Hip Hop Tattoos

Tattoos and Thug Livin'

Some people claim tattoos are being marketed primarily to a white Rock & Roll generation. Hip hop and R&B artists - from Tupac to 50 Cent to Eminem - have donned elaborate, detailed and beautiful tattoos even though tattoos are primarily associated with rock and bikers. Slain rapper Tupac Shakur illustrates how tattoos began to symbolize a 'gangsta' lifestyle in the tattoo he chose to put across his abdomen which read "THUG LIFE."

Hip hop and R&B artists are a kind of modern-day aristocracy. All you have to do is switch on MTV to find out how prevalent is their desire to be covered with tattoos. Rappers are both insiders and outsiders. Tattoos lend themselves very well to this double meaning because througout the history of tattoos they have appealed to the extremes of society from the drawing room aristocracy to the lowly criminal.

The hippie movement of the 60's marks the first strong connection between tattoos and rock 'n' roll music. Janis Joplin and Joan Baez were two early customers of the tattooist Lyle Tuttle, who is credited with sparking the modern interest in tattoos. The later popularity of punk rock and the gothic style is another big part of today's tattoo craze. Contemporary musicians from heavy metal bands to hip hop artists and R&B artists have all gotten in on the act.

"Since a tattoo to certain levels of society is the mark of a thug, it becomes also the sign of inarticulate revolt, often producing its only possible result: violence."
SAMUEL M. STEWARD

Its seems that things have changed since then but recently, more and more people are getting tattoos simply because they idolize certain rappers or R&B artists. According to a well known tattoo artist, "people want tattoos because they see them on rappers and R&B artists and figure it will look as good on them".

Rap artist Trick Daddy broke into the mainstream in 2001 with an album entitled "I'm a Thug". No one questioned his talent, but his image hardly matched that of other mainstream rappers. He certainly lived up to his thug billing, known as much for his rapping as his trademark omnipresent grimace, bald head, prickly whiskers and forearm tattoos. Nevertheless, thug or not, Trick Daddy became a national superstar, earning substantial mainstream airplay and has had a major influence on people copying his style.

Tattooing is becoming as much a part of hip-hop culture which is in turn slowly becoming part of mainstream culture and the MTV generation. Hopefully this will lead to the demise of negative stereotypes associated with both tattoos and hip hop culture.

Want to flash off your tattoo pictures on this page? Easy peasy...

*All approved pictures receive an e-book of Tattoo Designs

* Submissions without photos attached, thumbnail pictures or low res photos will be not be published.

Click below to see view pictures of tattoos from site visitors, rate their ink and read comments from others about your tattoos.

3 Point Crown Tattoo 
G style all day ni66a

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black and gray tattoos , butterfly tattoos , celtic tattoos , dragon tattoos ...

N.O.T.O.R.I.O.U.S 
it took me about 45 minutes to complete. im goin to get some add-on soon...

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black and gray tattoos ...

Graffiti Style Tattoo 
Got it in Porta Rico....took about 45 minutes.....the other says Nish took 30 min.

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black and gray ...

Hip Hop Tattoo 
It's a mic laying on top of a Bible..I got the artist to freestyle it! It took about 30 mins..I might add something around it later!

Popular Tattoo ...

Religious Tattoo  Not rated yet
God's Son ... Its got a lot of meaning of how God has helped me in many ways. Took two hours, adding a rosary to it.

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel ...

Hip-Hop Microphone Tattoo  Not rated yet
My tattoo is a microphone with the cord going all the way around the arm with a scroll around it with the words in it saying the king of hip hop. it took ...

Black & Gray Graffiti Style Tattoo  Not rated yet
ITS FAMILY IN SPANISH WITCH IS (FAMILIA) THE ARTIST DID THIS FREE HANDED.. IT ABOUT 45min

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black ...

Hip Hop Tattoo  Not rated yet
It took 2 hours.

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black and gray tattoos , butterfly tattoos , celtic tattoos , dragon tattoos , erotic ...

Hip Hop Style Tattoo  Not rated yet
It's a mic laying on top of a Bible..I got the artist to freestyle it! It took about 30 mins..I might add something around it later!

Popular Tattoo ...

Hip Hop Tattoo  Not rated yet
It's a mic laying on top of a Bible..I got the artist to freestyle it! It took about 30 mins..I might add something around it later!

Popular Tattoo ...

Irish Tattoo  Not rated yet
Circular shape with the words friends, family, loyalty respect around 4 shamrocks.

Popular Tattoo Designs
angel tattoos , black and gray ...

Succubus Tattoo  Not rated yet
Succubus,a sexy, erotic female demon that comes to men in the middle of the night. I also have old English letters in black, too many tats to mention.

Popular ...

Graffiti, Ghetto & Hip Hop Stylie  Not rated yet
I have New York city on my back with a warped theme and graffiti of "NEW YORK" underneath. I also have "Anthony" on my neck in a graffiti style.

Popular ...

Gay Pride Tattoo  Not rated yet
Two female symbols in black with ripped swirls in 3 different color blues also white as the back ground. It took 2 hours.

Popular Tattoo Designs ...

Tattoo Symbolizing Success  Not rated yet
This tattoo took 6 hours over the course of 5 months. It describes a part of my life that faded to black and the rise of my success!

Regards,
Cool ...

View More Hip Hop Tattoos