Four of the hottest and most influential women in hip-hop and R&B all converged in a New York City photo studio this weekend.

Aaliyah, Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott, Lil' Kim, and Da Brat posed for photos that will appear in the August issue of "Elle" magazine. The shots will accompany an article about hip-hop's influence on pop culture.

All four artists could be referred to as "divas" in their own right, but in the light of Missy's new single, "She's a Bitch," they don't mind being called something else.

Real Video: "'Bitch' to me is supreme," Lil' Kim told MTV News. "A lot of times people use the word 'bitch' because they can't find a word that's stronger than that. So if you use the word 'bitch,' you know, you mean something when you say that. It's strong, you know what I'm saying? So it's like, when Missy uses it, she's a bitch. And I actually take it like, 'That bitch is hot.'"

"You only think of us as bitches when you're intimidated," Missy added. "Put it that way." [RealVideo]

Missy's album, "Da Real World," is due out on June 22, and Aaliyah is set to start work on a new album. Both Da Brat and Lil' Kim are in the studio now and have records due out in late summer or early fall.

See also: Missy Elliot, Lil' Kim, Da Brat. And don't miss the MTV Online Feature, "Missy Elliott: The Bitch Is Back."

Reprinted from the MTV News Gallery