"She looks like a Sims character": Lil Kim Ebony Magazine cover controversy explained as photographer's response goes viral

Grammy-winning rapper and singer Lil Kim recently came under the spotlight after her picture for the Ebony Magazine cover went viral. The cover image of Lil Kim appeared to be “heavily edited” as per Page Six reports, which made netizens question who was responsible for taking the snap. In fact, an Instagram user called @iamdallasjlogan asked on @ebonymagazine’s post:

“Who photographed this?”

In response, Keith Major (@keithmajor), the photography director of Ebony Magazine, cleared the air by saying:

“Man, she wanted to be in control of the retouching so this is what we got.”

Interestingly, in a few hours, Lil Kim countered Keith Major’s remark and took to her Instagram Story and wrote that she did not approve of the cover image nor any other content that was published, alongside sharing a screenshot of the magazine cover. A part of her statement read:

“It’s the sabotage for me.”

While, so far, it remains unclear which party is telling the truth, netizens have seized the opportunity to make fun of the picture. In fact, one Instagram user commented under the original post, saying:

A netizen trolls the Ebony Magazine cover of Kim. (Image via Instagram/9geriah)

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“Ebony magazine really going forward with this Lil Kim cover?”: Fans troll the rapper’s image on a recent magazine cover

On Tuesday, Ebony Magazine posted the cover of their latest issue with rapper Lil Kim featured on it on their official Instagram page. Tagging her on the post, the caption read:

“There will never be another like Lil Kim – she still is and always has always been “That B*****…. In all her glory, Lil Kim graces our cover as only Hip-Hop royalty can.”

Not only that, but the caption also called her an “OG legend” and asked the readers to listen to “her flow on a track” if they had any doubts about her talents. In addition, it urged fans of the rapper to “pick up the Fall 2023 Hip-Hop 50 commemorative edition” of the magazine and listed the places where it will be available around the world, including USA, London, and South Africa, from September 19 onwards.

Unfortunately, for both Ebony Magazine and Lil Kim, the cover image appeared to be “heavily edited,” making fans wonder who took the photograph. Keith Major, the photography director took to Instagram to clarify that it was Kim who allegedly called all the shots during the photoshoot and accused her of being “in control of the retouching.”

However, Kim seemed to deny the allegation and took her Instagram Story to defend herself. She wrote:

“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. They said they loved it.”

She further clarified by saying that it was her more than the magazine who got sabotaged and said that it was the job of “their retoucher.”

Amid the controversy, fans started to speculate about who really was in charge of the cover shoot. While most speculated it was the Conspiracy rapper, some blamed the magazine as well. There were even other netizens who said both were accountable for the extremely edited and almost unrecognizable photo.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Lil Kim’s look has been a topic of interest. Earlier, in a 2005 interview with Angie Martinez, she admitted to have undergone plastic surgery but explained that it was necessary to cover up her alleged physical abuse from her former boyfriend.

Likewise, in another 2000 interview with Newsweek, Kim admitted on having low self-esteem and cited it as one of the reasons why she kept altering her looks.

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Meanwhile, other rappers also appeared on Ebony Magazine’s covers in honor of the Golden Jubilee celebration of Hip-Hop 50, including Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz, Rick Ross, and 50 Cent, among others. Netizens noted how none of their covers looked as edited as Lil Kim’s.