At 2 p.m. today, Lil' Kim will report to jail in the Center City district of Philadelphia's Federal Detention Center to serve a one year and a day sentence for perjury and conspiracy.

Kim aka Kimberley Jones, 30, will join a small group of women serving sentences at the minimum security Federal Detention Center. The majority of the jail's 1,100 inmates are men and women awaiting criminal trials. The jail, which opened in 2000, stands 11 stories high, including 628 cells.


Sources say Federal prison officials selected the jail for Kim this past Friday. Kim was initially believed to be headed to a low or minimum-security federal camp. Officials reportedly considered sending Kim to Danbury, Connecticut or Alderson, West Virginia, where domestic diva Martha Stewart served a five-month sentence for lying about a stock sale earlier this year.


According to Michelle Brix, 29, a woman who spent one week in the jail for blocking a federal building during an anti-war protest last year, "It's one of the most degrading places I've ever seen." Brix described the inside of every cell as dull-gray and metal. Brix told the New York Post that inmates only got one hour of recreation in large cages one hour every weekday and are locked in 80-square-foot cells the rest of the time.



This past March, the Brooklyn rapper was convicted of lying to a grand jury in relation to a 2001 shooting outside of New York's Hot 97's radio station in which Kim's crew confronted Capone and Noreaga's team about the group's song, "Bang Bang" where Kim's rival Foxy Brown took shots at the Queen Bee. Moments into the confrontation, shots were exchanged and one man was injured.

Kim's former manager Damion "D-Roc" Butler and former bodyguard Suif "Gutta" Jackson pleaded guilty to gun charges related to the shooting. When questioned by the grand jury of her knowledge of individuals involved in the shooting, Lil Kim lied and said Butler wasn't present at the time of the shooting and that she didn't know Jackson.

Kim spent time with close friends at her two-story Alpine, New Jersey residence this weekend and took the opportunity to put some more work in before surrendering. Via her home intercom, Kim told the Post, "I'm not interested in talking, baby" this past Saturday. Later that day, the Queen Bee reportedly went to Manhattan's Club Deep to do an interview for a Hip-Hop documentary. But apparently, Kim pulled a no-show at a scheduled video shoot in Downtown Jersey City late Saturday. The video shoot was located on Greene Street and was to feature fake New York City police cars and a police van. The clip was supposed to spoof Kim's real life issues. A slew of off-duty police officers were also on hand to work on the video.


"She never showed up," Jersey City Police Capt. John Short told The Jersey Journal. "We stayed until 4 in the morning. We don't know why she didn't come."


Meanwhile, word is Kim's final days of freedom were captured by cameras and will be part of an upcoming reality show. Tentatively titled, "Lil' Kim Goes To The Big House," five networks are reportedly interested in acquiring the show. The show is produced by Tracey Edmonds, the wife of singer/songwriter producer Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and producer of Showtime Network's "Soul Food." The show will also serve to promote Kim's new album.


Barely a week into prison, Kim's fourth album, The Naked Truth will hit stores next week, Tuesday. The LP was initially slated to hit stores September 13th, but was later postponed until September 27th.


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XXL Magazine is slated to release its first album this November with contributions from Eminem, 50 Cent, Trick Daddy and Fabolous among others.

The publication inked a deal with independent label Razor & Tie Entertainment to release the XXL Raps compilation. In addition to the previously mentioned artists, members of G-Unit and Terror Squad will also be featured on the CD. The record will be available in stores and through direct response commercials on TV.

"It has such good repertoire and XXL is becoming so prominent in the Hip-Hop world," stated Cliff Chenfield, co-owner of Razor & Tie.

Though XXL Raps will mark the mag's first album, the publication has diversified its portfolio into other strategic partnerships. XXL recently partnered with Slim's Shade 45 radio channel for a one time issue, XXL Presents Shade 45. With his Ego Trip collective, the mag's Editor-In-Chief, Elliot Wilson, has teamed up with VH1 to present Ego Trip's TV's Illest Minority Moments in 2003 and Race-O-Rama in early 2005.

XXL Magazine's XXL Raps is slated to hit stores November 15th
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Underground standout Jean Grae has officially left Babygrande Records to join Talib Kweli and his manager Corey Smyth's Blacksmith Music.

Word is Blacksmith and Babygrande have reached an agreement on a buyout that will allow Grae to record with Blacksmith. As previously reported by SOHH.com, Kweli recently inked a deal with Warner Music for his Blacksmith imprint.

In an appearance on "Rap City: The Basement" this summer, the Brooklyn emcee revealed his intentions on signing Jean Grae, MF Doom and Rakim.

After signing to Babygrande back in 2003, the African-born New York City raised emcee dropped the Bootleg of the Bootleg EP in 2003 followed by This Week in 2004. She also released Attack of the Attacking Things on Third Earth Music back in 2002.

"Jean Grae is an incredibly talented MC and her time is now. We are honored to have played a role in her development and have full confidence that Blacksmith Music will enable her to thrive at the major label level," stated Babygrande CEO Chuck Wilson
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