Saweetie Argues Lil Kim Had "Best Bar In Female History" On "Not Tonight"

She also named her influences including Missy Elliot, Trina, Nicki Minaj, and Foxy Brown.

BYErika Marie
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The Pretty B*tch Music hype has arrived, and it's looking as if Saweetie is preparing a release that will include a large amount of music. The Bay Area artist is slated to drop her debut studio album this year, and she sat down with Issa Rae for Apple Music's Issa Raedio Show where they talked about the forthcoming album and the women in Rap that Saweetie grew up listening to. She dropped a few names but also shared that Lil Kim's "Not Tonight" bars were some of her favorite.

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"My mom listened to a lot of Lil Kim and Foxy [Brown]. I've always liked their demeanor. Like, their demeanor is just—I know that when they step into the room, like you can just feel that boss-ness. They always just felt so powerful to me," said the rapper. "I love me some Missy. I always tell people, 'If I'm gon' get nasty, I'ma get nasty like Missy 'cause she's always creative and she'll make you think.' That's what I drew from her."

Saweetie added that she also loves "Trina's attitude" and "how comfortable she was in her own body." She also gave praise to Nicki Minaj by saying, "In high school, Nicki dropped like, two or three mixtapes that I just super loved and it opened my eyes to what a modern-day female rapper felt like 'cause everybody else, my aunties or my mom was listening to them, but I discovered Nicki on LimeWire."

She called Lil Kim's "Not Tonight" lyrics "the best bar in female history." Saweetie said, “I like when she says, ‘Tryin’ to impress me with your five G stones / I’ll give you ten Gs, n*gga, if you leave me alone.’ When I heard that, I was like, I felt it. I knew what she meant and that’s just the most boss thing someone could ever say. I love that line.”

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Saweetie also gave some insight as to what fans can expect from Pretty B*tch Music. "It's looking like more than 17 songs," Saweetie revealed. "It's hella long! I'm really excited. I really am... I used to struggle with my sound. I didn’t know how to properly deliver. I didn’t know what inflection was. I couldn’t find producers who made sense with my brand and my voice because all those things work congruently to make a good song."

“Like, I definitely feel like Icy and High Maintenance were highly produced, great sound quality bodies of work, but I still feel like people didn’t understand me," she added. "And while in quarantine people have learned about me through my content. I think this is a time for people to get to know me through my music, which is so important to me."

Watch Saweetie's interview with Issa Rae below.


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About The Author
Erika Marie is a seasoned journalist, editor, and ghostwriter who works predominantly in the fields of music, spirituality, mental health advocacy, and social activism. The Los Angeles editor, storyteller, and activist has been involved in the behind-the-scenes workings of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. E.M. attempts to write stories that are compelling while remaining informative and respectful. She's an advocate of lyrical witticism & the power of the pen. Favorites: Motown, New Jack Swing, '90s R&B, Hip Hop, Indie Rock, & Punk; Funk, Soul, Harlem Renaissance Jazz greats, and artists who innovate, not simply replicate.