Following her return from a lengthy hiatus, Lil Kim falls short of the glory on “Nasty One,” her second single of 2018.  

There’s good news and bad news.  First, the good news. Lil Kim is back.  The last studio album from the rapper arrived 13 years in 2005: The Naked Truth.  The album was a bit overrated by The Source at the time, but did feature gems such as “Lighters Up”, “Shut Up B***h”, and “Spell Check”. Even so, none of those three joints matched “Magic Stick” featuring 50 Cent or a personal favorite, “The Jump Off”.  Now for the bad news, her second new single of 2018, “Nasty One” is incredibly underwhelming.

Honestly, everything feels off about “Nasty One.”  Starting with the production, it’s mediocre at best, not sparking Lil Kim in the least.  When a backdrop can’t lift a sketchy record in the least, that’s a definite strike against it. While the cheap-sounding backdrop is unfortunate, it’s not what makes “Nasty One” ineffective.  That’s Kim herself.  The singing is dreadful, particularly early on, lacking clarity, horrible pronunciation, and over-reliance on gimmickry via patois or whatever she’s attempting to do.  This occurs at the beginning of the track, so it totally ruins the record even before she gets to what she does best, rap.  To her credit on the rap, she’s able to spit about her favorite thing – sex. “Thought B.I.G. told you that I’m nasty / Pussy have a n*gga sweatin’ like a athlete…” Still, her prowess in the bedroom can’t save Kim on this one.

Final Thoughts 

Perhaps bloggers, music critics, and music journalists do indeed enjoy the occasional negative scoop every now and again.  That said, when it comes to one of the more notable female rappers of the 90s and early 00s, its disappointing to have to criticize her return after a decade that extends beyond the decade mark.  But, alas, that’s the case with “Nasty One.” The production comes off cheap, Lil Kim isn’t clear or decipherable when she sings, and the rhymes aren’t anywhere near as edgy or gritty as her best.

Lil Kim • Nasty One – Single • Entertainment One • Release: 7.11.18

Photo Credit: Entertainment One