The Shocking, Secret True Meaning Behind Your Favorite Celebrity Tattoos

While we can name many iconic RiRi tattoos that should make the list, the story behind her hand tattoo is one of the most interesting ones. Originally on her hand, Rihanna had a henna-styled dragon claw, matching with her ex-boyfriend Chris Brown. But in 2013, she added to it with a traditional Polynesian design. While on tour, the “Diamonds” singer traveled to New Zealand for the session. Instead of using a needle, the tattoo artist used a mallet and chisel, which is much more painful. She added again to her hand that same year, bringing us the legendary henna inspired hand tattoo we know and love today.

When you think about the most notable tattoo on Tupac Shakur, it’s got to be that of “thug life” across his stomach. It’s unclear when the late rapper got the ink done, but the meaning behind it centers around Black pride and resilience. As he previously stated, “T.H.U.G L.I.F.E” stands for “the hate u give little infants f***s everyone,” which calls out the dangerous cycle of violence in the world, but especially within the Black community. The “i” in Pac’s tattoo takes the shape of a bullet, which only emphasizes the overall message.

The California native transformed her back into a canvas, and she’s not afraid to repaint when necessary. Originally, Aiko had a beautiful piece consisting of Buddha, a Bible verse and the phases of the moon. A few years later, she added a portrait of her previously on again off again lover, Big Sean, to the back of her arm. In 2018, she covered everything up with a dragon, amazing colors and even more details. She told speculating fans “I covered ALL my tats w/ a big ass Dragon w/ a Phoenix wing breathing life and light into a new galaxy. NEW ART! NO BEEF! ALL LOVE!”

At this point, Chris Brown probably doesn’t even know how many tattoos he has, but over the years, the singer and dancer has given the public the inside scoop on some of his favorite pieces. Back in 2015, Brown shocked the world when he got a bull and the Greek goddess of love tattooed on the back of his head. He took to Instagram to share the meaning behind the drastic decision. “Strategically placed on the left side of my head in protection of my heart for the Love of my Goddess... ROYALTY,” he wrote referring to his first born daughter.

Nicki Minaj’s most iconic tattoo just so happens to be her first... ever tattoo. She got it when she was just 16 years old, and it sits on the side of her left arm. “You have no idea what you want to put on your body at the age of 16, or 15, or 13. You need to wait until at least 21 and decide and have your brain start to develop,” she said. The tattoo, written in Chinese script, means “God is always with you” in English.

The “God’s Plan” rapper is all about paying homage to the greats through body art. He has more than 50 tattoos, most of which are portraits of celebrities like Rihanna, Virgil Abloh and Sade. Of those portraits, however, one stands out with more meaning than you may expect. On Drake’s left tricep is a portrait of Lil Wayne, the man responsible for kick starting Drake’s career. He got the tattoo in 2017.

Eve is another celebrity with an iconic tattoo that basically became part of her image. The rapper has two dog paws tattooed on her chest, a move which made her mom say “‘What the hell are you doing with your life?’,” according to Eve. She originally got the tattoo as a dare, she revealed, but years later she had thoughts of getting it removed. “I told my mom I was thinking about it and she said, ‘You can’t do that. That’s how people know you!’”

Gucci Mane almost broke the internet in 2011 when he debuted his ice cream tattoo on the side of his face. Although the rapper doesn’t really speak about the meaning behind it, a spokesperson for the star told Rolling Stone the tattoo is “a reminder to fans of how he chooses to live his life. Cool as ice. As in ‘I’m so icy, I’ll make ya say Brr.’” She continued saying the ice cream cone design was also used as a reference image for one of Gucci’s many chain medallion.

Queen Bey isn’t the biggest fan of tattoos, but that hasn’t stopped her from getting a few over the years. In 2017, she showed off the iconic IV tattoo she has matching with her hubby, Jay-Z. But fans were also shocked to find out she added another finger tattoo to the mix. This one, three simple dots, is on her ring finger. Fans have speculated that the three dots represent her three children, Rumi, Sir and Blue Ivy Carter.

No one has a face tattoo like Mike Tyson, but you’d be interested to know that the tribal face tattoo wasn’t always in the plans. In an interview, Tyson said “I was gonna get a bunch of hearts and s**t,” but the tattoo artist, Victor Whitwell, refused to do it. Whitwell instructed Tyson to give him a week to come up with a better idea, and after three days, Tyson was back under the tattoo gun getting the tribal piece added to his body. Tyson also said the tat helps him score with the ladies.

In 2020, Keke Palmer revealed her new tattoo on the back of her neck. The design, a group of pyramids with the words “Queen of Kush” right below it, drew a lot of backlash from folks online. In a now-deleted Instagram post, the actress said “The Kingdom of Kush or Kush was an ancient African Nubian kingdom situated on the confluences of the Blue Nile, White Nile and River Atbara. (1050/1070 B.C. – 350 A.D.) but at the height of its power in about 700 B.C. the Kingdom of Kush controlled the entirety of Egypt itself with Kushite Pharaohs ruling.”

When we first met Cardi B, her peacock tattoo going from her right hip down to her knee became one of her most notable pieces. According to Pop Sugar, the rapper first got the tattoo in 2010, when she was around 18 years old. In 2020, she got the piece redone. She took to social media to reveal it saying, “So after ten years I gave my peacock tattoo a makeover. This whole week I been takin hours of pain getting tatted.” She also added colorful flowers and butterflies to her back, which took more than 60 hours to complete.

The musical icon has many tattoos on his body, but one of the most notable ones is that on his neck of a guardian angel, which obviously symbolizes protection and deliverance for the “Happy” singer. He first got inspired to ink up his neck after seeing Lenny Kravitz’s sleeves and thought “I gotta have that,” he said.

When Amber Rose debuted the tattoo on her forehead, many people thought it was a bad joke. The tattoo is dedicated to her two sons, Sebastian and Slash. During an interview with Shannon Sharpe, Rose got deep about the true meaning behind the placement. At the time, the world had been shut down by a global pandemic, she was dealing with postpartum depression and had discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her. “I just needed to feel something,” she said. “I didn’t want to feel beautiful.”