The Notorious K.I.M.

1	Lil' Drummer Boy / C-Lo 4:31
2	Custom Made (Give It To You) 3:06
3	Who's Number One? 4:13
4	Suck My D**K 4:04
5	Single Black Female / Mario Winans 4:14
6	Revolution / Grace Jones 4:54
7	How Many Licks? / Sisqó 3:52
8	Notorious Kim 3:40
9	No Matter What They Say 4:43
10	She Don't Love You 3:31
11	Queen Bitch, Pt. 2 3:57
12	Don't Mess With Me 4:48
13	Do What You Like 5:16
14	Off the Wall / Lil' Cease 4:05
15	Right Now / Carl Thomas 2:32
16	Aunt Dot 5:25
17	Hold On 6:06
18	I'm Human 4:22

Barnes & Noble

Since Lil' Kim made her debut with the aptly titled Hard Core (the scandalous cover featured a bikini-clad Kim straddling a bear rug), she's become as well-known for her sexuality as she has for her hard-as-nails rhyme skills. With her tantalizing persona and her provocative outfits, Kim (nee´ Kimberly Jones) is the hip-hop generation's Cher -- lusted after by male fans and both envied and emulated by female fans. But as the title of this album announces, the reigning queen of hip-hop wears her notoriety as comfortably as she does a Versace slip dress. Kim was the Notorious B.I.G.'s protégé and his unapologetic mistress during his marriage to R&B diva Faith Evans, and this recording is a vivid reminder that Ms. Jones is quite proud of her affair with the hip-hop legend: "He was my nigga and I was his bitch/Had beef with your wife that ain't patched up yet/But I got love for your kids/I put 'em in my will," she raps on "Hold On," which features uplifting vocals by Mary J. Blige. While she continues the celebration of explicit sex and materialistic excess found on Hard Core, the production on Notorious is crisper; and the stories, such as the vengeful murder-and-courtroom drama "Lil' Drummer Boy" featuring Redman and the Goodie Mob's Cee-Lo, are darker and more violent. Notorious also offers several hot guest appearances: Sisqo is up to the salacious demands of "How Many Licks"; wild woman Grace Jones and Lil' Cease appear on "Revolution"; and "Queen Bitch Pt. 2" features Puffy and Biggie. Each of the 18 tracks is laden with pop hooks -- "Don't Mess with Me" reels from a guitar and vocal sample of Pat Benatar's feverish hit "Heartbreaker" -- but with Kim's foul mouth, this isn't exactly a radio-friendly record. You'll be happy to know, however, that the self-proclaimed "Dr. Ruth of rap" eagerly makes house calls. Martin Johnson

All Music Guide

A long four years after making her big, salacious splash on Hard Core, Lil' Kim returned as a very different rapper on The Notorious K.I.M., and not necessarily for the better. For one, her close friend and collaborator the Notorious B.I.G. had been murdered during the interim. The sad passing heavily informs this glitzy yet ultimately somber album, not only the title but many of the lyrics too. Biggie had played a large role in the success of Hard Core, and his absence here is gaping. Also, the Queen Bitch invites along a host of collaborators to fill the gap left behind by her departed former executive producer. Puff Daddy fills Biggie's large shoes and unfortunately gives the album the same sort of gaudiness that had marred his recent round of releases on Bad Boy Records, namely his own Forever and Mase's Double Up. As on those albums, nearly every track on Notorious K.I.M. is helmed by a different producer, many feature a guest, and most make some sort of pop-crossover concession. Sometimes the pop-rap tactics pay off, particularly on "Custom Made (Give It to You)," where the orgasmic moans of Lil' Louis' house classic "French Kiss" are looped ad infinitum to impressive effect, and on "How Many Licks?," where Sisqó trades off one come-on after another with Kim. Jason Birchmeier