Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Robert Christgau
Entertainment Weekly	A
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide
PopMatters	Favorable
RapReviews.com	7/10
The Source
Spin	7/10

Hard Core is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil' Kim. It was released on November 12, 1996 by Undeas Recordings, Big Beat Records, and Atlantic Records. After achieving a success with the hip hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A. and their album Conspiracy (1995), Kim began working on her solo album with The Notorious B.I.G. serving as the executive producer (besides this, he performed on four songs). She collaborated with a number of producers, such as Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs, Stevie J., David "Ski" Willis and Jermaine Dupri, among others. Other rappers, including Jay Z, Lil' Cease and Puff Daddy were featured on the album. Recording for the album took place from 1995 to 1996, mainly at The Hit Factory studio, in New York City.

The album was notable for its overt raunchy sexual tone and Kim's lyrical delivery, which was praised by music critics and is considered a classic hip hop album.Hard Core debuted at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and number three on the Billboard's Top R&B Albums, selling 80,000 copies in its first week, and reached number 26 of the Canadian Albums Chart. In the United States, Hard Core was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

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