Lil’ Kim is bringing ‘Hard Core’ home to Brooklyn for its 30th anniversary

The rap icon will reimagine her landmark debut with Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra at Kings Theatre.

Lil’ Kim will celebrate three decades of her landmark debut album “Hard Core” with a hometown concert in Brooklyn this fall. The Grammy-winning rapper, whose influence drew a packed crowd at an Apollo Theater celebration, will bring “Hard Core Symphony” to the borough where her Brooklyn roots helped shape her rise.

The special event, titled “Hard Core Symphony,” will take place Nov. 19 at Kings Theatre, People reported. Lil’ Kim will perform reimagined versions of songs from the album alongside Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra, an all-Black ensemble that blends hip-hop and R&B with live orchestral arrangements.

The show marks the 30th anniversary of “Hard Core,” released in November 1996. The album featured guest appearances from The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z, debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for more than 2 million units. “No Time,” the lead single, reached No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its best-known tracks include “No Time,” “Big Momma Thang,” “Crush on You” and “Not Tonight.” The “Ladies’ Night Remix” of “Not Tonight,” featuring Da Brat, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, Missy Elliott and Angie Martinez, climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination for best rap performance by a duo or group.

Lil’ Kim has reflected on creating the album as a teenager without expecting the level of fame or commercial success that followed. In a 2016 interview cited by People, she said she was focused on making music and displaying her talent rather than setting career or financial goals.

Hard Core Symphony gives Lil’ Kim another opportunity to revisit the record that established her solo career, this time with an orchestral reinterpretation in her hometown. Tickets are already on sale for the Nov. 19 performance, three decades after the album’s original release.