It's the rap beef that's the hottest in the streets, but is Lil' Kim really going places with it? This week, the Queen Bee dropped two tracks, "Clap Clap" and a freestyle over Lil' Wayne track "6 Foot 7 Foot." So far, the reception to Kim's tracks hasn't been very kind on the rap blogs. To be fair, rap bloggers are a notoriously tough crowd to please.
Sure, the beef has gotten Kim a lot more attention, but is her increased recognition really just a small nut rattling around in an empty tin can?
Let's look at the stats:
1. Lil' Kim still doesn't have a record deal: After getting dropped by Atlantic Records after her last album Naked Truth bombed, Kim has been without a record label to call home. She was dropping hints more than 6 months ago about possibly signing with Roc Nation, nothing's been confirmed.
2. Lil' Kim hasn't landed any major media from this "beef": Yeah, she got on Hot 97, but only after Nicki did and only as a response to the Nicki interview. Meanwhile, Nicki is on the cover of every magazine and she's just been announced as one of the final musical guests for Saturday Night Live.
3. Lil' Kim hangs out with the little people: As part of her call to arms, Lil' Kim has aligned herself with a group of "independent" rappers that go by the acronym IRS. Ray J is her BFF and she kicked it with YouTube wannabe Keys in a joint diss against Minaj. Meanwhile, Nicki is hanging out with Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. Get on her level.
In other words, while this beef has been good for Lil' Kim's ego, it hasn't brought back her mainstream success in any way, shape or form. Yeah, she might book more club gigs in the hood, but Nicki's doing big venues with bigger dollars. Kim can run with this marketing plan for a little bit longer, but she's gonna have to face reality sooner or later.
