Drake Tattoos

Drake Tattoo Count: 28! Here’s the list…

A comprehensive guide to Drake’s tattoos, their meanings, and lots of pics! Canadian singer/songwriter Drake has already racked up an impressive collection of ink over the years, and we have a feeling the singer is just getting started when it comes to his tattoos. From shout-outs to his best friends and tributes to his hometown of Toronto, to impressive portraits of the family members he holds closest to his heart, Drake’s tattoos definitely tell a story about his life. Oddly enough, there isn’t a whole lot of info out there on Drake’s tats, but we’ve got everything you need to know right here. Read on to learn more about each and every Drake tattoo and its unique meaning!

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28. Portrait of Lil Wayne on Drake’s Arm

Following the portrait tattoo theme that Drake is obviously a fan of, the rapper revealed in late July a never-before-seen tattoo on his left tricep of Lil Wayne’s face. The black and gray Lil Wayne portrait tat is based on a photo shoot Weezy did for Rolling Stone in 2011, and was apparently done at least five months before Drake debuted it online, while he was overseas.

27. Drake’s Second Sade Portrait Tattoo on His Side

In June 2017, just three months after debuting the first portrait tattoo of Sade on his ribcage, Drake revealed a second tattoo tribute to the British singer-songwriter, this one located just above the first on his left side. Drake’s second tattoo of Sade shows the R&B legend looking off into the distance, with a palm tree and seascape filling out the background of the two matching tats.

26. Tattoo on Drake’s Ribcage of Sade Portrait

On March 22, 2017, Swedish tattoo artist Niki Norberg posted a photo of a new tattoo on Drake’s ribcage – an incredibly detailed black and gray portrait of English singer/songwriter, Sade. Drake is obviously a big fan of the reclusive singer, and now has Sade tattooed on his side in the greatest kind of tribute there is!

25. Drake’s Shoulder Tattoo of a Drakkar Noir Cologne Bottle

On March 21, 2017, just days after Drake’s pink flower tattoo was debuted on Instagram and his More Life playlist was released on OVO Sound Radio, another new Drake tattoo cropped up online, this one a replica of a classic black Drakkar Noir cologne bottle inked on Drake’s left shoulder.

24. More Life Flower and Bee Tattoo on Drake’s Arm

In anticipation of the release of his new playlist More Life on March 18, 2017, Drake hit up Gothenburg, Sweden-based tattoo artist Niki Norberg for a flower and bee arm tattoo presumably inspired by the pink flower emoji Drake and his team have been using to promote the new compilation.

23. Drake’s “Unruly” Flaming Skull Arm Tattoo

In November 2016, celebrity tattoo artist Dr. Woo revealed a fresh tattoo on Drake’s upper left arm featuring a grinning skull with flames shooting out of the top of its head, and the word “unruly” inked below it. It’s likely that Drake’s Unruly flaming skull tattoo was inspired by Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan, whose single “Unruly” Drake debuted during his OVO Sound Radio birthday set the previous month.

22. Camouflage Shark Tattoo on Drake’s Arm

Possibly during the same tattoo session that resulted in the fresh camo shark on Rihanna’s ankle, Drake got a matching camouflage shark tattooed on his arm, right next to his “6” and praying hands tattoos. Word on the street is, the design of Drake and RiRi’s matching shark tattoos is based on a stuffed shark Drake gave Rihanna during an August date the two had at the aquarium in Toronto.

21. Pumpkin Tattoo on Drake’s Right Arm

Sometime in May 2016 Drake got a Halloween-style pumpkin tattoo on his right forearm. The pumpkin is carved with a typical jack o’lantern scary face, but seems to be smiling slightly. Could it possibly represent Calabassas, where Drake lives and the Spanish word for “pumpkins?”

20. Drake’s Portrait Tattoo of Rihanna

Drake has been sporting a mysterious portrait tattoo on his upper right arm for quite some time, but recent reports suggest that the small piece may be a portrait of on-again-off-again flame Rihanna, designed after a photo of RiRi eating an ice cream cone, which the rapper has hanging in his Toronto restaurant, Fring’s.

19. “Oktober Lejonhjärta” Tattoo on Drake’s Inner Forearm

On December 23, Dr. Woo of the Shamrock Social Club in Los Angeles posted a photo on Instagram of Drake’s 19th tattoo – an image of a detailed lion’s head with the phrase “Oktober” inked above it and “Lejonhjärta” inked below. Turns out, the text around Drake’s lion tattoo on his left forearm is Swedish for “October Lionhearted,” and is yet another tribute to his birth month and October’s Very Own brand.

