How Many Licks?

"How Many Licks?"
"How Many Licks?"
Single by Lil' Kim featuring Sisqó
from the album The Notorious K.I.M.
Released	November 21, 2000
Genre	Hip hop; funk; dirty rap;
Length	3:52
Label	Queen Bee; Atlantic;
Songwriter(s)	Kimberly Jones; Mario Winans; Mark Andrews; Sean Combs;
Producer(s)	Mario Winans; Sean Combs;
Lil' Kim singles chronology
Sisqó singles chronology
Music video
	"How Many Licks?" on YouTube

"How Many Licks?" is a song by American rapper Lil' Kim featuring vocals by American musician Sisqó from Lil' Kim's second studio album, The Notorious K.I.M. (2000). Mario Winans and Sean Combs produced the song, and wrote it with Lil' Kim and Sisqó. The hip hop song samples the Knight Rider theme song, with lyrics expressing a woman's desire for oral sex and her sexual relationships with a variety of men. The chorus is a reference to the advertising slogan for Tootsie Pops. A remix by the Neptunes has additional vocals from American artists Kelis, Lil' Cease, and Snoop Dogg. "How Many Licks?" was released as the second and final single from The Notorious K.I.M. on November 21, 2000, by Queen Bee Entertainment and Atlantic Records.

"How Many Licks?" was praised by music critics after its release and in retrospective reviews; the Neptunes remix also received positive reviews. However, African-American studies professor Mark Anthony Neal criticized the song's treatment of black female sexuality. Commentators compared Trinidadian-American rapper Nicki Minaj's 2014 single "Anaconda" to "How Many Licks?". "How Many Licks?" peaked at number 75 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and charted in several other countries, but was not as commercially successful as Lil' Kim's previous singles.

The song's accompanying music video was directed by Francis Lawrence and features the singer as a sex doll in three separate sexual fantasies. Sisqó did not appear in the video due to conflicts with his record label Def Jam Recordings. Although music critics praised the visual, its treatment of sexuality elicited varied opinions from academics. It was also compared to music videos by other artists, including Minaj's "Stupid Hoe" (2011) and American rapper Missy Elliott's "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" (1997). In addition to the video, Lil' Kim promoted "How Many Licks?" with live performances.