Back Hard Core (álbum) Spanish Hard Core (album) French Hard Core HE Hard Core (album) Italian Hard Core (릴 킴의 음반) Korean Hard Core Polish Hard Core Portuguese Hard Core Russian Hard Core (Lil' Kim album) SIMPLE
| Hard Core | ||||
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| Released | November 12, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | 1995–1996 | |||
| Studio | The Hit Factory (New York City) | |||
| Genre | East Coast hip hop[1] | |||
| Length | 56:59 | |||
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Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on November 12, 1996, by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with the Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer (besides this, he performed on four songs). She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay-Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album.
The album was notable for its overt raunchy sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics and is considered a classic album.[2] Hard Core debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and at number three on the Billboard's Top R&B Albums, selling 78,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number 26 of the Canadian Albums Chart. The album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
- ^ "50 Greatest East Coast Hip-Hop Albums of the 1990s". The Boombox. October 20, 2017. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ Cummings, Jozen (May 2006). "Crime Doesn't Pay". Vibe. Vol. 14, no. 5. p. 56. ISSN 1070-4701 – via Google Books.
With scanty clothing and the cachet that comes with having what many consider a classic album, Hard Core, Lil' Kim was one of the few female rappers whose consistent platinum sales showed that she could play with the big boys.