Would there have been a Nicki Minaj or Cardi B without Lil Kim leading the way? Most likely not. The New York rapper was instrumental in bringing a slutty and sexy vibe to female rap that had never been seen before. She was the antithesis of conscious female rap artists like Lauryn Hill or Queen Latifah.
During the 1990s and early-2000s, she led the way for women’s rap in the mainstream. And she was controversial as hell because of her sexy and suggestive lyrics.
The best Lil Kim songs of all time show what a skilled rapper she was. She’s underrated, in my opinion. Some might say she was the Biggie Smalls of female rap. And, regarding flow and even lyricism, it’s not an unimaginable thing to say. Lil Kim is one of the greatest female rappers of all time, and here are the Top 42 Lil Kim songs.
Top 42 Best Lil Kim Songs of All Time
1 Queen Bitch
In my opinion, “Queen Bitch” is her best performance as a Hip-Hop emcee. It might not be her most commercial outing or even that well-known outside of the rap industry. But it’s an absolute banger of the highest order.
This track was from her debut studio album Hard Core in 1996. Her lyrics and impeccable flows on this track show that she had some real mastery. You can put the beat and rhymes of this track against any female rap song in history, and it will take some beating.
When I first heard it back in the day…
I naturally assumed that The Notorious B.I.G., who was also her mentor and love interest, had written the lyrics for her. That’s a compliment because it was that good on a technical emcee level. But she wrote the lyrics herself. That blew my mind when I found out.
Sure, the lyrics are dirty as hell, but her flow is tighter than Scrooge on Christmas Eve. Do yourself a favor and listen to this track because it’s one of the best songs by Lil Kim, if not the best.
2 Crush On You (feat. Lil Cease) Remix
“Crush On You” is a classic track from her first album. There are, in fact, two versions of this song. There’s the standard album version that is basically Lil Kim on her own. Then, there’s the remix that features her Junior Mafia stable mate Lil Cease. I suggest you check out the remix instead of the original album version. That’s because having Cease on the track makes it much better, in my opinion.
Biggie Smalls, Lil Kim, and the entire Junior Mafia clique were killing it in the mid-1990s. At the time, you couldn’t listen to Hot 97 radio or even walk down the block without this bumping out of sound systems at all angles.
This was a time when rap music was only just starting to get commercial airplay in the Pop charts. So, in effect, this is an underground Hip-Hop classic with a beat smoother than a baby’s bottom.
3 Lady Marmalade (feat. Christina Aguilera, Mya and Pink)
Most people would feel forced to place “Lady Marmalade” in the top spot on a list of the best Lil Kim songs of all-time list. And, in terms of commercial success, you might be right.
It was a collaboration track from the 2001 Moulin Rouge motion picture soundtrack. And, it was like a who’s who of the female R&B world at the time. Christina Aguilera, Mya, and Pink all featured on the track. Along with Lil Kim, every one of them killed it, like Jeffrey Dahmer.
It was a massive commercial success…
Funny enough, it was a cover version of the 1974 hit song of the same name by the classic R&B group Labelle. The cover version reached #1 in the UK Pop charts, charted high on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts, and performed well across the world. It was nominated for several awards and even scooped a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration in 2002. And it won a bunch of MTV awards in 2001.
4 Magic Stick (feat. 50 Cent)
“Magic Stick” was a big hit and the second single in 2003 from her third studio album, La Bella Mafia. It featured guest vocals on the chorus from 50 Cent. At the time, he was one of the biggest names not just in rap music but in the pop music world. Kim was making a bit of a comeback at the time, and this track helped to put her back on the female rap music throne.
It was one of Lil Kim’s best-selling songs ever and even peaked at #2 on the Hot 100 Billboard Charts in the US. “Magic Stick” spent 24 weeks on the US charts and was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. It was certified Platinum in the United States and did wonders to rejuvenate her career at the time.
5 How Many Licks (feat. Sisqo)
When Lil Kim goes hard, it’s harder than Mike Tyson on steroids in a bad mood. And “How Many Licks” just goes to prove that. Male R&B vocalist Sisqo of “Thong Song” fame sang the chorus to give it a bit more of a mainstream appeal.
But the truth is that the lyrics are filthy and probably shouldn’t be played on the radio in the daytime. The beat goes hard, and the lyrics are harder. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a track that epitomizes Kim’s flow and finesse like this one.
It was released in November 2000 and was a single from her second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M. The song wasn’t as commercially successful as some of her earlier stuff. But, in fairness, it was a bit too hardcore to be a Pop song. It still peaked at #75 on the US Hot 100 Billboard charts, so it didn’t flop. However, it’s still widely regarded as one of the best Lil Kim songs of all time, and rightly so.
