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But on Monday, her lawyer, Mel Sachs, insisted: "The rap and hip-hop music industry are not on trial here. The musical artist known as Lil' Kim is on trial here. Applying the law to the facts will mandate that she is not guilty."
Prosecutors declined to comment.
In September, one of Lil' Kim's former bodyguards, Suif Jackson, 34, was sentenced to a dozen years in prison after he admitted firing a gun at least 20 times in the incident.
The shootout occurred the same year Lil' Kim won a Grammy Award for her part in the hit remake of "Lady Marmalade." (AP via Yahoo)
After making her presence known on Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s debut album, Conspiracy, Lil' Kim launched a solo career in 1996 with the release of her first record, Hard Core. As the album's title implies, Lil' Kim was a rarity among female rappers — one that not only concentrated on edgy hardcore rap but also explicit sexuality, two territories that had long been the province of male rappers. Of course, Lil' Kim's near-pornographic sexuality and hard-edged rhythms made her an anomaly within hip-hop, but Hard Core proved that she was no novelty, as it garnered positive reviews and strong sales.
A native of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, Lil' Kim was raised by her parents until they split up when she was nine years old. Following their separation, she lived with her father, yet he threw her out of the house when she was a teenager. As a teen, she lived with her friends and, occasionally, on the streets. Eventually, she and her rhyming skills came to the attention of Biggie Smalls, who helped her cultivate her career. Smalls helped her become a member of Junior M.A.F.I.A., and Lil' Kim was a key part of the group's hit debut single, "Player's Anthem." Lil' Kim also made a big impression on the remainder of Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s 1995 debut album, Conspiracy. (A.M.G.)
Lil Kim may go to prison. Jury selected
NEW YORK - A jury was chosen Monday for the trial of rapper Lil' Kim, who is accused of lying to a grand jury investigating a 2001 shooting at a Manhattan hip-hop radio station.
District Judge Gerard Lynch told lawyers opening statements would begin Tuesday.
The rapper, known for her outrageously revealing outfits and sexually charged lyrics, faces perjury and conspiracy charges that carry up to 30 years in prison if she's convicted.
Authorities say the 2001 shooting occurred as Lil' Kim's entourage was leaving the hip-hop station WQHT, or Hot 97, and the entourage of rival rap group Capone-N-Noreaga was arriving. One man in the rival group's entourage was wounded.
Last August, the entertainer, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, complained the case was part of the government's continued indictment against the hip-hop industry.
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