The Naked Truth is the fourth studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim, released on September 27, 2005. The album was released the same week she started her year-long prison sentence for perjury and it was her last studio album released by Atlantic Records before deciding to part ways in 2008. Two official singles were released from the album: "Lighters Up" as the lead single, released in September 2005, and "Whoa", as the second and final single, in February 2006. The Naked Truth remains the only album by a female rapper to be rated five mics by The Source. The album has sold nearly 500,000 copies in the United States.[1][2]
| The Naked Truth | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 27, 2005 | |||
| Recorded | 2004–2005 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 76:31 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Lil' Kim chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Naked Truth | ||||
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Singles
editThe first single taken from the album was "Lighters Up". It was released on September 13, 2005, and was a moderate success, peaking at number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. The second, and final, single from the album was "Whoa". Released on February 7, 2006, it was less successful than its predecessor and failed to make the Hot 100. It did manage to chart in the UK, peaking at number 43.
Promotional singles
editThe first promo single taken from the album was "Shut Up Bitch". For the release the title was censored to "Shut Up". Released to radio on July 12, 2005, the song served as a promotional single for the album and peaked at number 73 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[3] It can be heard at the start of the "Lighters Up" music video. The second promo single was "Spell Check". It was released to US radio as a promo single for the album in December 2005, alongside "Whoa". The song was promoted in the music video for "Whoa" with Kim rapping the first verse and chorus near the end.
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 66/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| The A.V. Club | Favorable[6] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B−[7] |
| The New York Times | Unfavorable[8] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[9] |
| PopMatters | |
| Rolling Stone | |
| The Source | |
| Vibe | |
| The Village Voice | Favorable[14] |
The album received generally positive reviews and was given a score of 66 out of 100 by Metacritic,[4] with 5 star ratings from The Source (in which she became the first and only female rapper to ever receive 5 mics), Vibe Magazine, and The Village Voice, and less than favorable reviews from The New York Times and AllMusic. Blender gave the album four stars, calling it her "strongest work since her pheromone-thick 1996 debut". While the album did receive several 5 star ratings, Pitchfork journalist Jess Harvell, who gave the album a positive 7.8 rating, stated, "The Naked Truth may be better than 80% of the other rap albums to be released in 2005, but that doesn't make it another Ready to Die."[9]
Commercial performance
editThe Naked Truth debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 109,000 copies in its first week.[15] It sold 412,000 copies in the US[16]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | Dan Humiston |
| 0:39 |
| 2. | "Spell Check" | Red Spyda | 3:39 | |
| 3. | "Lighters Up" |
| Scott Storch | 4:23 |
| 4. | "Shut Up Bitch Intro" | 0:56 | ||
| 5. | "Shut Up Bitch" |
|
| 4:19 |
| 6. | "Whoa" |
| Rotem | 4:08 |
| 7. | "Slippin'" |
| Mr. Porter | 4:16 |
| 8. | "Answering Machine Skit 1" | 2:27 | ||
| 9. | "All Good" |
| Jeekyman | 4:31 |
| 10. | "I Know You See Me" (featuring Tiny) |
| Cates | 3:53 |
| 11. | "W.P.I.M.P. Skit" | Dan The Man | 0:30 | |
| 12. | "Quiet" (featuring The Game) |
|
| 4:02 |
| 13. | "Durty" |
| Lovelace | 4:10 |
| 14. | "Answering Machine Skit 2" | 2:23 | ||
| 15. | "We Don't Give a Fuck" (featuring Bun B and Twista) |
| Lovelace | 4:22 |
| 16. | "Gimme That" (featuring Maino) |
| Jeekyman | 4:27 |
| 17. | "Kitty Box" |
| Channel 7 | 3:49 |
| 18. | "Kronik" (featuring Snoop Dogg and Jack Knight) |
| Fredwreck | 4:32 |
| 19. | "Winners and Losers Skit" | 0:57 | ||
| 20. | "Get Yours" (featuring T.I. and Sha-Dash) |
| Cates | 4:09 |
| 21. | "Last Day" |
| J.R. Rotem | 4:29 |
| 22. | "Last Day Skit" | 5:30 |
Sample credits
- "Spell Check" contains interpolations of "Mo Money Mo Problems" by Notorious B.I.G.
