Pretty Dope Sh*t: Lil Kim at The Gramercy Theatre

Lil Kim is "The Queen B" for a reason. When she hits the stage, it's like her album just dropped. It's like she's setting the standard - again. I was blessed with the opportunity to attend her performance at The Gramercy Theatre on April 26th. of a particular breed of female: one who can do what men do, sometimes better than he can.The issue is, Kim survived the game better than her man did. I can never look at Kim and dismiss the hardships she's faced. She gave herself to a lifestyle that didn't really wanted her body more than her art. Still, she prevailed. As Kim has said for herself, "A queen is not a queen because she has not failed. A Queen is a queen because failure has not stopped her." The most beautiful thing about Kim is that she was so human.

Hitting the stage in a tighter-than-skin one piece, Kim ripped it - literally. What Kim fans are afraid to say is anything that will make you think that she isn't that bitch. True Kim fans are loyal and too busy yelling "We love you, Kim!" to tell you that both the sleeves of Kim's bad ass get-up ripped close to the beginning of her performance. "I'm drunk," she muttered after the first song, motioning backstage for another drink who provided her a water bottle for the rest of the night. Although this is the truth, please understand that the full truth, is that Kim held herself amazing during her performance, because a Queen always pulls through. She was so classy.

Does anyone think about Kim without thinking about Nicki Minaj? Better question: Does anyone think of a female emcee without thinking about Kim? My issue is I can't think about Kim without thinking about BIG. The reality of her life is that she gave herself to her art, which she thought would bring her and the ones she loved out of the slums that made them. She's lost a lot. You could see her eyes watering on stage as she told the crowd how beautiful they were and how much she appreciated performing for New York. Meanwhile, the man she loved most wasn't there, physically, with her. You wonder what she goes home to , but it doesn't matter. It's none of our business. On another end, any female coming up in the game is compared against her and the foolish ones attempt to destroy her empire instead of securing their own. When Kim hit that stage, she was Kim. & it was my first time seeing her. But she loved being up there. In the middle of the music, she'd smile. She'd pop that, talk shit and laugh. The interludes were the saddest, because in any spare moment, you can't help but to remember who Kim is an all that she has lost in this game. But... they say you've got to lose some to win some.

God Bless you, Kim.

We love you.