18. Drake’s East Side Compass Bicep Tattoo

Around the same time that Drake revealed his “BBK” shoulder tattoo and praying hands cover-up tat, the singer also debuted a large black and white compass tattoo inked on his left bicep, with the letter “E” for East made intentionally bold. According to celebrity tattoo artist Dr. Woo, Drake’s “east side” compass tattoo is a nod to the singer’s hometown of Toronto, Canada.

17. Praying Hands Tattoo Cover-Up on Drake’s Arm

In October 2015, Drake took to Instagram to reveal the new tattoo on his right forearm that covers up the wimpy praying hands emoji tat the singer got in September 2014. Drake’s new praying hands tattoo is large and in charge, and features two intricately detailed hands pressed together in a sign of prayer. The praying hands ink is still connected to Drake’s number 6 tattoo, and the two pieces combined are a tribute to the singer’s “6 God” track off his If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mixtape.

16. Drake’s “BBK” Tattoo on His Left Shoulder

In October 2015, Drake went out and got a Gothic “BBK” tattoo inked on the front of his left shoulder, thereby cementing his ties to north London grime group Boy Better Know, and leader/grime legend Skepta. Drake and Skepta had collaborated on at least one track together at this point, and Drake’s new tattoo hints at a possible partnership between the two in the future.

15. New CN Tower Tattoo on the back of Drake’s Arm

Several months after covering up the CN Tower tattoo on his bicep, Drake had the infamous Dr. Woo of the Shamrock Social Club tattoo shop in West Hollywood ink him a fancy new one, which is now located on the back of his upper left arm. Drake’s new and improved CN Tower tattoo (yet another tribute to his hometown of Toronto) was revealed by Dr. Woo on Instagram on January 7, and features a unique and very cool circle, dot and arrow design done in black and white.

14. Drake’s Eye of Horus Bicep Tattoo

During summer 2014, Drake covered up the old CN Tower tattoo tribute to Toronto he had inked on his arm back in 2012, with a large tattoo of an eye inked in black on the inside of his left bicep. Drake’s eyeball tattoo appears to have been inspired by the Eye of Horus, which is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection, good health and royal power.

11-13. Praying Hands, Number 6, & Quote Tattoo on Drake’s Forearms

On September 24, we spotted three new tattoos Drake added to his growing collection of ink, including a small tattoo of a praying hands emoji,the number 6, and the quote “everything happens for a reason sweet thing.” All inked in black, the three tats were inked by Dr. Woo of the Shamrock Social Club tattoo shop in Hollywood. Each of the 3 forearm tattoos seems to have a special meaning behind it according to Drake. Read more about the meaning and story behind Drake’s forearm tattoos…read more

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10. Tattoo on Drake’s Arm of His Father’s Mug Shot

In late January 2014, Drake finally added his father to his growing collection of portrait tattoos, but chose an odd image for the tribute – his dad’s mug shot. Drake’s portrait tattoo of his dad’s mug shot is inked on the back of his upper right arm and has raised quite a few eyebrows, despite the fact that Dennis Graham himself seems thrilled with the ink. We think it’s pretty interesting that, even though Drake and his father have made peace with one another and finally seem to have a good relationship, the singer chose such a dark time in his father’s life to immortalize in a tattoo. Read more about the meaning and story behind his Dad’s mugshot tattoo…read more

9. A Houston Star Tattoo on His Shoulder

After dropping a reported $17,000 at a Houston strip club – and allegedly having a threesome with Rihanna and a stripper – Drake hit up a tattoo parlor on November 18, 2013, and got a new H star tattoo on his shoulder as a tribute to the Texas city. That epic night isn’t the only reason Drake wanted to rep Houston though; the rapper had a memorable performance in Houston on November 18, 2009, long before he became famous, and also has a track on his So Far Gone album called November 18th, which pays homage to Houston. Read more about the meaning and story behind his Houston star tattoo…read more

