Jones was born and raised in Brooklyn and lived much of her adolescent life on the streets after being expelled from home. From the influence of fellow rapper The Notorious B.I.G., she began her music career in 1995 with the group Junior M.A.F.I.A., whose debut album Conspiracy generated three hit singles. In late 1996, her solo debut album Hard Core was released. Hard Core was certified double platinum and spawned chart-topping hits "No Time" and "Crush on You". Her following albums, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000) and La Bella Mafia (2003), were also largely successful.
In 2005, Lil' Kim served a yearlong prison sentence for lying to a jury about her friends' involvement in a shooting four years earlier. During her incarceration, her fourth album The Naked Truth was released to poor sales and modestly charting singles. Lil' Kim returned to the public spotlight in 2009 with an appearance on Dancing with the Stars.
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