6 Big Momma Thang (feat. Jay-Z)
Any longtime fan will tell you how great “Big Momma Thang” was when her debut studio album was launched in 1996. It was and still is one of her classics that has everything that a Hip-Hop fan from the 90s loves. The beat is cool as hell, and the lyrics from Kim are masterfully delivered with a flawless flow.
Can it possibly get any better? Of course, it can because legendary rhymer Jay-Z did a cameo verse on the track that was also fantastic. When you can hold your own on a rap track with Jay, you are a rap emcee assassin of the highest order.
7 Not Tonight (feat. Da Brat, Left Eye, Missy Elliot & Angie Martinez)
“Not Tonight” is like a who’s who of the female rap and R&B world in the late 1990s. It featured other amazing artists such as Da Brat, Missy Elliot, Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopez, and Angie Martinez. This track was made at a time when female rap emcees needed to have the same quality of rhymes and flows as the fellas and didn’t need to be overly sexy and slutty.
This version of the track is a remix that was released in 1997. The original album version only featured Kim and Jermain Dupri. So, it’s the remix that is the best, in my opinion and features that star-studded cast.
8 The Jump Off (feat. Mr. Cheeks)
“The Jump Off” represented a change in her sound. And, if you know your stuff, you’ll immediately identify this beat as a Timbaland production. It was released as the third single from her third studio album in 2003, and it sounded much different and modern when compared to her earlier stuff.
It climbed to #17 on the US Hot 100 Billboard charts. At the time, it was one of the most successful Lil Kim songs. It still sounds great today and rightfully owns a spot on this list.
9 Spend a Little Doe
Long-time Lil Kim fans like me loved the first album. It had that special boom-bap feel that was beginning to become a bit more musical and listener-friendly that was aimed more at the mainstream market. “Spend a Little Doe” is a track from her first LP that was never released. But it really did show her lyric writing skills and her ability to flow.
It’s a great story about a female gangstress that just came out of prison. Her man didn’t send her any money or look out for her while she was inside. It’s a great track that I recommend that you listen to.
10 We Don’t Need It (feat. Lil Cease)
“We Don’t Need It” featured the cool rhyme skills of Lil Cease, and any time these two hook up in the studio, fireworks commence. Again, this is just an album track from her first album. But it could have quite easily been a single. It’s essentially about sex and having multiple love interests at one time without actually loving any of them.
Lil Cease, in my option, is one of the most underrated rappers of all time. And he sounds very similar to Biggie Smalls in terms of voice, flow, and ability. He just didn’t get the kudos he deserved. The way he raps in tandem on this track with Kim is something quite special.
11Crush On You (feat. Lil Cease) Original
12Quiet Storm (Remix) (feat. Mobb Deep)
13Get Money (feat. Junior M.A.F.I.A.)
14Heavenly Father (feat. Macy Gray)
15Whoa
16Drugs (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.)
17Notorious K.I.M.
18Player’s Anthem (feat. Junior M.A.F.I.A.)
19Thug Luv (feat. Twista)
20Freaky Gurl (Remix) (feat. Gucci Mane)
21Slippin’
22Suck My Dick
23Aunt Dot (feat. The Notorious B.I.G.)
24Kimme More
25Slumber Party (feat. Nicki Minaj)
26No Matter What They Say
27Dreams
28Lighters Up (Remix) (feat. T.I., Lil Wayne)
29If You Love Me
30She Don’t Love You
31Tha Beehive
32Kimnotyze (feat. DJ Tomekk)
33Single Black Female (feat. Mario Winans)
34Money Talks (feat. Andrea Martin)
35Download (feat. Charlie Wilson and T-Pain)
36Custom Made (Give It to You) (Remix) (feat. Greg Nice)
37Quiet Storm (Remix) (feat. Lil’ Cease and The Notorious B.I.G.)
38Can’t Fuck With Queen Bee (feat. Maino)
39All Good (feat. Mary J. Blige)
40You Get Dealt With
41Freaky Gurl (feat. Diddy, Keys, Black Rob, G-Dep, Loon)
42Shake Ya Bum Bum (feat. Lil Shanice)
Want More Amazing Hip-Hop Tracks?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best Hip Hop Songs Of All Time, the Best 90s Hip Hop Songs, the Best 2000s Rap Songs, the Best Rap Songs About Money of All Time, and the Best Sad Rap Songs for more banging song selections.
Best Lil Kim Songs of All Time – Final Thoughts
Some people might argue that Lil Kim is the greatest female Hip-Hop emcee of all time, and I wouldn’t argue with that. She is like a female version of The Notorious B.I.G. The likes of Foxy Brown, Remy Ma, Cardi B, and Nicki Minaj all benefited from where Kim took female rap at the time. And they should all be thankful for that.
Lil Kim’s best songs of all time are essentially hardcore rap tracks with a couple of Pop ventures in for good measure. She pretty much had it all and is rightfully seen as the Queen B of rap. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Until next time, happy listening.
