Further, the Observer tried to reach out to Kim, but 5WPR--the Ronn Torossian-led firm that had shepherded Kim through a number of P.R. crises including her trial and imprisonment--no longer represents her, and has not for, an assistant told us, "six or seven months." Oh, but Lil' Kim is still listed as a client on the 5W site! The assistant chuckled. "I know." [Update: 5WPR informed the Observer in an email that the site is meant to imply client experience, not list current clients.] She didn't know, though, who worked with Kim now.

IMDbPro's only other listed contact was Kim's entertainment booker--"I handle some of her bookings," he told us, at least--who refused to share the name of her publicist and asked for a request for comment, in writing, that he would then pass along. It's chaos in the house of Kim, which is perhaps why she's self-distributing Black Friday and administering its PayPal account (mixtapes are often available for free online as the alternative to more polished studio albums).

At least her fans are willing to pay, right? At the "Black Friday Cover & Purchase" thread of fan forum Lil' Kim Zone (registration required), a fan wrote "eww!! gets boyfriends credit card." Another wrote "This better not a damn scam... Pulls out amex card..." The mix of repulsion and duty was common (though another common note, simple annoyance with the wayward star, was struck by the commenter who wrote "I'm not putting money in Kim's pocket to support foolery"). The most prescient comment came from a reader who said that "this whole thing is still poorly promoted[...] she's removed herself from the industry and she is still going on with this beef. So either she has a brilliant plan or se is making her last stand." For a star whose last remaining strength may be her fanbase, alienating fans by escalating a spat into a blood feud may be unwise. But who would tell Kim differently?

ddaddario@observer.com :: @DPD_