Lil Kim has responded to criticism over her most recent magazine cover. The 49-year-old rapper posed for this month’s cover for Ebony Magazine, which caused a stir as many believed the photo was heavily edited.
The cover image shows Lil Kim sitting on the floor wearing a pink silk dress with a matching scarf draped over her head and shoulders. The look was completed with a glamorous crown.
Soon after the cover was unveiled in early September, many criticized the image for being airbrushed, and some oven wondered if it was created with AI (artificial intelligence) technology.
One X/Twitter user said, “This retouch is so bad, I thought it was AI. Somebody pls tell me it is. QUICKLY.”
Lil Kim took to her Instagram Stories to address the cover, writing, “Who is this?! Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they’ve put out.”
Lil Kim continued, “I always told Ebony it looked like a painting but they didn’t wanna listen. They said they loved it. It’s the sabotage for me. The funny s**t about this, is that this is their retoucher!
The legendary rapper appeared to be responding to Ebony’s photography director who shot the cover, Keith Major, who had previously stated of the picture, “Man, she wanted to be in control of the retouching so this is what we got.”
The @LilKim — is and has always been “That B****.” If you’ve ever questioned why Lil Kim is a OG, all you need to do is listen to one of her songs or albums. In all her glory, Lil Kim graces our cover as only Hip-Hop royalty can👑
— EBONY MAGAZINE (@EBONY) September 18, 2023
Grab your issue in stores or on EBONY tomorrow❗️ pic.twitter.com/y86KvNMH2k