Kim Kardashian Ignites 'Blackface' Conversation With Aaliyah Halloween Costume

“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” star Kim Kardashian caused controversy on Twitter with her Aaliyah Halloween costume Saturday. The makeup mogul drew inspiration for her 2017 costumes from music. While she was praised for her rendition Cher, Twitter users were generally not impressed when she dressed up as Baby Girl Aaliyah.

Kardashian, 37, seemingly donned the same wig she used for Cher. She took a video of herself, where she flung her long dark hair backward. She showed off her bold smoky eye. Kardashian donned a thick diamond choker, diamond bra and leather pants, which is the ensemble Aaliyah wore in her “Try Again” video.

Baby Girl Aaliyah pic.twitter.com/5GUHkNJgNi

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) October 29, 2017

“My Halloween theme this year is ICONS! Musical legends!!!” she tweeted Saturday. “Paying homage to some of my faves!”

Kardashian’s post of her Aaliyah costume amassed 28,000 likes and was shared more than 5,000 times. It also sparked hundreds of comments.

Many people were upset the reality star impersonated Aayliah.

Others, however, said there was nothing wrong with Kardashian’s costuming, noting that she didn’t don blackface.

The “Rock the Boat” legend died in a plane crash Aug. 23, 2001 at the age of 22. Eight others were killed in the accident that crashed seconds after taking off from the Bahamas.

She had been filming a music video.

Aaliyah died on impact. The twin-engine plane, a Cessna 402B, exploded 200 feet beyond the end of a runway at Marsh Harbour International Airport on Abaco Island. The aircraft suffered engine failure after takeoff.

“I think Aaliyah was the next Jennifer Lopez, the next Whitney Houston, the next Madonna, the next Janet Jackson,” Emil Wilbekin, editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine, told the Associated Press at the time.

“She was a great dancer, she was a great singer and she had a great attitude and people liked working with her and people genuinely liked her.”

Aaliyah had been performing since she was 15 years old.

“It's just been really amazing to watch her grow,” he said. “Aaliyah really represented for young people someone who was very hard working, someone who was very driven, someone who had this dream being a great entertainer, a singer and an actress. And at the young age of 22, was actually achieving those dreams and was extremely successful.”

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