Lil' Kim on TIME Cover … And She's Asian!

Mainstream news publisher uses hip hop reference to lampoon Korean political enigma and media piñata, renaming him after a badass black female rapper ten years his senior.

Impressive mash up? Clever play at younger, “melted-pot” demographic? Tickle moment for white upwardly mobile audience predisposed to black cultural references? Or, Black, Asian, what’s the difference … as long as it moves magazines?

Also, what’s all this about … besides easy layups?