8. Drake’s Back Tattoo of His Mother’s Portrait

Shortly before debuting the huge family portrait tattoo of his uncle and grandmother, Drake visited a tattoo parlor and had another very important person inked on his back – his mother! Sandi Graham raised Drake pretty much on her own after divorcing his father when Drake was only five, and Drake says Sandi is the most important person in his life. Drake’s tattoo of his mom features a detailed portrait of the blonde, inked below his family portrait tattoo and the tattoo of his OVO owl on his shoulder blade. Read more about the meaning and story behind his mother’s portrait tattoo…read more

7. Grandmother and Uncle Portrait Tat on Drake’s Back

Again opting for a much larger tattoo than his previous artwork, Drake added an impressive portrait tattoo to his back in December 2012. The back tattoo features an awesome black and white image of the pop star’s late grandmother, Evelyn Sher, hugging Drake’s late uncle, with whom he was very close. Drake credits his uncle for his success in the music industry and he was very close with his mom’s mom, Sher, so it’s fitting that the singer devoted such as large portion of his back to two of the most important people in his life. Read more about the meaning and story behind his family portrait tattoo…read more

6. Drake’s “416” Tattoo on His Side

In August 2012, Drake went against his previous statement and got a huge “416” tattoo inked on his right ribcage, with the 4 only slightly colored in so the tat also reads “116.” Confused? So were we until we realized that 416 is the area code for Toronto, Drake’s beloved hometown. Drake may have filled in the rest of the 4 in his side tattoo at a later date, but when he first got the ink, there were rumors that the “116” was a tribute to Aaliyah, whose birthday was January 16. Read more about the meaning and story behind his 416 tattoo…read more

5. “All Kinds” Tattoo on Drake’s Arm

Drake’s tattoos all function as reminders for the pop star, of both the people and places he holds close to his heart. That’s why, in February 2012, the singer added ink to the inside of his right bicep with an “All Kinds” tattoo in capital letters. As Drake said during a recent interview, “I don’t like big tattoos…I just get little things, little accents that I carry with me…I got a saying that I’ve said with my friends (‘all kinds’) for a long time.” There’s nothing like a bro tat to celebrate a strong friendship! Read more about the meaning and story behind his All Kinds tattoo…read more

4. Drake’s Arm Tattoo of CN Tower

Like fellow Canadian Justin Bieber, Drake is full of pride for his hometown of Toronto, and the CN Tower, a communications and observation tower located in downtown Toronto is a major symbol of the city. In March 2012, Drake hit the tattoo shop and got a miniature version of the CN Tower tattoo inked on the inside of his left bicep – a permanent reminder of where he came from. Now, Drake can live by the lyrics in his “Uptown” track, in which he says, “Hardly home but always reppin’.” Read more about the meaning and story behind his CN tower tattoo…read more

3. Songbird Tat on Drake’s Back

Just above his Aaliyah portrait tattoo, Drake sports a rose colored tattoo depicting a songbird in flight, with the letters “XO20” inked in black and red. Just like the cryptic acronyms in his owl tattoo, the meaning behind Drake’s songbird tattoo is complicated, but actually refers to his crew of 20 friends, including R&B artist Abel Tesfaye (a.k.a. The Weeknd), as well as ecstasy and oxycodone. In fact, The Weeknd’s tagline is “XO Till We Overdose.” Crazy right? Read more about the meaning and story behind his bird tattoo…read more

2. Drake’s Aaliyah Portrait Back Tat

In December 2011, Drake debuted an interesting tattoo on the lower left portion of his back featuring a detailed portrait of the late singer Aaliyah. Drake has some sort of mini obsession with Aaliyah, who was killed in a tragic plane crash in 2001, and the pop star’s “416” side tat may also be a shout-out to the songstress. Drake’s Aaliyah portrait tattoo is inked in black and white and is located just below the songbird tattoo on the singer’s back. The tattoo is a little strange considering Drake never even met Aaliyah. Read more about the meaning and story behind his Aaliyah tattoo…read more

1. Drake’s Owl Tattoo on His Back

Drake started off his tattoo collection with a simple black and white owl tattoo, which he had inked on the upper right portion of his back, near his shoulder. Although Drake’s owl tattoo seems innocent enough, there is actually quite a bit of controversy surrounding the artwork, largely because that particular owl image is a longstanding symbol of a secret society called Bohemian Grove. Drake got his owl tattoo in July 2011, and there is a quote accompanying the back tattoo that reads: “If I die today, it’ll be a holiday / atf / ovo / ymcmb / reps up.” Read more about the meaning and story behind his owl tattoo…read more