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The greatest rapper of all time is best known for his iconic bars, long-lasting career, and wise words in the rap circle. However, his hardcore fans know he is also a passionate tattoo lover with over 80 tattoos on his body.
So, it is not strange that his fans want to honor their favorite artist with a tattoo. Still, finding a high-quality Lil Wayne tattoo that you would like to keep forever on your body is not easy.
Many tattoos on the internet are blurry, old, and not the right size or style, which is why people get a tattoo straight from their imagination. Even though I love that, it can be tricky because the tattoo artist has to precisely transfer your vision from your head into a design, so a picture would help them out.
Even though I know a lot about Wayne, I have spent weeks turning every ” virtual stone” on the internet to find tattoo designs that are not just interesting and high-quality but also represent a meaningful connection between a fan and Wayne’s career.
If you are looking for Lil Wayne tattoos that do him justice, keep reading this article. From portraits to music-inspired tattoo ideas, you will surely find what you are looking for.
Let’s check them out.
Selection Criteria
I have seen dozens of Lil Wayne-inspired tattoos, but my criteria to include them here were:
- High-quality tattoos – Clear, not blurry, so you can see the style and every detail.
- Tattoos connected to Lil Wayne and his career – Every tattoo is carefully picked so that every Lil Wayne fan can connect it to the rapper and his career, without a doubt. Some are more focused on music, while others are on his character, energy, facial features, etc.
- Have something different – The style, colors, place, and meaning – Every tattoo has something that sets it apart from the others.
- Original, one-of-a-kind– No duplicates or tattoos that are too similar.
From the perspective of a Lil Wayne fan, I would like to have a tattoo that honors the rapper and shows my love & passion for his work of art. I want you to feel the “wow” effect when you bump into the one you find right for you.
Some of these tattoos are simpler than others, so every style and taste is met. For some designs, it is essential that you are a hardcore fan who knows many things about the rapper.
The best Lil Wayne Tattoo Ideas
Portraits of Lil Wayne
Modern Wayne
The modern Wayne is a cool tattoo in blackwork with an interesting technique of highlighting the eyes of the rapper and his “Fear Good” tattoos. The portrait is based on one of the rapper’s most well-known images from when he was younger and at the start of his career. As I was on a quest for the best Wayne tattoos, this image popped up a lot of times, but this was a unique masterpiece.
Wayne Up Close
Next, we have an arm tattoo of Weezy’s face up close, with perfect shading. All of the rapper’s face tattoos are included, which makes the portrait very detailed and excellent for those who want to incorporate some of his tattoos into their own.
Wayne Performing
The tattoo artist caught Wayne’s entire life in one picture. Wayne’s tattoo says “I am music,” which describes his relationship with music and the world of rap, and this tattoo does that 2. His energy while performing is captured perfectly in the leg tattoo, making it an excellent choice for all hardcore fans.
Leg Sleeve
This tattoo is part of a “rap leg sleeve” but stands out because of the amazing details and shading. The inspiration for the tattoos was one of the rapper’s recent pictures because he has his “newer” face tattoos and lighter hair. Amazing for “new” fans who don’t know the old-school Wayne very well, probably because they were 2 young back then.
Lil Wayne Smoking
A perfect mixture of black and grey ink for those who want to capture the rapper smoking. The rapper is known for his love of weed and problems with some illegal substances. Yet, many fans can’t imagine Wayne not high, so I needed to include one dope tattoo of the high Wayne as well.
Black and White Portrait
An interesting tattoo design of Lil Wayne when he was younger and at the start of his career. The tattoo is of perfect size and with a lot of details that point out the rapper’s main features. Make sure your artist has a good stencil before they start working on this tattoo.
Serious Wayne
A medium-sized portrait of Wayne when he is not in a good mood. Many fans speculate that this picture was from the period when he was in a legal battle for his own music label. Still, it shows his persistence and will to work to keep fighting when it is hard.
Young Wayne
A portrait of Lil Wayne when he was young and not a VIP in the rap world. Bandanas were a part of his style, and many believe Tupac was one of his influences in the rap world. Later Weezy replaced this bandana trend with caps and sunglasses, which are now a part of his image. Still, the portrait brings back so many memories of him making his breakthrough hits.
Young Money + Wayne
“Young Money” is one of the most important things for Weezy, which is why a lot of fans want to include it. He mentions his label in many of his songs: “Young Money militia, and I am the commissioner; you don’t wan’ start Weezy, cause the F is for finisher.” Wayne’s dream was to own a record label and sign artists that he believed in, and he did that with Drake and Nicki Minaj.
Realistic Wayne Portrait
One of the best representations of the “Realism” style, aka a style that is known for “no harsh lines and unnatural colors.” The best style for colorful portraits that will satisfy your need to get every detail of Wayne’s face on your body.