- "All Good" contains samples from "Juicy" by Notorious B.I.G..
- "I Know You See Me" contains samples from "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" by The Dramatics.
- "Durty" contains samples from "Wild Bird" by Martha Veléz and elements from "Phunk U Symphony" by Millie Jackson.
- "Kitty Box" contains elements from "Love Buzz" by Shocking Blue.
Personnel
edit- Kimberly "Lil' Kim" Jones – executive producer
- Christopher "The Notorious B.I.G." Wallace – executive producer
- Craig Kallman – executive producer
- Hillary Weston – co-executive producer, manager
- Jean Nelson – co-executive producer, A&R
- Gee Roberson – co-executive producer, A&R
- Dre Weston – A&R
- Kyambo "HipHop" Joshua – A&R
- Lanre Gaba – A&R administrator
- Jamel Jackson – product manager
- Veronica Alvericci – product manager
- Dan the Man for Dan Man Productions – engineer
- Chris Gehringer – mastering
- Will Quinell – assistant mastering engineer
- L. Londell McMillian – legal affairs
- Berdon LLP – business affairs
- Deborah Mannis-Gardiner – sample clearances
- Robert D'Este – photography (cover and page 12)
- Roger Erickson – photography (outside inlay and pages 2–11)
- Patty Wilson – styling
- Kithe Brewster – styling
- Will Robinson – hair
- JJ – makeup
- Andrew Zach – art producer
- Ellen To – art direction, design
- Alex Kirzhner – design
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ Fields, Kiah. "HONORING LIL KIM ON HER BIRTHDAY". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
Naked Truth was released on the first day of her sentence. This album received the coveted 5 Mics from The Source in 2006 and is to date the only female rap album to receive this honor. The album was certified platinum in the year of its release and ranked in at #6 on the Billboard 200 chart. As of 2015 this album has sold 2.7 million albums worldwide.
- ^ Tomlinson, Bee. "Baller Alert's Today in Hip-Hop: Lil' Kim Released 'The Naked Truth". Retrieved September 29, 2017.
The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 156,000 copies in its first week. To this date, it has sold over 2.7 million copies worldwide.
- ^ "Lil' Kim Revealing 'Naked Truth' Pre-Prison". Billboard. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
- ^ a b "The Naked Truth Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ^ Kellman, Andy (September 27, 2005). "The Naked Truth – Lil' Kim". AllMusic. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Rabin, Nathan (October 5, 2005). "Lil' Kim: The Naked Truth". The A.V. Club. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Endelman, Michael (October 21, 2005). "The Naked Truth Review". Entertainment Weekly. No. 846. p. 75. Archived from the original on August 27, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Sanneh, Kelefa (September 26, 2005). "New CD's". The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ a b Harvell, Jess (November 21, 2005). "Lil' Kim: The Naked Truth". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Huff, Quentin (December 20, 2005). "Lil' Kim: The Naked Truth". PopMatters. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Relic, Peter (October 20, 2005). "The Rolling Stone Review: The Naked Truth by Lil' Kim". Rolling Stone. p. 76. Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Harris, Michael "Ice-Blue" (October 2005). "Record Report: Lil Kim – Naked Truth". The Source. No. 192. New York. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
- ^ Conway, Rondell (December 2005). "Revolutions: Lil' Kim – The Naked Truth". Vibe. Vibe Media Group. p. 210. ISSN 1070-4701. Archived from the original on January 29, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ^ Morgan, Joan (November 9, 2005). "From a Different Place". The Village Voice. Vol. 50, no. 45. p. C88. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ Mar, Alex (October 5, 2005). "Gretchen Wilson, Sheryl Crow Are Tops on the Chart". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 16, 2012.
- ^ Crosley, Hillary (January 22, 2008). "Lil' Kim Parts Ways With Atlantic". Billboard. Retrieved April 10, 2014.
- ^ "ネイキッド・トゥルース リル・キムのプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典-ORICON STYLE". Oricon.co.jp. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved February 26, 2012.
- ^ "Lil' Kim Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ "Lil' Kim Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ "Lil' Kim Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
- ^ "Year End 2005 – Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved May 8, 2014.