Jones was born in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City, the second child of Linwood Jones, a former U.S. Marine. She has an older brother, … See more

In 1994, B.I.G. was instrumental in introducing and promoting the Brooklyn-based group Junior M.A.F.I.A. Jones, who had adopted the stage name Lil' Kim, was a member of the group. … See more

Lil' Kim cited as her rap influences MC Lyte, Salt-N-Pepa and Roxanne Shanté. She was also influenced by Slick Rick, The Notorious B.I.G., Eric B. & Rakim, Queen Latifah and Mary J. Blige. Lil' Kim also cited Madonna as an influence, saying she modeled her own … See more

In 1998, Lil' Kim signed with Wilhelmina Models. That same year, she was announced as the face for the fashion brand Candie's alongside Brandy. She became the first and only rapper to endorse the brand to date. In 2000, Lil' Kim signed a deal … See more

In 2000, Lil' Kim embarked on a promo tour for her second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M., and the MAC AIDS Fund. She visited MAC cosmetics counters, interacted with fans, and helped raise money and awareness for people living with See more

In her teens, Jones dated Shawn Powell. The pair met at the Empire Roller Skating rink in Brooklyn. After a couple of months of seeing each other, Powell was arrested for robbery and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison. Jones and Powell continued their … See more

Foxy Brown
Once high school friends, Lil' Kim and fellow Brooklyn rapper Foxy Brown originally remained close despite becoming associates of clashing hip hop groups Junior M.A.F.I.A. and The Firm, respectively. In … See more