There’s no denying the impact that rapper Lil’ Kim has had on the new generation of female MCs, with everyone from the “Queen” herself, Nicki Minaj, learning a thing or two from the “Queen Bee.” While Lil’ Kim’s legacy is set in stone in the history of rap, the Brooklyn native has for years endured ridicule from the public over her changing looks, mainly her facial features.
When the “Hard Core” MC first started in the game with her debut project in 1996, she was a beautiful dark-skinned Black woman. Lil’ Kim more than held her own in the male-dominated hip-hop industry as she carved out a lane for herself with her risqué lyrics and edgy style.
However, as the years went on, Kim’s appearance changed as she transitioned from her darker complexion to unrecognizable features with a lighter tone in the early 2000s.
By the late 2000s, her look had changed entirely, and she shocked fans with a collage of photos of herself on Instagram in 2016 in which she appeared pale while rocking blond hair.
Fans were concerned about the “Crush on You” MC, and the collage of photos are no longer posted on her official Instagram page.
But last week Kim garnered some praise for a new look that some Instagram users claimed resembled the old Kim a tad bit. The “Big Momma Thang” recording artist rocked a simple half-up, half-down hairstyle, a black crop jacket, and white jeans. Her makeup was simple and highlighted her features.
“This is the best I’ve seen her in a long time. 😍.”
“Finally, she looks normal again 😍.”
“This is how her makeup should look every time 👏🏾.”
“I like this face 😍; I hope she doesn’t change it again 😩.”
“I wish she knew how pretty she was before she got surgery .. she still pretty tho.”
“She’s cute right here.”
Some fans claimed Kim resembled Nicki Minaj in the pic, and overall she was met with encouraging words on self-love from social media users.
After her 2016 collage of selfies derailed, Lil Kim confessed, “All my life men have told me I wasn’t pretty enough — even the men I was dating. And I’d be like, ‘Well, why are you with me, then?'”
“It’s always been men putting me down just like my dad. To this day, when someone says I’m cute, I can’t see it. I don’t see it no matter what anybody says.”
Lil Kim even detailed her abuse during her relationship with the late rapper Biggie Smalls. As she revealed on a 2017 Hot 97’s “Ebro In The Morning” radio interview, the two had a turbulent love affair.
“We did have a very violent relationship. I hate that for a while that was all I attracted: violent [men]. It is what it is,” she said. “He was everything. You know how it is when you’re in the industry: The guys can do whatever they want, but you can’t do sh–. You can’t do nothing.”
The Bad Boy Records artists continued with their affair even after the MC married R&B songstress Faith Evans, who is of a lighter complexion.
While Kim struggled with what appears to be self-hate and colorism, hopefully, she has found peace within herself and self-love.
