The Queen Bee, Lil' Kim turns 43 years old today (July 11).

Lil' Kim became a superstar in the mid-to-late 90s, when her slick and her sexually charged lyrics put every other over-confident man in the game in check. Lil Kim and the Notorious B.I.G. were a power duo before the rapper's untimely death in 1997. Junior M.A.F.I.A.'s "Get Money" still rings off in clubs and "Player's Anthem" is a classic.

Kim's debut Hard Core sometimes gets derided for Biggie's writing credits (He penned 10 of the album's 16 tracks), but it was her dominant persona that pushed the album toward classic status. To further nullify that argument, Lil Kim had several hit features after Biggie's passing.

The Brooklyn rhymer's most well-known include Diddy's "It's All About The Benjamins," The L.O.X.'s "Money, Power, Respect" and "Lady Marmalade" alongside, Christina Aguilera, Pink and Mya. Lil' Kim also had two more hits with 2003's "The Jump Off" and 2005's "Lighters Up."

Kim's icon status in hip-hop hasn't diminished over the years. She still gets cheers every time she rocks the mic.

Watch Lil Kim's "No Matter What They Say" Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcZoqpJ1PYs

20 Rappers & Singers Who Disappeared From the Spotlight