Lil Kim Preps First Memoir ‘The Queen Bee’

Lil Kim has announced that her long-awaited first-ever memoir, The Queen Bee, is set to arrive this fall.

“I’m excited to finally get to tell my story after all this time,” the rapper said in a statement to People. “Many people have thought they knew the story of Lil’ Kim, but they have no idea.”

Written with author Kathy Iandoli, The Queen Bee tells the story of Kimberly Denise Jones from her childhood in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy to her teenage years with the Notorious B.I.G. to her Junior M.A.F.I.A. tenure to her own pioneering career as a female rapper.

The Queen Bee will be published November 2nd via Hachette Books; the memoir is available to preorder now in hardcover, ebook and an unabridged audiobook

“Lil’ Kim not only blazed trails for women in hip-hop, but also inspired the careers of those who followed,” Hachette Books said of the memoir (via People). “However, life at the top hasn’t been easy, either. Lil’ Kim also talks about the hidden moments of her reign: her complicated high-profile relationships, the misogynistic industry she fought to change through sex positivity, the challenging double standards of self-image and beauty in the spotlight, and the momentous act of loyalty that ultimately landed her in prison.”

Lil Kim last released her album 9 in 2019. That same year, the rapper was given the I Am Hip Hop Award at the 2019 BET Hip Hop Awards, where she performed a career-spanning medley and paid tribute to Notorious B.I.G. during her acceptance speech.

“I don’t know if ya’ll know what it’s like to have an angel following you all the time, but that’s Biggie,” Lil Kim said. “I’m gonna always love him and I’m gonna always ride for him. I don’t play about him. That’s just what it is: Brooklyn.”