Thirstory: Lil’ Kim’s Louis Vuitton-Stamped Legacy

Welcome to Thirstory, where we whet your appetite with pages from the Interview archive that were almost too hot to print. This week, we revisit Lil’ Kim’s Louis Vuitton-stamped legacy. 

Within seconds of pressing play on the “WAP” music video, it’s clear that our ladies of the hour, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, are in the Lil’ Kim version of Graceland. The camera zooms past a dribbling water fountain, carved in the shape of the two rappers squatting in Kim’s signature pose. But that’s not all; throughout the video, there are countless homages to the artistry and aesthetic of Queen Bee, from Cardi’s rock-studded nipple pasties to the animal print palettes to the gilded glamour of the Willy Wonka-style mansion. 

As Cardi and Megan peek into the different rooms on the video’s set, I instantly imagined Kim’s November 1999 photoshoot taking place behind one of the doors. Perhaps one of Interview’s most iconic covers, photographer David LaChapelle’s Louis Vuitton-monogrammed portrait of the Grammy Award-winner is a feast for the eyes. Coupled with Markus Klinko’s inside portfolio of the rapper, the prints are equal parts style and seduction, just as titillating as they were over 20 years ago. Now, please stand by for our official petition for a “WAP” remix featuring none other than the Notorious K.I.M.