Album: Black Friday

Introduction
"Black Friday" is a mixtape by American rap artist Lil' Kim, released on February 14, 2011. The title is a direct referral to the shopping occasion that takes place every Friday after Thanksgiving, as well as a dig at fellow rapper Nicki Minaj's 2010 album "Pink Friday". The mixtape's release was accompanied by a high level of anticipation and speculation, as it was mostly seen as Lil' Kim's action to the growing fight between her and Minaj. With a total of 23 tracks, "Black Friday" includes partnerships with a number of artists, consisting of Fendi, Lucrative, and fellow Junior M.A.F.I.A. member Lil' Cease.

Background and Release
The fight between Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj dates back to 2010 when the former took offense to a few of the latter's perceived slights and disses, asserting that Minaj was imitating her style without providing proper credit. The mixtape's title and cover art, which portrayed Lil' Kim standing triumphantly over a dismembered Barbie doll-- an allusion to Minaj's modify ego, "Harajuku Barbie"-- signalled that the project would serve as an opportunity for Kim to air her grievances and assert her dominance in the rap game.

"Black Friday" was released separately through Lil' Kim's own imprint, International Rock Star Records, and was provided for purchase on PayPal at the rate of $9.99. The rap artist declared that the mixtape sold over 113,000 copies within 24 hours, although this claim has been disputed by some outlets, who reported that PayPal was not able to process the sale of that numerous digital releases during that timeframe.

Music and Lyrics
The mixtape opens with the title track, "Black Friday", an aggressive diss track focused on Nicki Minaj. Over an ominous beat produced by Lil' Lody, Lil' Kim takes shots at her rival with lines such as "I'm turning Pink Friday to Friday the 13th". The mixtape also includes a mix of initial tracks and freestyles over beats from pop music by other artists, such as Kanye West's "Monster", which is used as the critical for the track 'Kimmy More'.

"Black Friday" primarily explores themes of self-confidence, empowerment, and self-assertion, with tracks like "Pissin' on Em" and "Haterz" providing a braggadocious showcase of Lil' Kim's lyrical prowess and relentless self-confidence. The mixtape likewise sees Kim exploring her sexual magnetism and womanhood on tracks like "She Devil" and "Warning (Remix)".

Reception
"Black Friday" received mixed evaluations from critics, who were divided on the mixtape's overall quality and its efficiency as a diss towards Nicki Minaj. Some applauded Lil' Kim's steadfast self-confidence and creative wordplay but criticized the job for its absence of cohesion and uneven production. Others felt that the mixtape succeeded in proving that Lil' Kim was still a force to be reckoned with in the rap world.

Despite the blended vital reception, "Black Friday" reinforced Lil' Kim's fan base and led to a resurgence of interest in her music, which culminated in a much-publicized handle Universal Music Group later that year.

Tradition
"Black Friday" stands as a considerable release in Lil' Kim's career and is, to this day, typically discussed in conversations of her discography and her feud with Nicki Minaj. The mixtape acted as a suggestion of Lil' Kim's capability to captivate listeners with her bold lyrics and unapologetic character, more sealing her status as one of hip-hop's most enduring and prominent female artists. As the years have passed, the fight between the 2 artists has actually seemingly cooled, but the mixtape remains a testimony to the strength of the competition at that time.