21 PLEASURE PRINCIPLES | Day 12 | Lil Kim

Parental Advisory Pleasure Muse: Lil Kim    Tantalizing Trivia: She is the original “Queen Bee”, also known as the Queen of Rap and The First Lady of Rap.  At 14, because of a tumultuous relationship with her father, she left home and started living on the streets; later she would drop out of high school for a short time, before enrolling  in the same school where fellow rappers, Nas and Foxy Brown were attending. By 19 she was a starring member in the rap group, Junior Mafia, the next year she went solo, with the highest debut of any female rap artist at the time.  In 2005, she was convicted on perjury charges regarding a 2001 shooting outside a New York radio station. She eventually served one year in prison.  Her entire career has been steeped in controversy. Some say her highly sexualized image and lyrics are seen as manifestations of the sexist, misogynistic ideologies embedded in rap culture. Others consider her a feminist, sec-positive icon who has empowered women to step into their sexual power and own a new image for themselves.    Mirror Work: Make yourself the object of your own desire.  Enjoy a post-shower love-fest of your body. Standing in the mirror,  admire all of your dips, dimples and curves. See the sexiness in your survival, in your suppleness, in your self-love and adoration.  Affirmation: I am proud to be a sexual being. I safely explore and embrace my sexual desires without guilt or shame.  Banish Shame:  A Playlist    Self-Care Shopping List: Good books to get you started on your journey to banishing shame.  Longing to Tell: Black Women Talk About Sexuality and Intimacy, By Tricia Rose  Stolen Women: Reclaiming our Sexuality, Taking Back Our Lives, By Dr. Gail Wyatt  When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, By Joan Morgan    “The streets made me. They stay at me. There's nothing that's gonna take away from my legacy. I'm sorry. It is what it is. I'm dying this way. With the crown on my head, nobody can take nothing away from me. It is what it is. I am who I am. Bottom line.” - Lil Kim  Didn’t catch the live recording of today’s episode? We don’t want you to miss out on getting the full experience. Check out the opening and closing songs below. Opening ⁠Song⁠ Closing ⁠Song