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‘Lighters Up’: Lil’ Kim's Ode to Brooklyn: ‘In the Concrete Jungle, the Strong Stand and Rumble’

image of ‘Lighters Up’: Lil’ Kim's Ode to Brooklyn: ‘In the Concrete Jungle, the Strong Stand and Rumble’

The leading single on The Naked Truth album, ‘Lighters Up’ was released at a time of significant change in the New York City borough of Brooklyn with increasing gentrification plans, including Bed-Stuy. The colloquial name for Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bed-Stuy was home to the Biggie Smalls (also known as The Notorious B.I.G. and Biggie) founded crew Junior M.A.F.I.A. of which Lil' Kim was the only female. This chapter locates ‘Lighters Up’ within the highly lucrative, traditionally male, hip hop ethos of ‘keepin’ it real', further mythologizing the city where the hardest triumph.

Keywords: Bedford-Stuyvesant ; black women ; Brooklyn ; female rappers ; gender ; hip hop ; keepin' it real ; popular culture ; rap music

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References

  1. Atlantic Records (2009), ‘Lil’ Kim – Lighters Up (Official Video)’, YouTube, 27 October, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8l_0N8lLWY. Accessed 30 December 2020.
  2. BETNetworks (2019), ‘Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige & More Praise Lil Kim for Her Accomplishments | Hip Hop Awards '19’, YouTube, 9 October, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lv4524bXoM. Accessed 30 December 2020.
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  7. Gittens, Hasani (2005), ‘Bed-Stuy Trots Out Its “Proud” New Slogan’, New York Post, 11 March, https://nypost.com/2005/03/11/bed-stuy-trots-out-its-proud-new-slogan/. Accessed 13 August 2021.
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  9. Iandoli, Kathy (2018), ‘Lil’ Kim Debuts New Track, “Nasty One,” Talks Early Censorship & Everlasting Legacy’, Billboard, 11 July, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8464926/lil-kim-debuts-new-track-nasty-one-talks-early-censorship. Accessed 30 December 2020.190
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  12. Lil’ Kim (2005), ‘Lighters Up’, written by K. Jones, S. Storch, D. Miller and S. Monty, The Naked Truth, CD, USA: Atlantic Records.
  13. Marley, Damian (2005), ‘Welcome to Jamrock’, written by D. Marley, Welcome to Jamrock, CD, USA and Jamaica: Universal and Tuff Gong.
  14. McGlynn, Aine (2007), ‘Lil’ Kim’, in M. Hess (ed.), Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, vol. 2, Westport: Greenwood Publishing, pp. 439–56.
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  15. NWA (1988), ‘Fuck tha Police’, written by O. Jackson, L. Paterson and E. Wright, Straight Outta Compton, CD, USA: Ruthless and Priority.
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  17. Roberts, Steven V. (1966), ‘Redevelopment Plan Set for Bedford-Stuyvesant’, New York Times, 11 December, https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/11/archives/redevelopment-plan-set-for-bedfordstuyvesant-brooklyn-ghetto-gets.html. Accessed 30 December 2020.
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  19. Rushe, Dominic (2005), ‘On Wall Street: Dominic Rushe: Big Apple Homes are Ripe for a Fall Sunday’, The Sunday Times, 26 June, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/on-wall-street-dominic-rushe-big-apple-homes-are-ripe-for-a-fall-0lw0f7r6kvg. Accessed 21 October 2020.
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  22. Sanneh, Kelefa (2007), ‘The Shrinking Market Is Changing the Face of Hip-Hop’, New York Times, 30 December, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/arts/music/30sann.html. Accessed 29 December 2020.
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  23. The Wailers (1983), ‘Concrete Jungle’, written by B. Marley, Catch a Fire, CD, Jamaica: Tuff Gong and Island CD.
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References

