With hip hop recently commemorating its 50th anniversary, EBONY came thru and featured the Queen Bee, Lil’ Kim, on the cover of its celebratory issue.
However, the cover photo sparked some commentary that prompted photography director Keith Major to chime in. Soon after, Lil’ Kim and her team entered the chat, accusing the publication of not going with the approved photo.
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The Conversation Started Right After EBONY Shared The Cover Photo
EBONY unveiled the cover earlier this week, and it paid homage to Lil’ Kim’s impact on the genre.
Donning a golden ivy crown and dressed in light pink while surrounded by neutrals, the cover featured her majestically posing for the noteworthy occasion.
Beneath The Shade Room‘s upload to highlight the cover, users shared their reactions. One Roomie going by @cassygram penned, “HEAVYYYYYYY on the editing lol.”
Similarly, @underground_nyc remarked, “They could’ve went alittle lighter on the photoshop…….”
Another user, @trishaan1720, declared that the image was “giving AI.”
Keith Major Chimes In & Lil’ Kim Says The Image Wasn’t “Approved”
In response to some of the chatter, Keith Major responded to a user and stated, “Man, she wanted to be in control of the retouching, so this is what we got.”
This comment swiftly picked up steam among users, leading to the “How Many Licks?” rapper acknowledging the matter on her Instagram Story.
Over a screenshot of the image, Lil’ Kim stated, “Who is this?! Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they put out.”
After calling the decision “sabotage,” she wrote, “The funny s**t about this, is that this is THEIR retoucher.”
More Commentary & Reactions: “That’s The Same Picture”
After Lil’ Kim spoke out, a member of her team chimed in and said they supposedly have “receipts” to confirm the story before declaring, “We definitely didn’t choose that other flick.”
Here is a side by side comparison of the photo Lil Kim says she approved versus the published photo . (📸: @ebonymagazine) ✍🏾: #TSRStaffST https://t.co/y2PzMwBDjL pic.twitter.com/HLHE0BROJb
— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) September 20, 2023
It’s worth adding that Lil’ Kim also shared a comment from a user going by @rayeesuh, who describes herself as Lil’ Kim’s “digital media manager.”
She pushed back against Keith’s statement by saying his “photos exposure was so low [they] couldn’t even salvage them.”
The user also shared, “I heard you got fired after this s**t. Let’s talk about that, sir.”
Lil Kim also shared a comment from someone who claimed ebony’s photography director, Keith Major, was fired over this debacle 👀 pic.twitter.com/WRJIhAS2Xo
— Tamantha 👸🏾 (@Tamantha_5) September 20, 2023
While it’s unclear if there’s any validity to this claim, LinkedIn suggests that Keith Major’s time at EBONY ended in July.
Regardless of who was behind the decision-making, though, some Roomies commented on the apparent lack of a difference between the two images in question.
Beneath one of The Shade Room‘s Instagram posts on the situation, @luvin_sofiamarie wrote, “Girllll bye that’s the same picture one on an android the other on a iPhone..cut it out..”
As for @m_liz_v, she declared, “Girl you don’t even look like you in either one lol.”
Another Roomie going by @helpfulhandsmarci called the matter a waste of time.
“Not she just wasted our time. Girl this the same but different color filter. Y’all let’s go to bed.”
