Female Rapper

Well, there's at least one female rapper who's in a studio these days, not a courtroom or jail cell. Former inmate Lil' Kim is coming out with her first-ever mixtape in advance of an '08 release, reports MTV.com. The pint-size rapstress, who has reteamed with her original business crew, calls her mixtape Ms. G.O.A.T. Kim is again working with Lance "Un" Rivera, who was her original manager, as well as Trackmasters. Old friend Mr. Cee of New York's Hot 97, is putting out the mixtape. "Chillin' Tonight" one of the mixtape's hotter joints has already surfaced on radio around the country. "I never did a mixtape before, so this is like ... a new album," Kim said. "I got my boy Mister Cee. He's been holding it down since the B.I.G. days. He's part of the family.

Kim's last CD, The Naked Truth on Atlantic, suffered when it was released just as she started her one-year federal sentance for perjury in an infamous Hot 97 shooting case. Despite singles like "Lighters Up" and "Dirty," the CD under-performed and Kim no longer has a deal with Atlantic. However, her BET show "Countdown to Lockdown" did so well that it appeared that folks were still interested in the rap star, but no CD was announced after Kim's release in July 2006.

However, it appears the diminutive diva has regrouped and will put out a CD next year on Queen Bee Records in conjunction with Flavor Unit. Despite calling herself the greatest of all time, Kim pays homage to some of the MC's that inspired her career including Mc Lyte, Lady of Rage and Lauryn Hill, by rhyming over some of the tracks that made them famous. She also introduces her own artist, Shamel, who Kim calles a mix between Mase and Fabolous.

"It's a collaboration of freestyles, brand-new songs," Cee told MTV.com. "Shout out to the Trackmasters — they helped put it together. Whoo Kid is ... helping me put the tape together. It's incredible. I don't even think it deserves to be a mixtape. It's like an album."