The Meaning Behind The Name Of Lil' Kim's New Album Is A Nod To Hip Hop History

Lil' Kim may have been the only female in her crew back when she was featured on “All About The Benjamins” but now she’s setting sail with her gal pals Mya and TLC's Chilli in Girls Cruise, which debuts on July 15 on VH1. Kim may be showing off her glamorous personal life while traveling the world with friends, but that doesn’t mean she is stepping away from the microphone for good. Lil' Kim’s new album 9 will debut in July around the same time as her reality show, so it's truly going to be a Lil' Kim celebration all month long.

Lil' Kim dropped the news during the 2019 Essence Music Festival where she talked about her new career ventures. She kept the specific date under wraps, but she did confirm that 9 would be released really close to the Girls Cruise debut. Honestly, it makes a lot of sense to drop her album in July to coincide with the publicity of the show. And, it's yet another way to celebrate her recent birthday on July 11.

In her Essence interview, Kim revealed why the number 9 has so much significance in her spiritual and personal life. "Nine is a very spiritual awakening number for me," affirmed Kim. "I'm a very spiritual person. I love my connection with God and this is something that I'm going to be proud of and speak proudly of. My daughter was born June 9th, Biggie passed away on March 9th, there were 9 members of Junior Mafia, and it's 2019."

So, it's clear that this number is the perfect title for what's sure to be a personal album about how her life has changed over the years. Lil' Kim has gone through a ton, including a stint in prison and becoming a mother in 2014. And, she also posted an Instagram flick of her reconciling with her former groupmate Lil' Cease after being estranged for years. She's obviously a new and focused woman who is ready to take over the world. At the end of the interview, Kim promised that there would be great feature artists and said it represented "the next level" of her lengthy career.

Lil' Kim's devoted fan base is extremely excited for the legendary lyricist to bring new music and the perfect summer TV show. Several Beehive members took to Twitter to tell everyone to bow down to the hip-hop icon.

Per Rap Up, 9 is Lil' Kim's first album in 14 years and was previously slated for a May 17 release until Lil' Kim announced a delay, citing an issue with her label as well as Spotify. The rap icon is obviously hype about bringing new music to her fans, so hopefully there won't be any last-minute snafus to rain on her (or fans) parade.

Get ready to live the fabulous life on the couch via Lil' Kim's Girls Cruise show and then go out for fun while listening to 9. All hail the Queen Bee and her epic birthday month takeover.