Lil' Kim Says Charges Are 'Witch Hunt'

NEW YORK (AP) — Rapper Lil' Kim, whose perjury trial is set for early next year, says the charges against her are a "witch hunt against the hip hop industry."

Prosecutors say she lied to a grand jury investigating a 2001 shooting allegedly involving members of her entourage. One man from a rival rap group was injured in the shooting.

Her former manager and co-defendant, Damion Butler, has been indicted for allegedly shooting a weapon during the incident and is serving a prison term on unrelated weapons charges.

Lil' Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, is accused of telling the grand jury that Butler was not present during the 2001 shooting. She is charged with conspiracy, perjury and obstruction.

"I am completely innocent of the charges I have been accused of, and am very confident that my co-defendants and I will win this case in the courtroom," she said in a statement. "This case is a witch hunt against the hip hop industry."

Lil' Kim won a Grammy Award for her part in the hit remake of "Lady Marmalade" in 2001.