To no one’s surprise, Lil Kim and Miss Elliot are Cancers. There were only two things I wanted for my seventh birthday in 2002: A boombox that played CDs, and Missy Elliot’s Under Construction album. The fourth studio album of the eclectic rapper went double platinum on the US Billboard charts and triple, quadruple platinum in my bedroom.
It was the first hip-hop album I owned. It’s not a surprise that the Queen B of hip-hop, Lil Kim, dropped La Bella Mafia the following year. Fueling my next obsession. Here are three reasons why this dynamic duo is the Cancer that every Cancer sign should aspire to be.
1. Both Have Been Underestimated & Voices for Body Positivity.
Being ruled by the moon, the Cancer zodiac sign represents everything about the divine feminine. We live in a society that teaches us that womanhood is supposed to look a certain way. A “real” woman is pretty, proper, and prudish. Too sensitive for this tough world and definitely not strong enough to defend themselves. I mean, in a 1999 interview with Interview Magazine, Lil Kim told Anita Sarko:
“Friends of mine said to Biggie (Lil Kim’s lover, mentor, and #1 hater in my opinion), ‘You know, Kim knows how to rap.’ He was like, ‘Please! She’s too cute to know how to rap.’”
These stereotypes are constantly being associated with Cancer, but both Missy and Kim show us that’s the furthest from the truth. The 90s and early 2000s were the peak of the video vixen era. Music videos and lyrics that went along with them mostly catered to the male gaze and listeners.
Missy Elliot didn’t have the conventional body that fit into that standard, and she was heavily criticized for her appearance. So, what did she do? Dropped the video for Superfly, where she made her body look even bigger by wearing an inflatable suit, and rapped about no one being able to touch her style. We love a Cancer who can make a point!
2. They Created Their Own Lanes.
“It girl” was once a term exclusively used to describe supermodels and pop stars. Enter Lil Kim. Again, the hip-hop scene was male dominated during this era, so female rappers dressed like their male counterparts. Baggy jeans, snapbacks to the back, and long sports jerseys were staples in hip-hop fashion. Lil Kim showed that you can still have hard-hitting, gritty lyrics while dressed in see-through or sequined designer labels.
Today, it’s not unusual to see major fashion houses dress rappers for the Met Gala or red carpets, but in the ’90s, these two worlds didn’t collide until Lil Kim. When it comes to dressing like a Cancer, it’s all about statement accessories, vintage pieces, and the color lavender—all of which a Cancer like Lil Kim has worn and made iconic.
“After I came out with Hard Core (her debut album), I had to ask, ‘What am I doing that everyone likes so much?’ It took me almost three years to realize the answer: I was just being myself. Now there are so many women out there who are doing what I did. But I’m Lil Kim. I’m the one who started all this.” -Lil Kim
Missy Elliot also knows a thing or two about being the first. In 2023, she became the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her inductee, Queen Latifah, called Missy Elliot, “avant-garde without even trying. Cancers are the first water sign in the list of water signs. Meaning they are the beginning of something new. Something different. Missy Elliot and Lil Kim embody this because they’ve led the way in every route the two decide to take.
3. They’re Loyal Friends.
Missy Elliot was a big fan of Lil Kim before they became friends themselves. Being a trendsetter herself, Missy recognized and respected a fellow disruptor of the peace. Today, their friendship spans decades, and they often refer to one another as sisters.
Cancers (usually) get along with other Cancers, and they also see their friends as family. Together, the elevated Cancers that are Missy Elliot and Lil Kim have battled personal battles, made their marks in one of the most influential musical genres in the world, inspired artists across every medium, and done so on their own terms.
