As the highly anticipated Notorious B.I.G. biopic rolls into theaters nationwide, one star in particular is bracing for her own coming out party of sorts. Naturi Naughton, the beautiful and talented former member of 3LW, takes a daring leap in Notorious by playing Lil Kim in the film. After an early screening, one thing was abundantly clear: this isn’t the same Naughton that we fondly remember playfully singing “No More (Baby I’m a Do Right).” Naughton is all grown up.
For Naughton, the decision to play the Brooklyn-born rapper was a calculated risk, but one well worth it. “This was all definitely an adjustment for me,” she carefully explains. “To play a real-life character is very challenging, because you’re trying to capture this person that everyone knows — how they walk, talk and perform. So the process for me was just really digging deep into who Lil Kim is, and working to recreate that hard-core image that she has always tried to portray. I’m proud of the work that I was able to do.”
Naughton’s ability to tap into the gritty essence of the pint-sized performer was tested from the outset, because her upbringing was a far cry from the hard-core and highly sexualized lifestyle made famous by the rapper. But this huge leap into the sex symbol arena is not one that Naughton plans to back away from anytime soon. “I never saw myself as a sex symbol until I did this role,” she confesses. “So in a way, it helped me become more comfortable with that side of me. Now I enjoy it, and I’m embracing the opportunities that come as a result of it.”
With a role in the movie Fame also on the horizon, as well as a return to stage to reprise her role as Little Inez in the Broadway production of Hairspray, the future looks bright for Naughton. “I’m really happy and excited about the future,” she says with a laugh. “You’ll be seeing a lot more of me in the near future.” –dewayne rogers
