On this day, Sept. 27, in hip-hop history...

Atlantic
Atlantic
loading...

2005: Lil' Kim dropped her fourth studio album The Naked Truth while incarcerated for perjury on Sept. 27, 2005. The Brooklyn rapper, real name Kimberly Jones, had just begun a one-year-one-day prison sentence that same month, entering a Federal Detention Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 19. Jones had been caught lying to a jury about her friends’ involvement in a shooting back in 2001 outside Hot 97 radio station. Luckily, the judge gave Kim mercy and the Junior M.A.F.I.A. MC avoided a 20-year sentence.

The Queen Bee timed her album release to drop while she was behind bars in order to still be able to generate income while she was away. The Atlantic Records release was fueled by the singles "Lighters Up" and 'Whoa," anthem-like songs that helped Kim's fanbase rally around her in her time of need. "Lighters Up" alone is ceritifed three times platinum. Features on the album include The Game, Bun B, T.I. and Snoop Dogg with production handled be the likes of Scott Storch and Channel 7. The album debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard when it dropped, selling 119,000 copies in its first week.

Though it had a short-lived span on the charts (falling out of the Top 200 after only eight weeks) The Naked Truth received positive reviews from rap critics. The Naked Truth remains one of Queen Bee's most successful releases in the new millennium.

See 20 Great Albums From Female Rappers Over the Years

More From XXL