Rapper Lil’ Kim has denied claims made by Ebony magazine’s photographer that she approved a heavily retouched EBONY magazine cover.
After receiving backlash for looking nearly unrecognizable in the image due to some extreme airbrushing, the singer, 49, accused the publication of ‘sabotage.’
‘I always told Ebony it looked like a painting but they didn’t wanna listen. They said they love it,’ the New York native wrote on her Instagram Story. ‘The funny s**t about this, is that this is THEIR retoucher!’
Keith Major, the publication’s director of photography, however, claimed Lil’ Kim ‘wanted to be in control of the retouching.’
Nearly unrecognizable: Rapper Lil’ Kim has denied claims made by Ebony magazine’s photographer that she approved a heavily retouched EBONY magazine cover
Upon the release of the cover on Monday, Lil’ Kim made it clear to her Instagram followers that she was not happy with the final results.
‘Who is this?’ she wrote on her Instagram Story. ‘Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they’ve put out.’
The mother-of-one also shared the cover photo that she did allegedly approve of, which was incredibly similar, but had some slight differences in the skin tone, contrast and brightness.
After a side-by-side of the cover and image that she ‘approved’ were uploaded to The Shade Room’s Instagram, reality star Mehgan James weighed in on the conversation.
‘As a photographer and expert editor, the saturation and a FEWWWW editing differences are apparent, but this is the exact same photo! Kim, even if the approved [came] out its would stillllll be what it currently is,’ the podcast host said.
Speaking out: After receiving backlash for looking nearly unrecognizable in the image due to some extreme airbrushing, the singer, 49, accused the publication of ‘sabotage’ (seen in 2000)
‘Who is this?’ she wrote on her Instagram Story. ‘Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they’ve put out’
A bit different: The mother-of-one also shared the cover photo that she did allegedly approve of, which was incredibly similar, but had some slight differences in the skin tone, contrast and brightness
Over the years, the Magic Stick star’s looks have changed a lot since appearing on E!’s Hollywood Medium in 2017.
In the episode, the rapper had a noticeably rounder face compared to the sharp chin she now sports.
Kim first got her nose done in the Nineties after having it broken by an abusive ex-boyfriend.
‘I have low self-esteem and I always have,’ she told Newsweek in 2000.
‘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 I can I compete with that?” Being a regular black girl wasn’t good enough,’ she continued.
Over the years, the Magic Stick star’s looks have changed a lot since appearing on E!’s Hollywood Medium in 2017; seen in 2021
Kim also admitted to getting breast implants in the same interview, revealing that the surgery resulted in ‘the most pain’ she’d ever experienced in life.
‘But people made such a big deal about it. White women get them every day. It was to make me look the way I wanted to look. It’s my body,’ she said.
The hip-hop legend hasn’t released any new music since 2019, when she dropped her fifth studio album, 9.
Although it was her first album not to make the Billboard 200, it received positive reviews from critics.
Changing looks: Kim previously revealed that she first got her nose done in the Nineties after having it broken by an abusive ex-boyfriend (pictured in August 2023)
In 2019, she appeared alongside fellow music superstars Chilli and Mya in VH1’s Girls Cruise.
The reality series was a major hit for the network, premiering to 1.2million viewers and winning praise from TV critics.
According to recent reports, her next career move will be a tell-all memoir about her life in the music industry.
In March, Spotify awarded her with the Women in Hip-Hop Fashion Icon award for her impact on the fashion industry.
