La Bella Mafia
Encyclopedia
La Bella Mafia is the third studio album
by rapper Lil' Kim
, released March 4, 2003 on Atlantic Records
. It debuted at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart, selling 166,000 in its first week and reached number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart. A commercial success, La Bella Mafia was certified platinum
by the RIAA
and has sold over a million copies worldwide.
The album produced two singles that attained Billboard
chart success. Lead single "The Jump Off
," peaked at number 16 on the U.S. Billboard
Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart
chart. The second single "Magic Stick
", featured 50 Cent
, peaked at number two on the Hot 100, becoming Kim's highest position on that chart.
and severed ties with all members. She also ended her friendship and business relationship with longtime collaborator Sean "Diddy" Combs after he abandoned her when her second album The Notorious K.I.M. —on which he served as executive producer— received a lukewarm reception.
Recording sessions for La Bella Mafia began in the spring of 2002. In April 2002, Lil' Kim stated in an interview that she had begun working with Dr. Dre
in the recording studio. She told MTV, "I've been talking to Dre a lot. And Dre and I are talking about possibly doing some collaborations. He's a cool cat. I love Dre. Our chemistry in the studio was just like, cool. We've been working, you know, trying to cook up some things." Kim also stated that she wanted to work with Eminem
, Timbaland
, and The Neptunes
.
The original title for the album was Hollyhood (which was also set to be the name of her clothing line and to her skit), but changed the title to La Bella Mafia (which in Italian means 'Beautiful Mafia') after watching a film of the same name about a family of mob widows who seek revenge for the murders of their mobster husbands. She stated, "Any girl who's strong and very dedicated to what they do and don't take no mess, they can be a part of La Bella Mafia."
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, and at number-five on the official Billboard 200
, with a successful first week sales of 186,000 copies — less than half 55,000 then her previous effort, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000), and ultimately a little over spent 29 weeks on that chart.
The album has sold more than 1 million copies domestically, and receive a platinum
certification by the RIAA. Outside the States, it opened at number 81 on the Switzerland
chart while spenting seven weeks on the charts and number 105 on the French
chart.
Altogether La Bella Mafia spawned two singles: The lead album's first single, "The Jump Off
" peaked in the top-twenty on the U.S. Billboard
Hot 100 chart with a peak position of number 18, becoming Kim's biggest single since her 1997's "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)". It also reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
chart, number 7 on the Hot Rap Tracks
chart, and number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart
chart. The second single, "Magic Stick
", featured 50 Cent
, peaked in the top-ten on the Hot 100 chart reaching number 2, becoming Kim's biggest and highest single on that chart. It also reached number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. "Thug Luv", featured Twista
reach number was serviced to U.S. radios only. It reached number 60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot Rap Songs.
critic Jason Birchmeier stated her previous album The Notorious K.I.M. was considered a "disappointment" as a follow-up to her debut album Hard Core and La Bella Mafia reestablished her as an "industry icon". Nick Catucci, a critic for Spin Magazine, who gave the album 3 stars claimed, "The King is dead - long live the Queen."
Stylus magazine critic Brett Berliner gave the album a B+ calling the album "one of the top hip-hop albums of 2003" and said, "Kim is now in a class of female MCs that includes only Rah Digga
and MC Lyte
- and she's more confident, funny, and sexy than any of them". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
gave the album 3 stars stating the album was her "most consistent effort to date," and added the album "plays like one giant bravado about everything: fame, money, power, sex, clothes, rhymes."
Critics were also impressed with her lyrical ability. Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone
gave the album 3 stars stating, "When she really gets her hands dirty, Kim sounds more forceful and engaged than she's been in years." However, some critics felt the album was too long and contained too many fillers. Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic stated the album could use a little "trimming". Brett Berliner of Stylus Magazine said, "I enjoy about eight songs on this album, but they're tracks I only feel like listening to from time to time".
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by rapper Lil' Kim
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones , better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and actress who was a member of the group Junior M.A.F.I.A.....
, released March 4, 2003 on Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
. It debuted at number five on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling 166,000 in its first week and reached number four on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. A commercial success, La Bella Mafia was certified platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
and has sold over a million copies worldwide.
The album produced two singles that attained Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
chart success. Lead single "The Jump Off
The Jump Off
"The Jump Off" is a Lil' Kim song. It is the first single on her multi-platinum album La Bella Mafia . The song is produced by Timbaland and features Mr. Cheeks for background vocals. The single debuted at number 95 and climbed into the Top 20 at #16....
," peaked at number 16 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
chart. The second single "Magic Stick
Magic Stick
"Magic Stick" is a hip hop song performed by rapper Lil' Kim, written by the featuring rapper 50 Cent . It was produced by Carlos "Fantom of the Beat" Evans for her third studio album La Bella Mafia .-Background:The song was originally written for 50 Cent's album Get Rich or Die Tryin as a duet...
", featured 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, peaked at number two on the Hot 100, becoming Kim's highest position on that chart.
Background
In late 2001, Lil' Kim left Junior M.A.F.I.A.Junior M.A.F.I.A.
