Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1975 in Brooklyn, New York), better known as Lil' Kim or Queen Bee, is a Grammy Award winning American rapper and actress signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. She is known for her sexually explicit lyrics and for being one of the most prominent female rap artists of her time. She began her career with Junior M.A.F.I.A., whose album Conspiracy generated three hit singles. Her debut solo album, Hard Core, was released in 1996 and she followed this with 2000's The Notorious K.