Lil’ Kim Album Art Stolen? Reddit User Samantha Ravndahl May Sue Rapper Over Artwork

Lil’ Kim is in hot water with Redditors after she released the mockup for her next album cover. It’s not that the cover isn’t edgy or interesting; Reddit users actually went wild for the photo, when it was released by the girl who took it. But that person was not Lil’ Kim.

According to a Reddit thread posted by a user named Samantha Ravndahl, who identifies herself as a makeup artist from Vancouver, Canada, the photo originated from a makeup tutorial she posted on her website over a month ago. It was featured in a Halloween-themed post titled “Halloween How To: Pop Art Zombie” that she shared on her website, BatALashBeauty, as well as on Reddit and Instagram, and offered detailed instructions and photographs for how to recreate her “Glam Zombie” look.

Here’s what the final effect was:

And here’s the album art for Lil’ Kim’s new single, “Dead Gal Walking.”

Lil’ Kim even shared the photo on her Instagram account after apparently throwing a copyright watermark on top of it. But that addition reportedly didn’t fly with the beauty blogger, who brought her case to Reddit. Samantha wrote that she had spoken with members of Lil’ Kim’s team, and asked them to remove her photos but that they refused to.

“I have spoken with a lady on her team as well as her manager, which has done a whole lot of nothing,” she wrote in a comment. “I've reported the photos on Facebook and Instagram multiple times, but they are continually posted. Anyone have any thoughts on what to do here?”

Reddit users swarmed the thread with supportive advice and suggestions. Commenters overwhelmingly encouraged the original poster (OP) to consult attorneys and sue the singer. “Don't publish anything else about this until you have consulted an attorney.

/lawyer,” one Redditor wrote. “DOCUMENT EVERYTHING! Every date, time, e-mail, facebook message, text-message, reddit post etc. Your own documentation is your ammunition,” another wrote.

In the comments section, users debated over the context of the photo and whether it constituted a violation of fair use, which most agreed it did. Samantha eventually wrote back in the thread, saying that she had set up an appointment with an attorney, and thanked Redditors for their advice.

“Honestly, I can't believe how much the people who follow my work have stood up for me over this, it's amazing,” she said.

But the fight hasn’t ended there. Commenters have also flooded the comments section of Lil’ Kim’s song on TwitMusic and on her Instagram account.

Her instagram posts containing the allegedly repurposed photo included: “This image was STOLEN,” “Lil Kim complains about copyright theft. Lil Kim steals makeup artists work. Irony at its best,” and “Despicable. Way to lose sales and fans.”

Lil’ Kim has not yet commented on the controversy.