No one does hip hop and fashion better than rap-stress Lil Kim.
The music icon recently revealed that she would be collaborating with streetwear brand, Supreme, on a collection to highlight her debut album, Hard Core, released in 1996.
The collection included a short sleeve button down, a cotton T-shirt, and a skateboard – each featuring the most iconic photo of the rap legend… We think you know which one we’re talking about.
The items also feature a message from the Queen Bee herself. “To Supreme, Love Lil Kim” is written on the front of the T-shirts, while Kim’s lyrics from the “Quiet Storm (Remix),” “Hot Damn Ho Here We Go Again” adorn the back.
The collection was certainly a hit with fans, as Kim took to Instagram to share that “everything sold out in 2 and a half minutes!”. She continued by thanking her fans for their support, and encouraged everyone to keep up their eyes on Supreme’s official Instagram page to stay updated with restock dates.
In an exclusive interview with Essence, Kim revealed that this collaboration with Supreme has actually been in the works since quarantine was in effect. And the hardest part about it all, was the actual use of the iconic image.
“People take my photo and they do what they want with it. There [were] so many Photoshopped versions of that photo. I found that out from the photographer himself because we had grabbed one online and I said, ‘This doesn’t look like the original photo.’ and he was like, ‘Because it’s not.’”
The iconic image of Kim squatting down, wrists resting on her knees, while wearing a leopard print bikini, Patricia Field’s duster, and gold sandals has certainly exceeded any expectations that Kim had for the image when it was taken. The photo now stands as an “emblem of sex appeal and womanist progression” – ironically, the same things that Kim was largely criticized for when the image first went public.
Today, Kim remains thankful for the impact that she’s been able to have on the world and the fans that have been riding with her since she made her debut in ‘96. When asked what she would like people to remember about her style, she replied she wants them to say, “‘Oh that’s a fly ass b—h.’ But it’s true though, I want [them] to be like, ‘Damn, she is fly.’”