Wayne Smoking
If you are a Lil Wayne fan, you have probably seen this image a thousand times. On posters, T-shirts, and now tattoos. What makes it different is that this artist recreated it perfectly in blackwork without leaving any detail out. I usually don’t consider fan-favorite pictures, but this artist made it 10x better than every else.
Old-school Wayne
This is a solid piece of work for those who love the “older styles” and bold colors. A splash of color with a detailed design is perfect if you want something other than blackwork. Even though I am a blackwork fan, this design is a bit nostalgic and warms my heart because it represents young Wayne in an “old-school” setting. It truly represents a time in hip-hop when all that mattered were cool bars.
Blackwork
This is my favorite from the “Portraits” section because I love blackwork, attention to detail, and the perfect placement of tattoos. The tattoo represents Wayne when he got all of his notorious face tattoos and was one of the first rappers to start the “face tattoo” trend.
Music-inspired Lil Wayne Tattoos
Carter Era
Carter Baby
This tattoo is based on the cover art for the “Carter 3” album, and it represents Wayne as a baby but with all of his tattoos. Plus, it is one of the most well-known album covers in rap history. “Carter 3” is Wayne’s most successful album so far, for which he won 4 Grammys.
Carter 3 Baby
Next, we have the same portrait of Wayne as a baby for “Carter 3” but a bit more up close. As I said, all portraits in “realism style” are the best because the shadows are consistent with the design, making it look very natural and appealing.
Carter Graduate
The tattoo is based on the cover art for the album “Carter 4”, which features Wayne as a young graduate. The irony of the image is that Wayne dropped out of school at age 13 and started his rap career. Even though he never went back to school, he became one of the most influential rappers. I love the placement and the blackwork; it is a tattoo you can fit anywhere.
Other Albums and Songs
I am Not a Human Being Album Cover
Now we have the moth, which is inspired by the album cover for Wayne’s album “I am not a human being.” The album is not as popular as the Carter ones, but it popped up a lot of times when Wayne fans talked about their favorite albums. The album showed a very different side of Wayne, which got him a lot of attention.
Dedication Era
Dedication 6
This colorful Wayne tattoo is inspired by the rapper’s cover for the mixtape “Dedication 6”. A splash of red mimics the red background of the cover. The most interesting detail is the “V” sign on the jacket, which stands for Carter V, the album released prior to the mixtape.
Dedication 5
The tattoo is inspired by Wayne’s cover art for “Dedication 5”, which he released in 2013. All of the mixtapes from this era have a similar vibe, as you may know. Not a lot of fans know and love the early “Dedication” mixtapes, but hardcore fans know them by heart. The lyrics are from his hit song “Stilettos,” and Wayne gives a shoutout to his mom.
Songs
“Misunderstood” Song Tattoo
If you love the song “Misunderstood,” you can have the same tattoos as your favorite artist. Weezy has the letters “Misunderstood” on his forehead, symbolizing the famous track. I just found it interesting to have the exact same tattoo at the exact same spot as your favorite artist.
Lasagna Lyrics
Next, we have a colorful and fun tattoo that doesn’t reveal much at first glance. However, someone really loved the bar “Real G’s move in silence like lasagna” from the rapper’s song 6 foot 7 foot. In the song, the G stands for Gangstar, but someone got inspired and turned the gangsters into gnomes. I love the idea of interpreting someone’s bars in your own way. The tattoo design is colorful, fun, and not so obvious at first.
Small & Medium Sized Wayne Tattoos
Smaller Portraits
Lil Lil Wayne
A small Wayne portrait perfect for lovers of medium-sized and small tattoos that look good wherever you place them. Here the focus is less on Wayne’s facial features and tattoos, making it ideal for someone who doesn’t want to have a realistic portrait.
Lil Wayne Smoking Tattoo
Once again, we have Wayne’s famous “smoking image,” but this time, it is medium size and done in a different size. I love the diamond-shaped background, and the details are just wow.
Polaroid
Polaroid images have become popular again in recent years, so it is not strange that tattoo artists are also using the trend. Young Wayne in a polaroid frame is a great way to have an interesting and fun medium-sized portrait. I also love the details like “Carter 3” and other letters, which are personalized for this fan.
Smiling Wayne
This small Wayne tattoo looks like a sticker that you can remove easily, but it’s not. It is a cool and fun tattoo that represents Wayne’s energy and positivity. One of the rare tattoos that focus on his character.
Wayne in Kobe’s Jersey
I know a lot of people love mixing and honoring multiple people with one tattoo. This is a very interesting miniature portrait of Tunechi and a memorial piece for Kobe Bryant. The placement, the emotions, and the shading – everything is perfect.
The Smallest Lil Wayne Tattoo
I have clicked on every #lilwaynetatto post and gone on multiple forums to find the smallest Weezy tattoo. It turns out it’s this one on the knuckles. A great idea to honor the legends of rap in one go. I love how precise and detailed they all are, but hand tattoos can be tricky. They fade away easily and can look like a big mess after some time, so you need to redo them often.
Lettering
Lil Wayne Signature
I know a lot of Weezy fans are not like him in the sense that they don’t want 80+ tattoos. They just want one small detail that will show their love and relationship with the “Lollipop” rapper. I think a Wayne signature is one of the most subtle ways to do it, and I love the placement. You don’t have to be like Drake with his big shoulder tattoo to show how much Weezy has impacted your life. Go big or go small; it’s up to you.
Young Money Logo
I tried to find some good “YM” tattoo ideas, but the best one is on Wayne himself. Who can design a tattoo better than the man who invented Young Money? If you want to honor the record label that means so much to the rapper and his fans, the best is to use Wayne’s bold letters.
Small Portrait
Even though many tattoo experts say that portraits should be big or medium-sized to look good and not messy over time. I completely agree, but I find this small one very cool and interesting. Mainly because we can see Wayne with glasses, which is a rare sight indeed.
Cartoonish & Colorful Lil Wayne Tattoos
Cartoonish
Lil Wayne/Jason/UFO Mash Up
Not a lot of “weird” and “unordinary” tattoos popped up when I turned every rock to find the best Wayne tattoos. Apart from the “spaghetti” one, I think this is crazy, and when I say crazy, I mean “crazy skill level.” Everything about this tattoo is amazing, from the idea to mash up these three things to the realization. I love how Wayne’s music is often described as “out of this world,” and this tattoo gives a perfect picture of that description.
I have been following Jared Bent, and he has a unique skill set and is on a whole different level regarding colors.
Devil Wayne
I don’t know particularly why, but devil tattoos are very popular. This tattoo is a mix of Wayne and the devil, implying that everyone has a dark side. If you ask Wayne’s fans, they would say his dark side is his addiction, but many fans are ok with that.
Bobblehead Wayne
A bobblehead Wayne is all you need to light up your day. His head takes quite a lot of space, but that is where his bars are, so it makes sense. This a colorful, unique, and cartoonish tattoo design for all of you who don’t take tattoos seriously.
Monster Wayne
You may be wondering, “What does this have to do with Wayne” but stop right there. Don’t you see the “Fear God” tattoo on the lids and the tears? The “monster” Wayne tattoo depicts Wayne’s soul, which can sometimes be dark and twisted. Only hardcore fans know and love his dark moments, so this is for you. Just look at the small, fine lines – pure art.
Simple Drawing
After the “monster” Wayne tattoo, you may need something way more simple to stop having dark thoughts. This simple drawing of Wayne’s face is excellent if you don’t like shading or colors and just want something done asap.
Weezy as a High Cartoon Character
If you don’t hear Wayne talking when you see this tattoo, you haven’t watched a lot of his interviews. When I first saw this tattoo, I could hear Wayne laughing, smoking, and talking about life. The “silly” tattoo represents everything that fans associate with Wayne in a very chill and fun mood. Not all tattoos have to carry a deep meaning; this one just shows his spirit.
Wayne and Pinocchio Mashup
I didn’t expect to see a Wayne and Pinnochio collaboration, but here it is. Pinnochio with Wayne’s tattoos gives a whole different vibe. We can connect Pinnochio’s lying & the “I love you above” with Wayne’s complicated love life and multiple baby mammas.
Colorful
Colorful Tunnechi – Ig
Next, we have a colorful tattoo of Wayne for those of you who got sick of seeing blackwork in this article. Even though Wayne doesn’t like tattoos in color, many of his fans do, so I needed to include a pop of color. A dope middle-sized portrait of Wayne that is aesthetically wonderful.
Shiny
This close-up of Wayne is another good tattoo choice for portrait lovers. So far, there are no permanent glitter tattoos, but this effect can be created with a glitter tattoo kit, which is temporary. Still, I love its effect and how it emphasizes the rapper’s teeth and eyelids. If you already have a portrait, this could be a good way to spice it up.
Colorful Young Wayne
A portrait of young Wayne with a blue background is one of my favorite colorful tattoos. I don’t like colorful tattoos, but this background kind of fits the young Wayne vibe. Later in his career, the rapper focused more on the color red when it came to his album covers, but this brought a nostalgic vibe.
FAQs
Answer: Lil Wayne has around 80 tattoos, most of which are known to the public. Throughout his career, some of his old tattoos faded, or he replaced them with new ones ( such as the tears on his face). The rapper has tattoos on every body part, including intimate zones. Most of his tattoos are religious, gangster, or related to his life and career.
Answer: Drake has a portrait of Lil Wayne on his shoulder in blackwork. Drake said he wouldn’t be famous if it weren’t for Lil Wayne, who inspired him and helped him start his career. The two have a father-son relationship and were never seen fighting or dissing each other. Drake has several songs with Weezy, and he is always invited for a guest appearance at his concerts.
Answer: Wayne designed Halsey’s tattoo right before they hit the stage together at SNL. The rapper personally drew a Libra tattoo for the artist, and she got it instantly on her arm.