A few years ago Lil Kim was missing from the scene when suddenly a Minaj Barbie popped up who appeared to be a hyperbole of Lil Kim. Feeling as though Lil Kim had fallen off most assumed that the N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S. Kim had given up on her prosperous rap career. But what fans did not know was that after Kim was released from prison she was very unhappy with her record deal and sought out a new one. The failed contractual re-negotiations placed Kim in a legal chokehold barring her from releasing any new music.
Over the weekend the Queen Bee sat down with DJ Envy for MTV’s ‘Sucker Free Sundays’, detailing her possible lawsuit tribulations that would have resulted if the raptress would have released any new music. Black Friday the mixtape dropped in the fall of 2011. Soon after the raunchy rap diva would finally be released from the legal hostage situation that permeated for 6 years after she attempted to switch labels.
“When I came home from prison in 2006, I was really unhappy with my label so I wanted to get off, and I didn’t get released. I wasn’t dropped. I had to pay them. So, at the end of the day, it’s like that takes time. For two years, I fought and fought and fought and finally there was a break. During those two years, I did my Hollywood thing, I mean doing reality shows, ‘Dancing With The Stars’ and all that good stuff. But in between me doing ‘Dancing With The Stars’, I struck up another deal. I did deal with Track Masters, and it didn’t work out, but that took another year or two.
“Contractually, by the courts, I could not record any music. I wasn’t supposed to put any music out. Technically ‘Black Friday’ was a mixtape, so I was able to get away with that. But technically they could have come after me if I were to put out an album. I couldn’t do it. So, this is something that my fans don’t know, but now you know. Legally I wasn’t allowed or able to do music. And ’til this day I’m not going to say I’m glad that the lawsuit happened with Trackmasters, but it made me more of a business woman.”
In 2008, Lil Kim was sued by Brookland Media (Trackmasters) for $2.5 million dollars for an unfinished album. Trackmasters sued Kim for failing to live up to her contractual obligations and barred her from recording any new material as a result of her attempts to weave her way out of the deal. The company had paid AtlanticRecords $200,000 to get her out of her previous contract, spent $240,000 to produce eight songs for her unfinished LP and shelled out over $12,000 in rent for a home near her crib.
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Looking at Kim’s weave and make-up I often wonder if she owns a mirror.. But hopefully now that she is free to go hard in the paint she can regain her throne.
