successful solo career which she started in the late 1990s. Kim inspired one of the big names in the hip-hop industry including rappers like Niki Minaj, Megan Thee Stallion, and Cardi B, to name a few.
Life:
With a legacy like that, you might expect Lil Kim to be one of the most wealthy and financially stable artists in the game, but the truth of the matter is according to recent reports, she’s anything but. While the internet seems torn on her overall net worth, she has a net worth of $500,000 is currently. In June of 2018, Lil Kim filed for bankruptcy in the state of New Jersey which is where her 6,000-square feet home is located in the city of Alpine. At the time she reportedly owed $1.5 million in the back of texas to the federal government and more than $660,000 in late mortgage payments. Eventually, the government threatened to put her home for auction. Lil Kim was also arrested and convicted of perjury and conspiracy for lying to a federal grand jury and was sentenced to spend a year in jail.
Net Worth 2023:
Early Life:
Lil Kim was born Kimberly Denise Jones on the 11th of July 1974 in Brooklyn, New York. Her traumatic back story is that youth played a large role in the persona she developed throughout her career. After her parents divorced Kim moved with her mother Ruby Jones to New Rochelle and began a period of homelessness. That was the time when Kim was only 9 years old and due to those constant financial struggles Kim eventually returned to live with her father Linwood Jones in Brooklyn who was a former member of the military. Her father ran a strict household but still spoiled his daughter by buying her Gucci dresses, which would make her the envy of her classmates. Still, she and her father argued constantly, in fact, it once got so bad that Lil stabbed him in the shoulder with a pair of scissors. Kim eventually left him again and couch surf at friends’ home and also began transporting drugs for dealers to make some money on the side. Despite all of this, Lil Kim grew up alongside her older brother named Christopher Jones. While growing up in Brooklyn, Kim attended Queen of All Saints Elementary School before enrolling at the Sarah J. Hale Vocational High School. Kim started living on the streets after dropping out of high school. She later would complete her high school graduation from Brooklyn College Academy.
Early Career:
Everything changed for Kim when she first met legendary rapper Christopher Wallace—known as The Notorious B.I.G. who was impressed with her rapping ability. The rapper swept her off her feet serving as her mentor and lover from that point forward. During this time Kim ran with Junior M.A.F.I.A, the 90s Brooklyn-based crew assembled by Biggie. The first song she ever appeared on was the 1995s “Player’s Anthem.” When the track was released Kim was only 17 years old but no one could question her ability and talent. That was also the same time when she adopted the stage name “Lil Kim.” Over the years so many people have wondered how much of Lil’s persona was her own and how much was Biggie’s invention. While he undoubtedly had a hand in developing her look and sound. At first, she rapped with a lot of basses but after hearing how she changed her sound for the song backstabbers, Biggie told her softening her voice was going to be her golden ticket. On August 29, 1995, the crew dropped their debut album called Conspiracy which earned commercial success ranking at #8 on the U.S. Billboard 200. Within the first week of its release, the album sold over 69,000 copies and also earned gold status by RIIA at the end of 1995. Moreover, the album contains hit tracks including “Get Money, Player’s Anthem, and I Need You Tonight.” Shortly after being a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A, Lil Kim decided to start her solo career and she began recording her debut album.
Solo Career:
In November 1996 Kim dropped her debut album titled Hard Core which became successful earning double platinum status by the RIAA and managed to sell over 6 million copies all around the world. Not to mention the album peaked at #3 and $11 on the U.S. R&B and the Billboard 200 charts respectively. Her next album was —The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003), both went platinum. Furthermore, her image influenced an entire generation of female rappers the likes of Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, and Megan Thee Stallion, all of whom have paid their respects at tha altar of Kim. The Notorious K.I.M. hit the U.S. R&B and the Billboard charts reaching number one. And her other album La Bella Mafia ranked #4 and #5 on U.S. R&B and the Billboard charts. In March of 2001 Kim teamed up with Christina AguileraPink, and Mýa to remake the Bell’s song “Lady Marmalade” for the Moulin Rouge! film soundtrack, which was so massively popular. The song held the number one spot on the Billboard 100 chart for five straight weeks. When it won a Grammy Award in the category of Best Pop Collaboration, Kim was now firmly established as one of the most sought-after rappers.
Troubles:
Later that year Kim found herself in trouble when she gave a radio interview at Hot 97 in Manhattan, a man was shot and critically wounded outside of the building. According to reports, the assailants were Kim’s entourage and when the case went to trial, Lil told the grand jury that she did not know that member of her inner circle had been present at the time. The problem is the radio station footage revealed that Kim and the men were charged with the crime outside of the building. As a result, Kim was convicted of perjury and conspiracy for lying to a federal grand jury in March of 2005. She was fined $50k in caused to spend a year in jail. While she was in prison her fourth album The Naked Truth, was released. After debuting at the top of the Billboard charts it was off the list completely within 8 weeks. Despite its relatively poor sales, Critics adored the album and some even named it “The Greatest Album Of The Time by a Female Rapper.” After serving 366 days in jail Kim was released from the prison and struggled after the fact to get her career back on track. In 2008 Kim left her longtime label Atlantic Records with the intention of going independent. That same year she released some mixtapes which again were critically acclaimed but failed to gain more attention.
