Lil Kim Gets “Hard Core” Empire State Building Tribute For 30th Anniversary
Originally published by AllHipHop Read the original
Lil Kim will have the Empire State Building glowing pink for the 30th anniversary of Hard Core, the album that launched her solo career.
The building’s official lighting calendar confirms the tribute for Thursday, November 12, under the listing “In Celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Lil’ Kim’s Debut Album HARD CORE.”
That skyline salute comes just before Kim takes the anniversary celebration back to Brooklyn for two nights at Kings Theatre.
Her Hard Core Symphony concerts are scheduled for November 18 and 19, with Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra joining her onstage.
The dates expand the plans AllHipHop covered when Kim first announced the orchestral concert in August.
That announcement offered one November 19 performance, while the venue’s current schedule gives fans a second chance to catch the show a night earlier.
The music will come from an all-Black ensemble that brings Hip-Hop and R&B together with live orchestral arrangements.
Concert plans call for songs including “Big Momma Thang,” “Crush On You,” “No Time” and the “Not Tonight” remix, alongside material from her wider catalog.
The musicians have performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Apollo Theater during more than 25 years together.
Hard Core arrived in 1996 with The Notorious B.I.G. serving as executive producer, and the album earned double-platinum certification.
Kim kept that commercial run going with two more platinum albums, The Notorious K.I.M. in 2000 and La Bella Mafia in 2003. Her early singles run also delivered three consecutive No. 1 hits on Billboard’s rap chart.
The Empire State Building connection also reaches back to the rapper who helped introduce her to a national audience.
In 2022, AllHipHop reported plans for a Biggie 50th-birthday salute featuring red and white lights with a crown display. Kim was among the guests announced for that ceremony alongside Lil Cease and members of Biggie’s family.
For her own anniversary shows, fans will hear those records in a black-tie setting rather than a standard concert presentation. Kings Theatre requires formal attire for the performances at 1027 Flatbush Avenue, with both shows starting at 8 p.m.
Doors open at 7 p.m. for both of the Brooklyn concerts.
