Lil Kim, one of the biggest rappers of the ’90s and a true hip-hop pioneer, is coming back to the rap game after an extended hiatus that saw her survive a stint in prison and multiple rumbles with one of her biggest rivals. The Queen Bee announced that her fifth studio album, 9, is dropping May 17 via Twitter, led by The Xx-sampling single, “Go Awff.” Check it out below.
Drip Too Hard 💧 | #GoAwff Video out Friday 🎥 | New Album “9” drops May 17th 💿 pic.twitter.com/FjPM47dEbo
— Lil' Kim (@LilKim) March 26, 2019
Kim also announced that a music video for “Go Awff” is forthcoming this Friday, March 29. Her last album, The Naked Truth, was released in 2005, featuring the hit single “Lighters Up,” and appearances from Bun B, The Game, Maino, Snoop Dogg, T.I., and Twista. On its release, she became the first female rapper to ever earn The Source‘s then-coveted five-mic distinction.
However, the next year she went to prison and by the time she came out, she had to deal with an onslaught of questions about newcomer Nicki Minaj, leading to an extended and possibly unresolved beef between the two. She released a number of mixtapes, including Black Friday, Hard Core, and Lil Kim Season, as she regained her footing in the rap world in the era of streaming and had her first baby, Royal Reign.
9 will be her first record released through a label — Entertainment One — since The Naked Truth. Look out for it to drop May 17.
