Born Kimberly Denise Jones in Brooklyn in 1974, Lil’ Kim got her start in hip hop music after living on the streets in New York City. After her parents got divorced when she was nine years old, Lil’ Kim went to live with her father. However, he kicked her out of the house while she was still in high school. It was during her time on the streets that she met the rapper Notorious B.I.G., who helped her get started in the hip hop industry. She became part of the group known as Junior M.A.F.I.A., which released one album, Conspiracy. By 1996, she launched her solo career and became part of a musical style that continued to grow in popularity throughout the entire decade of the 1990s.
In fact, her debut album was entitled Hard Core and featured songs like “No Time,” “Crush on You,” and “Not Tonight.” As she created and promoted her debut album, she worked closely with fellow hip hop artists Sean “Diddy” Combs, Missy Elliot, Da Brat, and Left Eye. She also contributed to the Martin Lawrence film Nothing to Lose by allowing her music to be used for the soundtrack. However, critics of her music lambasted her label, Warner Bros, for releasing what they called filthy music onto the market. The criticism seemingly only contributed to her popularity, as she released her second album The Notorious K.I.M. to much professional and financial success.
Since her start in hip hop music in 1996, she has gone on to release three more solo albums and has accrued a Lil Kim net worth of $18 million. Her career was interrupted in 2005 when she was found guilty of lying in court during a case that involved one of her Junior M.A.F.I.A. band mates. The court sentenced her to 12 years after she was found guilty of perjury. However, she only served a year and was released in 2006.
How Much Is Lil Kim Worth Now?
In 2014, Lil’ Kim gave birth to her first child, Royal Reign, a daughter born in June of that year. Along with focusing on being a mother, however, she adds to her Lil Kim net worth of $18 million by continuing to write, record, and perform music in TV and live appearances. She also has expanded her talents into modeling, having signed with Wilhelmina Models, Candies, and the fashion house Iceberg. She has also endorsed MAC cosmetics, as well as the fashion line Baby Phat, Mac computers, and AOL. Most recently, she signed on to become the celebrity spokesperson for Old Navy and has lent her music to this company’s advertising.
Given her familiarity with fashion and designing, it stands to reason that she has also enjoyed financial success with her own fashion endeavors. She designed her own line of fashion watches in 2004. The line was called Royalty by Lil’ Kim and helped contribute to her net worth. Shortly after, she launched her first clothing line, which was called Hollywood. She complemented her clothing line with a shoe fashion line for salon Petite Peton.
In 2010, Lil’ Kim launched her second clothing line called 24/7 Goddess Collection and debuted it at that year’s Charlotte Fashion Week in North Carolina. Along with her fashion endeavors, she also makes money by endorsing the Ciroc brand of Vodka. In fact, the company invited her to become the face of the brand and allowed her to create her own cocktail, a drink called Queen Bee. With her celebrity endorsements, fashion lines, and of course with her music, Lil’ Kim continues to enjoy professional and financial success that is expected to last well into the future.