Junior M.A.F.I.A. is an American hip hop group from Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. The acronym M.A.F.I.A. stands for Masters At Finding Intelligent Attitudes. They were formed and mentored by New York rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., in the early 1990s and released their debut album,...
and severed ties with all members. She also ended her friendship and business relationship with longtime collaborator Sean "Diddy" Combs after he abandoned her when her second album The Notorious K.I.M. —on which he served as executive producer— received a lukewarm reception.
Recording sessions for La Bella Mafia began in the spring of 2002. In April 2002, Lil' Kim stated in an interview that she had begun working with Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
in the recording studio. She told MTV, "I've been talking to Dre a lot. And Dre and I are talking about possibly doing some collaborations. He's a cool cat. I love Dre. Our chemistry in the studio was just like, cool. We've been working, you know, trying to cook up some things." Kim also stated that she wanted to work with Eminem
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
, Timbaland
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley , better known by his stage name Timbaland, is an American record producer, songwriter and rapper....
, and The Neptunes
The Neptunes
The Neptunes are a record production duo consisting of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, who are credited with contributing the sound for many successful hip hop, R&B and pop artists in the late-1990s and 2000s...
.
The original title for the album was Hollyhood (which was also set to be the name of her clothing line and to her skit), but changed the title to La Bella Mafia (which in Italian means 'Beautiful Mafia') after watching a film of the same name about a family of mob widows who seek revenge for the murders of their mobster husbands. She stated, "Any girl who's strong and very dedicated to what they do and don't take no mess, they can be a part of La Bella Mafia."
Commercial performance
La Bella Mafia debuted at number four on the U.S. BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, and at number-five on the official Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, with a successful first week sales of 186,000 copies — less than half 55,000 then her previous effort, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000), and ultimately a little over spent 29 weeks on that chart.
The album has sold more than 1 million copies domestically, and receive a platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
certification by the RIAA. Outside the States, it opened at number 81 on the Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
chart while spenting seven weeks on the charts and number 105 on the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
chart.
Altogether La Bella Mafia spawned two singles: The lead album's first single, "The Jump Off
The Jump Off
"The Jump Off" is a Lil' Kim song. It is the first single on her multi-platinum album La Bella Mafia . The song is produced by Timbaland and features Mr. Cheeks for background vocals. The single debuted at number 95 and climbed into the Top 20 at #16....
" peaked in the top-twenty on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 chart with a peak position of number 18, becoming Kim's biggest single since her 1997's "Not Tonight (Ladies Night Remix)". It also reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart, number 7 on the Hot Rap Tracks
Hot Rap Songs
Rap Songs is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States. It lists the 25 most popular hip-hop/rap songs, calculated weekly by airplay on rhythmic and urban radio stations and sales in hip hop-focused or exclusive markets. From 1989 through 2001, it was based on how much the single...
chart, and number sixteen on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
chart. The second single, "Magic Stick
Magic Stick
"Magic Stick" is a hip hop song performed by rapper Lil' Kim, written by the featuring rapper 50 Cent . It was produced by Carlos "Fantom of the Beat" Evans for her third studio album La Bella Mafia .-Background:The song was originally written for 50 Cent's album Get Rich or Die Tryin as a duet...
", featured 50 Cent
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III , better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, investor, record producer, and actor. He rose to fame with the release of his albums Get Rich or Die Tryin and The Massacre . Get Rich or Die Tryin has been certified eight times platinum by...
, peaked in the top-ten on the Hot 100 chart reaching number 2, becoming Kim's biggest and highest single on that chart. It also reached number 2 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart. "Thug Luv", featured Twista
Twista
Carl Terrell Mitchell , better known by his stage name Twista, is an American rapper. He is known for once holding the title of fastest rapper in the world according to Guinness World Records in 1992, being able to pronounce 598 syllables in 55 seconds...
reach number was serviced to U.S. radios only. It reached number 60 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and number 14 on the Hot Rap Songs.
Critical response
La Bella Mafia was released to generally positive reviews. All MusicAll Music
All Music was an Italian free-to-air television station which mainly broadcast music videos and music programs. Originally called Rete A, the name was changed to Rete A - All Music , and for a brief period was affiliated before with MTV Italy and after with VIVA.-History:In late 2004 the former...
critic Jason Birchmeier stated her previous album The Notorious K.I.M. was considered a "disappointment" as a follow-up to her debut album Hard Core and La Bella Mafia reestablished her as an "industry icon". Nick Catucci, a critic for Spin Magazine, who gave the album 3 stars claimed, "The King is dead - long live the Queen."
Stylus magazine critic Brett Berliner gave the album a B+ calling the album "one of the top hip-hop albums of 2003" and said, "Kim is now in a class of female MCs that includes only Rah Digga
Rah Digga
Rah Digga is an American rapper. Well known as a long time member of the Flipmode Squad, a hip hop group led by Busta Rhymes, she parted ways amicably with the group in 2007. She has been called "one of rap's most prominent women MCs" by Allmusic and "one of hip-hop's most skilled female MCs" in...
and MC Lyte
MC Lyte
MC Lyte is an American rapper who first gained fame in the late-1980s becoming the first solo female rapper to release a full album with 1988's critically acclaimed Lyte as a Rock.-Early life:...
