Lil’ Kim’s latest magazine cover has garnered major attention online in the worst way possible.
Although the ’90s rap icon is known for transforming her physical appearance every now and again, many observers believe she went overboard with her latest look.
The “Crush On You” lyricist took fans by surprise after Ebony magazine dropped its “Fall 2023 Hip-Hop 50” cover, which featured Lil’ Kim front and center. She looked regal as she posed while sitting on the ground wearing a pink silk outfit with a gold leaf laurel wreath on her head.
While the outlet decided to show love to one of rap’s female pioneers, several critics online suggested that the photo did not accurately represent her actual appearance.
In the image, the “Gang of Roses” actress’ face appeared to be meticulously smoothed out, with her nose, jawline and cheekbones seemingly sharper than the usual selfies shared on her Instagram page. Her skin also appeared to be a tad bit lighter and smoother than fans are used to seeing.
Many social media users called out the publication for seemingly airbrushing the photo of Lil’ Kim, so much so that she looked unrecognizable.
“Lik Kim ain’t even looking like lil Kim no more.”
“As a publication, you should know what’s unacceptable. this cover is not it and doesn’t represent Kim or the magazine well.”
“This GOTTA be AI cuz that look nowhere near Lil Kim.”
One fan even called out the photographer, writing, “Who photographed this?”
To commenters’ dismay, the director of photography for the shoot, whose name is Keith Major, stepped up and gave a little bit more insight as to why Lil’ Kim’s picture looked heavily altered.
“Man, she wanted to be in control of the retouching so this is what we got,” he replied.
Major has photographed several celebrities, and often uploads his work to his Instagram page. He’s done several covers for Ebony over the years. This time, his photos of Lil’ Kim didn’t appear to make the cut with fans.
RELATED: Lil’ Kim’s New Selfies Have Fans Doing a Double Take
Hours after Major’s explanation, Lil’ Kim decided to address the hearsay surrounding her alleged decision for heavy retouching of the cover image. However, her recollection of how things went down at the shoot differed from the photographer’s.
The “Magic Stick” hitmaker posted an Instagram story that read, “Who is this?! Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they’ve put out. I always told Ebony it looked like a painting but they didn’t wanna listen.”
She continued, “It’s the sabotage for me. The funny s–t about this, is that this is THEIR retoucher!”
Lil’ Kim also re-posted a screenshot from a woman named Raisaz who called out Major for being dishonest about what happened behind the scenes.
“@keithmajor How about we talk about how your photos exposure was so low we couldn’t even salvage them. At the end of the day it was EBONY’s retouchers who edited the photo. I also heard you got fired after this s–t. Let’s talk about that sir,” her post read.
Lil’ Kim wrote, “Thank U @rayeesuh talk that real s–t !” over her screenshot.
Public analysis of Lil Kim’s physical appearance has been common. Over the years, fans have seen her skin complexion become lighter, her round face more chiseled and her button nose tweaked.
RELATED: Rapper Lil’ Kim’s ‘Self-Esteem’ Called Into Question With Latest Photos
Nevertheless, the 49-year-old has never shied away from speaking out about having multiple plastic surgeries. In a 2000 interview with Newsweek, Kim even confessed to having low self-esteem due to past relationships.
“I have low self-esteem and I always have,” she said. “Guys always cheated on me with women who were European-looking. You know, the long hair type. Really beautiful women that left me thinking, ‘How can I compete with that?’ Being a regular black girl wasn’t enough.”
Though the mother of one might not have had the most confidence when she was younger, her influence as an artist definitely paved the way for other women to have a voice in a male-dominated industry.
Additionally, her iconic red-carpet looks and luxurious fashion sense are often duplicated and honored through trendy videos, fashion shows and other star-studded events.
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