Lil’ Kim

Buoyed by ties to her mentor and rumored lover, the Notorious B.I.G., rapper Lil’ Kim built an early reputation for herself through spicy guest performances on R&B albums before dropping her 1996 debut, Hard Core. She remained a commercial force even after Biggie’s death, though her career was slowed by a 2005 prison sentence for conspiracy and perjury following false statements she made about a 2001 shooting. Last year the notoriously sexualized, tough-as-nails rapper softened her public image by appearing on the reality show “Dancing With the Stars.”