S. Samuel
Brooklyn rapper Lil' Kim recently revealed how close she came to appearing on Dru Hill singer Sisqo's "Thong Song" smash hit over a decade ago and blamed it on inexperience in the music biz.
According to the Queen Bee, ex-Def Jam executive Lyor Cohen reached out to Kim for an opportunity to hop on Sisqo’s infectious hit in the early 2000’s.
“A long time ago, when I was with Puffy — ’cause Puffy managed me, but he also was basically the label,” she started, before reminiscing, “Puffy was my everything — everybody know that. He did mostly everything for me. But a long time ago [record executive] Lyor [Cohen], and I love Lyor; he was always somebody I looked up to. [He] used to run Def Jam and he also came to my label Atlantic later on so that’s how we got closer. “But before, when [Lyor] was at Def Jam, he called me to be on the Sisqo ‘Thong Song’ and at that time I was trying to be a business woman, but I was a baby,” Kim continued. “I didn’t know what I was doing, so I was listening to whoever was around me that I looked up to. Puffy was giving me all the advice in the world.” (MTV)
Kim said some hardball advice from former manager Diddy led to missing out on the joint record.
At the time, Lil Kim was trying to boost her Junior M.A.F.I.A. pal Lil’ Cease, and her determination to have his back in another set of negotiations eventually led to the missed opportunity. “So I wanted Redman and Method Man to be on Cease’s next single because he had done a record with them and I needed clearance for them and [Lyor] kept telling me ‘no,’ ” she explained. “I’m like, ‘Cease needs this right now.’ … And he was like, ‘But I want you to be on this single that I have with Sisqo coming out.’ The ‘Thong Song’ wasn’t out yet, and I was like, ‘OK, I’ll do it, [if you give me clearance’ [for Cease’s song]. He was like, ‘No.’ ” According to Lil’ Kim, it was Diddy who suggested she play hardball with the record exec in order for both parties to get what they wanted. Kim took the advice but, in the end, Cohen simply let the song come out without her. (MTV)
The “Thong Song” broke numerous records and landed the R&B singer a handful of Grammy nominations in 2000.
“Thong Song” is a song recorded by American R&B artist Sisqó. It was released in February 2000 as the second single from Sisqó’s 1999 debut LP Unleash the Dragon. Thong Song garnered 4 Grammy nominations and numerous other awards as well. The song reached number 2 in the United States, his second highest-peaking song and the biggest hit in the US and major success worldwide, reaching the top 10 throughout Europe and number 1 in New Zealand. (Wikipedia)
Months later, Kim and Sis hooked up for their “How Many Licks” collaboration.
A long four years after making her big, salacious splash on Hard Core, Lil’ Kim returned as a very different rapper on The Notorious K.I.M., and not necessarily for the better. For one, her close friend and collaborator the Notorious B.I.G. had been murdered during the interim. The sad passing heavily informs this glitzy yet ultimately somber album, not only the title but many of the lyrics too. Biggie had played a large role in the success of Hard Core, and his absence here is gaping. Also, the Queen Bitch invites along a host of collaborators to fill the gap left behind by her departed former executive producer. Puff Daddy fills Biggie’s large shoes and unfortunately gives the album the same sort of gaudiness that had marred his recent round of releases on Bad Boy Records, namely his own Forever and Mase’s Double Up. As on those albums, nearly every track on Notorious K.I.M. is helmed by a different producer, many feature a guest, and most make some sort of pop-crossover concession. Sometimes the pop-rap tactics pay off, particularly on “Custom Made (Give It to You),” where the orgasmic moans of Lil’ Louis’ house classic “French Kiss” are looped ad infinitum to impressive effect, and on “How Many Licks?,” where Sisqó trades off one come-on after another with Kim. (All Music)
Check out the “Thong Song” track:
