Lil' Kim performs at RISING this year on a tour spanning Hard Core and The Notorious K.I.M. For the broader music community, those two albums reshaped what hip hop could look like for women. Lil' Kim built an identity around sexual autonomy, lyrical precision, and complete ownership of her own image. Hard Core sold millions and proved those things weren't in conflict. The Notorious K.I.M. extended the reach without softening the edges. The result is a body of work that still sits at the foundation of how contemporary hip hop is made.

Supporting the show are Dutty Worldwide, a QTBIPOC-centred collective known for intentional nightlife programming, and Soju Gang, a Gunai/Kurnai, Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri woman and Naarm DJ staple whose sets pull from old school hip hop, R&B, baile funk, jersey club and beyond.