- and she's more confident, funny, and sexy than any of them". Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
gave the album 3 stars stating the album was her "most consistent effort to date," and added the album "plays like one giant bravado about everything: fame, money, power, sex, clothes, rhymes."
Critics were also impressed with her lyrical ability. Jon Caramanica of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album 3 stars stating, "When she really gets her hands dirty, Kim sounds more forceful and engaged than she's been in years." However, some critics felt the album was too long and contained too many fillers. Jason Birchmeier of AllMusic stated the album could use a little "trimming". Brett Berliner of Stylus Magazine said, "I enjoy about eight songs on this album, but they're tracks I only feel like listening to from time to time".
Track listing
Sample credits
- "Juicytro" contains a sample of The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
's "JuicyJuicy (The Notorious B.I.G. song)"Juicy" is a song by hip hop artist The Notorious B.I.G. and his solo debut single from his 1994 debut album Ready to Die. It was produced by Poke of Trackmasters & Sean "Puffy" Combs. Its melody is sampled from Mtume's "Juicy Fruit", and has an alternative chorus sung by R&B girl group Total...
". - "Hold It Now" contains a sample of Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
's "Paul Revere". - "Can't Fuck with Queen Bee" contains an interpolation from the hit Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
song "FreeFree (Deniece Williams song)"Free" is a popular song by Deniece Williams which was included on her album This Is Niecy. Written by Williams, Hank Redd, Nathan Watts and Susaye Greene and produced by Maurice White and Charles Stepney...
" - "Shake Ya Bum Bum" contains a sample of Saregama India Ltd's "Hum".
- "The Jump Off" contains a sample of The Lost BoyzThe Lost BoyzThe Lost Boyz is a hip hop group from South Jamaica, Queens, New York. The original group members were lead MC Mr. Cheeks, backup MC and promoter Freaky Tah , DJ Spigg Nice and Pretty Lou.-Recording career:...
's "Jeeps, Lex, Coups, Bimaz, and Benz". - "This Is a Warning" contains a sample of R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
's "A Women's Threat". - "Magic Stick" contains a sample of B.B. King's "The Thrill Is Gone".
- "Get In Touch with Us" contains a sample of Saregama India Ltd's "Zindagi Ban Gaye To Tum".
- "Heavenly Father" contains a sample of The O'JaysThe O'JaysThe O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
's "A Prayer". - "Came Back for You" contains a sample of Irene ReidIrene ReidIrene Reid was an American jazz singer.Reid was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia. She sang in church and in high school in Georgia, and moved to New York City in 1947 after her mother died. Toward the end of 1947, she tied out for an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, and won the...
's "Didn't We".
Leftover tracks
- "Knock 'Em Out the Box" (featuring Method ManMethod ManClifford Smith , better known by his stage name Method Man is an American hip hop artist, record producer, actor and member of the hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the rap duo Method Man...
) - "Back Together Again" (featuring The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
) - "Flow So Sick" (featuring Ice Drake)
Chart
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany Albums Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
82 |
| French Albums Chart | 105 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 81 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
5 |
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
4 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States | Platinum RIAA certification In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards... (RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... ) |
Personnel
- Executive Producers: Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones & The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
- Associate Producers: Hillary WestonHillary WestonHillary Weston is the former longtime manager and friend of female American rap artist Lil' Kim.Weston has served as associate producer on three of her albums - The Notorious K.I.M., La Bella Mafia, and The Naked Truth...
& Jean Nelson - Queen Bee A&R: Jean Nelson & Dre Weston
- Atlantic A&R: Huston "Hutty" Miller
- Atlantic A&R Administrator: Lanre Gaba
- Atlantic A&R Coordinator: Chris Wade
- Queen Bee Project Manager: Jamel "Mann" Jackson
- Atlantic Project Manager: Joi Brown
- Album Assistant Engineer: Greg "Gee" Stewart
- Management: Hillary Weston
- Legal Affairs: L. Londell McMillan, P.C.
- Business Affairs: David Berdon LLP & Co.
- Album Sequencing: DJ 45 & Dan "The" Man
- Cover Photo & Photos 1, 2: Vincent Soyez
- Hair: Tre Major
- Makeup: JJ
- Styling: Derek Lee and Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones
- Prop Stylist: Linda Keil
- Jewelry: MiMi So
- Additional Jewelry: Prestige Diamonds
- Photos 3, 4: David LaChapelleDavid LaChapelleDavid LaChapelle is a photographer and director who works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique, sexualized, and often humorous style.-Early life:...
- Hair: Cessy Lima
- Makeup: Scott Barnes
- Styling: Andrea Leiberman
- Jewelry: Diamond Quasar
- Art Direction: Lynn Kowalewski
- Design: Kevin Wolahan