Listen to Lil Kim’s album Hardcore.

Before its release, Lil Kim Reveals the cover art for her long-awaited Mixtape, HARD CORE. Hard Core opened at number 11 on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in its first week, selling 78,000 units. Despite failing to chart for another week, the album was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 14, 2001, and has sold 1,489,701 copies in the US by November 2011.

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The samples on the mixtape are divided into sections that vary from the vintage New York vibe to what’s current right now. Tracks like “Stadium Music” and “Whenever You See” are a homage to 1990s hip-hop, which Lil Kim excels in. Perhaps we’ve become accustomed to hearing Kimmy on such intense tunes in the past since her risks don’t always pay off. It’s not so much that certain beats don’t suit Kim as they do. Her style has been specifically designed for a New York vibe, so hearing her jack the Migos flow (“Suicide”) or hurl digs at Nicki Minaj (again) isn’t really enticing.