1.16.2026
Chicago’s Queen Key Makes A Statement With HARD, Her New Mixtape, Inspired by Lil’ Kim
Paying Homage to Lil’ Kim’s 1998 Classic Hard Core, and Featuring a Sample Of “Big Momma Thang” on the Tape Intro, Queen Key’s New Mixtape Delivers 9 Unapologetic and Unfiltered Bangers For Her Fans
HARD Arrives In The Wake of the Success of Key’s “Hell Woods” Single and GloRilla-Featuring Remix
Critical Praise:
“The raunchy Chicago rapper is unfiltered and unbothered.” – Pitchfork
“When she’s rowdy and audacious, Queen Key is exhilarating. But her jokey swagger and hard persona is almost like a setup for the true pay-off: when Key bares her heart.” – Pitchfork
“Some people are bestowed royalty — others take it. The next generation of women eyeing rap’s throne is growing and Queen Key is a name you should know.” – Billboard
“Queen Key is Chicago’s hilarious new rap star” – The FADER
“Chicago rap star Queen Key succeeding on her terms, with a feminist mindset” – Chicago Tribune
The Mixtape:
Known for her raw lyricism, infectious charisma, and sharp sense of humor, Queen Key is coming for her rightful place on the throne. Paying tribute to rap’s original Queen Bee, the legendary Lil’ Kim, the Chicago native releases HARD, a new mixtape full of unapologetic, no-holds-barred bangers. With cover artwork pays tribute to Kim’s 1998 classic Hard Core, Key’s HARD mixtape is available on all platforms via her own Empressiv Ent.
Queen Key sets the tone with the tape’s opening track, “Big Mami,” finds Key styling atop a sample of Hard Core highlight “Big Momma Thang.” The song’s bouncy, guitar-led beat adds a new color to the Chicago rapper’s palette, bringing a sense of East Coast swagger that suits her brand of smack talk: “N****s be quiet, my b*tches start riots/F*ck with us, tough luck, b*tches dyin’/You wanna be Miss Queen Key but you can’t be…that’s why you mad at me,” she spits, echoing Kim’s famous hook.
After “Big Mami,” HARD settles into a groove, returning to the drill-influenced soundscape that has come to define Key’s sound. “TURNT SH*T ONLY” flips a slowed sample of City Pop classic “Mayanaka No Door” into an imperious drill stomper, adding menace to Key’s tough talk. “SLIP N SLIDE” salutes another of Key’s faves, Trina, with an X-rated salute, while “WENT QUEENSH*T” gives Key the opportunity to go crazy atop the beat from fellow Chicago native Babychiefdoit’s “Went West.” The nine-track tape is home to recent single “BBOF” (“Broke B*tch On Facebook”) and features a guest appearance from DSCO on “TRICK DA KUCCI.”
HARD continues Queen Key’s trailblazing independent path through the music industry. She first emerged as a teenager in Chicago, making noise in her talent-rich city with her blunt lyrics and frank discussion of power dynamics. Her breakout tape was 2017’s Your Highness, home to singles like “Baked As A Pie,” “Exposed,” and “Hit A Lic.” Your Highness and subsequent albums–including the confrontationally-titled EAT MY P*SSY, home to massive hit “My Way” (46 million streams)–earned praise from Pitchfork, Billboard, The FADER, Chicago Tribune, and many others. Key’s single “Hell Woods,” from her 2023 EP Surviving Queen Key, caught fire on TikTok, generating over 75k video creations on the platform and racking up over 10 million streams on Spotify. In February, she united with GloRilla for “Hell Woods 2,” a hard-hitting remix.
With HARD out now, and much more music on the way, Queen Key plans to make 2026 her own.
Stream HARD: https://onerpm.link/223128490344
Watch “WENT QUEENSH*T”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQemNRfazxc
HARD tracklist:
- BIG MAMI
- TURNT SH*T ONLY
- GETTIN TO IT
- SLIP N SLIDE
- WENT QUEENSH*T
- BBOF
- EPISODE 5
- TRICK DA KUCCI ft. DSCO
- HOE IS U COOL
Photo credit: @projectzeezy
Please contact Michelle or Kevin for more info.
The Background:
Many want the crown, but very few are dubbed a Queen. When Queen Key emerged on the scene nearly a decade ago, she had already laid a foundation of making music since she was a child. The Chicago native has remained consistently fierce, bold, unapologetic, and authentic. Her gift of galvanizing crowds has remained her handshake, and now with her latest release Hard, she pays homage to Hip-Hop royalty who inspired her journey: The Queen Bee, Lil’ Kim. As Queen Key continues to elevate, the sky is the limit for this superstar in the making.
Links:
instagram | tiktok | youtube | spotify
HARD: https://onerpm.link/223128490344
“BBOF”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DkQtYztwl0
“WENT QUEENSH*T”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQemNRfazxc
“Hell Woods 2” ft. GloRilla: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwSRnwRbsP0