Loder: You know what's really interesting -- your mother is in your video [for "No Matter What They Say"]. How is your relationship?

Kim: That's my best friend. I love my mother. [We've had] a best-friend relationship since I can remember.

Loder: Not everybody can say that.

Kim: That's true. That's the one thing that I love. My mother is the best, and I'm living now so that she can live. I'm working so she can live. I want her to have the nicer things in life, and I want her to enjoy herself. [RealVideo]

Loder: What have you bought for her? You got her a car or something like that?

Kim: Yeah, yeah, she has a Mercedes. She has her own allowance, and she can do whatever she wants to do. She takes trips when she wants, and I'm building her a house. She wants to move to the Poconos. I don't want her to move to the Poconos.

Loder:The Poconos?!

Kim: Yes! She wants a house out there so bad, I'm building it.

Loder: Where did this idea come from?

Kim: I don't know. I'm gonna ask her, "Mom, can you find somewhere where it's nice and warm all the way around?" But whatever she wants, she can have.

Loder: Are you still in contact with your dad?

Kim: I haven't spoken to my dad in years. On Father's Day, I really wanted to call him. I had no numbers on him. However, he did call my mom around Father's Day and left his number. Actually, he didn't leave his number, he just left where he would be staying. And, he was only there for a few days. So I don't know. I said to myself, "One day I'm going to call him."

Loder:You think that relationship might be repaired somehow down the road, maybe?

Kim: Yeah, definitely. I love my dad. Things happen in life. Everything isn't perfect. God understands that. I'm very spiritual, and one day I'm looking to be reunited with him, I'm sure. My father's a very good person. We're both the same sign, and that sometimes does not work.

Loder: What sign is that?

Kim: I'm a Cancer.

Loder: No.

Kim: Yeah. What's your sign?

Loder: [Laughs] Huh? What?

Kim: What's your sign?

Loder: Oh, don't ask me that. That's terrible. There are some mentions of Foxy Brown on the album. Do you get along, you two? Or not, I should say, probably...

Kim: Personally... um... ah... to mention her name would give her too much props.

Loder: Oh, okay. Do you think your lyrics have changed since the last album? That you've become a little less in-your-face?

Kim: Well, I don't think it's really changed. I think I've just made a change as far as in which way music is going. To me, I'm just doing something different, that's all. And I still have those hardcore songs [where] the lyrics are very explicit and just right in your face. I had to do that for my fans. Not only that, but I love doing those kinds of songs.

This time around, I think I wanted to experiment more on a creative side. I did a song with a little girl. At the time that I did it, almost two years ago, I didn't really hear or see too many people putting out little kids and stuff like that. But now I have this creative side.

This album to me is more creative and more versatile than my last album. I think that's what people have been looking for. My whole image, to me, the reason why I came out with "Hard Core," the sexy thing, was to make me different from every other female rapper that was out. That's exactly what I'm trying to do now, is make myself different, because now we have a lot of rappers doing the same thing that I did when I came out the first time. What I'm trying to do is separate myself again from the rappers that are out now.

Loder: You'll be wearing stuff buttoned up to the neck and down to the floor soon.

Kim: No, I don't think I'm gonna cover up any time soon.

For more Lil' Kim check out Lil' Kim A to Z.