Breakthrough:
Kim then became a reality TV star appearing in series and also participating in the eighth season of ABC’s reality show Dancing With The Stars where she became such a fan favorite people audibly booed when she was eliminated. I n May of 2009 Lil and her partner, Derek Hough eliminated from the show after they finished in fifth place. By 2011 Kim teamed up with Nicki Minaj and dropped her Black Friday mixtape that dedicated Nicki on the cover. She released two more mixtapes including 2014s Hardcore and 2016s Lil’ Kim Season. Kim finally released her fifth studio album 9 in October of 2019. That same year Kim found herself honored by BET Hip Hop Awards and her performance on that night saw her performing a medley of her previous hit songs and reminding us all how talented she is always been. Since then Kim has teased a new album that’s supposed to be forthcoming and produced by none other than Toronto’s rapper Torry Lanez. Further establishing herself in the world of television she also executive produced a brand new reality television show a VH1 titled Girls Cruise that followed her and friends on a 10-day cruise in the Caribbean.
Personal Life:
In 1993 Lil Kim and iconic rapper Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.) began dating. The couple was in an on-again, off-again relationship until she was pregnant with his child. When she became pregnant with Biggie’s kid while recording her debut album Hardcore, instead of having a child she got an abortion. Kim further built up her reputation as a legend in the industry and by the time her mentor and partner The Notorious B.I.G. died in March of 1997, she was heartbroken but still able to carry on without him. Lil Kim eventually revealed in 2017 that her relationship with Christopher was very violent. From 2002 to 2004 Kim was in a relationship with gang leader Damion “World” Hardy, then in 2004, she began dating Scott Storch a record producer. After giving birth to her daughter Royal Reign in 2014 Kim has suggested that her daughter might one day decide to follow her mom and join the music industry. Kim has been homeschooling her daughter but is already convinced that her daughter is destined to become a superstar.
Endorsements:
Kim also teamed up with UK’s based retailer Pretty Little Things to launch a new collection of eye-catching and on-brand pieces including animal print skirts with ultra-high slights, plunging body suits, and barely their mesh tops. Lil Kim has established herself as one of the top celebrities in the world of hip hop and the rapper has done endorsement work and print ads for numerous brands including,
MAC cosmetics Mac Cosmetics/Viv GlamMAC Viva Glam III lipstick Cîroc VodkaThree Olives Vodka Purple Vodka She also featured in television commercials for big names such as Graphic Hoods, Apple, Old Navy, etc.
Real Estate:
Kim’s been going through it financially over the last handful of years. In 2003 Lil Kim moved the New Jersey which is a posh suburb located just 15 miles from Manhattan and is one of the wealthiest places in all of America. She bought her first house for $2.3 million, originally built back in 1989. The mansion sits on more than 2 acres of lush greenery and with its 6,000 square feet inside there’s more than enough room to live it up. According to some recent property records the mansion has been assessed to now be worth over $3 million. Many other big names are also living in the same place including Chris Rock, P Diddy, Mary J, and many others. Lil Kim has a net worth of $500 thousand as of now.
Bankruptcy:
Lil Kim spent almost 8 years in this mansion before falling into foreclosure sometime in 2010. That was the time when Kim started making a monthly payment of around $10,000 before she stopped doing so in 2015. As a result the judge later ruled in 2017 that Kim was defaulting which meant her house could be foreclose on an auction off. Despite the overall value of the mansion is worth $3 million, the opening bit started at only $100. So the only this she could do was for Kim to file for bankruptcy. At this time Kim’s financial numbers were looking a little something like this: she had over $2.5 million in assets but she also had more than $4 million in liabilities. Kim owed as much as $1.8 million in banks in texas alone. In 2016 her revenue dropped from about $820,000 a year to something closer to $400,000. Despite that Lil was spending over $2,000 on her wardrobe and more than $10 thousand a month in travel expenses, as well as $2,000 on staff. After putting together her plan to get out of debt, Kim proposed to repay her millions saying that she would pay back $5,500 per month for 60 months. Kim was ordere to pay her creditor more than $32,000 quickly and then monthly installments of $10,000 to pay back her debt. The judge reminded Kim that if she were to even miss a single payment the creditor would have the right to take her home and sell it off to the highest bidder. According to some reports, Kim is still living in this luxurious mansion in New Jersey.
Lil Kim Net Worth:
As of 2023, Lil Kim Net Worth is estimated to be around $500 thousand. She is one of the most prominent female rappers in the country and has released numerous hit singles throughout her music career. Kim has sold over 15 million records and more than 30 million tracks. Her commercially successful albums are The Notorious K.I.M. and La Bella Mafia, which both earned her a lot of popularity. Lil Kim’s annual income is roughly $250k. She also has her self-titled YouTube channel, where she released music videos. Doja Cat’s Net Worth Dua Lipa’s Net Worth
