It’s rare to see a rapper these days that isn’t covered in tattoos. It could be inspirational bible verses, gang symbols, or tributes to fallen homies. But no matter what the artwork means, the fact is that these guys are decked out in ink. We thought it would be fun to dig a little deeper and find some rare images of the tattoos these guys aren’t as proud of or ones that may have been removed. Check out this exclusive glimpse into the body art world of hip-hop’s finest!
Eminem proudly displays his tattoos representing his hometown of Detroit, but what tattoos is he not sharing with Rolling Stone?
His dueling Artie Lange tattoos! Wasn’t one Artie Lange enough for you Slim Shady? Why so much Lange, Marshall Mathers?
No one is a bigger Kanye West fan than I am. I will defend 808s and Heartbreaks forever, but even I can’t understand why he got this tattoo placed on his body forever:
Unless my knowledge of early presidents fails me, that’s Martin Van Buren on his chest. Is Van Buren big in the rap game? Maybe Illuminati related? Who knows, but I’m guessing Kanye isn’t spilling the beans!
One of the biggest up and coming stars right now in hip-hop has to be the face of Oddfuture, Tyler the Creator. His unorthodox styles have been questioned by many, but does this tattoo represent his anarchy lifestyle or just a weird musical preference in the 90s?
That’s right, Tyler has half of his torso covered by the face of the lead singer of Counting Crows, Adam Duritz. Was he as impacted by “A Long December” as the rest of the kids in my 10th grade English class? Such a bold and questionable move indeed!
Nelly has had his ups and downs in the hip-hop game for years and has always found a way to come out on top, but I wonder if this tattoo would have affected his success?
I thought Rick Ross was the boss but apparently Nelly is sticking with the original boss, Tony Danza! Did they work together at some point? Does Danza also have a Nelly tattoo? I can’t think of a situation where Nelly and Tony Danza would be in the same room, let alone on each other’s bodies.
Lil Wayne has done multiple photoshoots showing off his ink. He’s pretty much covered head to toe, but an eagle-eyed photographer happened to catch a snapshot of this tattoo that Weezy has apparently covered or removed:
That’s right, on Lil Wayne’s stomach he had a tattoo of Clay Aiken from his 2003 album Measure of a Man. Although nowhere on the record does it mention Wayne being involved, clearly he was impacted by the message, or at least an avid American Idol fan. It could also explain why Ruben Studdard was never signed to Young Money’s record label.
Big Sean exploded onto the hip-hop scene with his hit song “Dance (Ass)” but a photo from 2008 shows that he had a much different focus at some earlier point in his life:
While “Jackass” was a major hit on television and in movies, I’m not sure why he chose to get Steve-O’s giant back tattoo mural put on him as well. Seems like an odd choice for a tribute but I suppose to each his own. Good luck Big Sean, you’re going to need it.
50 Cent has done very well for himself in hip-hop, movies, and even vitamin water, but this rarely mentioned tattoo on his arm definitely does not fit his “Get Rich or Die Tryin” attitude:
That’s clearly Buddy the Elf on his bicep. Who doesn’t love Christmas and spending time with loved ones watching a holiday film around a fireplace? Even 50 Cent it seems. It’s good to see the holiday spirit alive and well in the hip-hop world.
Constantly labeled as the softest rapper in the game, this photo of Drake would solidify him in that dishonorable position if it were given more attention. How soft is Drake you ask?
As soft as a Wendy’s Frostee! Drake has the Wendy’s logo tattooed on his arm, which explains why you never see him without a shirt. What was he thinking? Was it a dare? Did he just love Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers that much?