  1. Atlantic Records (2009), ‘Lil’ Kim – Lighters Up (Official Video)’, YouTube, 27 October, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8l_0N8lLWY. Accessed 30 December 2020.
  2. BETNetworks (2019), ‘Rick Ross, Mary J. Blige & More Praise Lil Kim for Her Accomplishments | Hip Hop Awards '19’, YouTube, 9 October, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lv4524bXoM. Accessed 30 December 2020.
  3. Blackmar, Elizabeth and Rosenzweig, Roy (1992), The Park and the People: A History of Central Park, Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Corey Vuitton (2020), ‘Lil’ Kim: Lighters Up (Welcome To Brooklyn)’, YouTube, 22 January, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYWUNeDu0Lg. Accessed 30 December 2020.
  5. Forman, Murray (2002), The ‘Hood Comes First: Race, Space, and Place in Rap and Hip-Hop, Hanover, NH and Wantage: Wesleyan University Press and University Presses Marketing.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Foxy Brown (2001), ‘B.K. Anthem’, written by I. Marchand and R. Kirkland, Oh Yeah, CD, USA: Def Jam Recordings.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. Gittens, Hasani (2005), ‘Bed-Stuy Trots Out Its “Proud” New Slogan’, New York Post, 11 March, https://nypost.com/2005/03/11/bed-stuy-trots-out-its-proud-new-slogan/. Accessed 13 August 2021.
     [Google Scholar]
  8. Hess, Mickey (ed.) (2009), Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide, Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast, Santa Barbara: Greenwood Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Iandoli, Kathy (2018), ‘Lil’ Kim Debuts New Track, “Nasty One,” Talks Early Censorship & Everlasting Legacy’, Billboard, 11 July, https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8464926/lil-kim-debuts-new-track-nasty-one-talks-early-censorship. Accessed 30 December 2020.190
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Jay-Z (1996), ‘Brooklyn's Finest’, written by A. Noland, C. Wallace, G. Webster, W. Morrison, L. Bonner, M. Jones, M. Pierce, R. Middlebrooks, R. Franklin and S. Carter, Reasonable Doubt, CD, USA: Roc-A-Fella and Priority.
  11. Keyes, Cheryl (2004), Rap Music and Street Consciousness, Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  12. Lil’ Kim (2005), ‘Lighters Up’, written by K. Jones, S. Storch, D. Miller and S. Monty, The Naked Truth, CD, USA: Atlantic Records.
  13. Marley, Damian (2005), ‘Welcome to Jamrock’, written by D. Marley, Welcome to Jamrock, CD, USA and Jamaica: Universal and Tuff Gong.
  14. McGlynn, Aine (2007), ‘Lil’ Kim’, in M. Hess (ed.), Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, vol. 2, Westport: Greenwood Publishing, pp. 439–56.
     [Google Scholar]
  15. NWA (1988), ‘Fuck tha Police’, written by O. Jackson, L. Paterson and E. Wright, Straight Outta Compton, CD, USA: Ruthless and Priority.
  16. Queen, Latifah (1993), ‘U.N.I.T.Y.’, written by D. Owens and J. Sample, Black Reign, CD, USA: Motown.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Roberts, Steven V. (1966), ‘Redevelopment Plan Set for Bedford-Stuyvesant’, New York Times, 11 December, https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/11/archives/redevelopment-plan-set-for-bedfordstuyvesant-brooklyn-ghetto-gets.html. Accessed 30 December 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Rose, Tricia (1994), Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America, Middletown: Wesleyan University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. Rushe, Dominic (2005), ‘On Wall Street: Dominic Rushe: Big Apple Homes are Ripe for a Fall Sunday’, The Sunday Times, 26 June, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/on-wall-street-dominic-rushe-big-apple-homes-are-ripe-for-a-fall-0lw0f7r6kvg. Accessed 21 October 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Samuels, Allison (2000), ‘A Whole Lotta Lil’ Kim’, Newsweek, 25 June, https://www.newsweek.com/whole-lotta-lil-kim-160903. Accessed 22 February 2021.
  21. Samuels, Allison (2005), ‘Facing the Music; Rap diva Lil’ Kim Won't be Touring to Promote Her New Album – She'll Be in Federal Prison: Just Like Martha? Think Again’, Newsweek, 26 September, 146:13, pp. 56–58.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Sanneh, Kelefa (2007), ‘The Shrinking Market Is Changing the Face of Hip-Hop’, New York Times, 30 December, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/arts/music/30sann.html. Accessed 29 December 2020.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. The Wailers (1983), ‘Concrete Jungle’, written by B. Marley, Catch a Fire, CD, Jamaica: Tuff Gong and Island CD.
  24. Thomas, Greg (2009), Hip-Hop Revolution in the Flesh: Power, Knowledge, and Pleasure in Lil’ Kim's Lyricism, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
     [Google Scholar]

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