If there was any doubt in your mind that Sean “Diddy” Combs loves New York, the new ink he now sports on his forearm should put those doubts to rest once and for all. The 43-year-old rapper, born and raised in the Empire state, debuted a huge “New York” tattoo on February 9, 2013, posting a few pics of the impressive ink on Instagram (including a pic of himself posing alongside his tattoo artist and wearing some killer skull and crossbones pajama pants.) He also posted a photo of himself actually getting the arm tattoo inked, while simultaneously getting his hair cut, and somehow maintaining his cool-as-a-cucumber persona even under the needle. He shared with all his followers the following caption: “Gettin a Tat and Cut at the same damn time!! These n***** can’t multitask…ha.” The guy’s got class.
Diddy Gets Arm Tattoo in Honor of Hometown
Diddy’s “New York” tat is inked on the outside of his left forearm in capital letters, and joins a number of other tattoos the rapper has, including the phrase “God’s Child” inked on his neck, and “Bad Boy” inked on his right bicep. Clearly Diddy enjoys getting textual tattoos inked on his body, and the “New York” ink on his arm fits right in. Not only is Diddy’s new tattoo a tribute to the state he calls home though, it’s also a shout-out to….New York magazine? That’s right, there’s no denying that the rapper’s arm tattoo is an exact replica of the font used in the magazine’s logo, which is why the mag responded to Diddy’s Instagram post with this tongue-in-cheek message: “We’re flattered.” And they should be flattered; scoring such prime real estate as Diddy’s arm for endless publicity at zero cost doesn’t happen every day. In truth, Diddy probably intended the arm tattoo solely as a tribute to his native city, and not as a permanent advertisement for a weekly magazine. But who knows, maybe he’ll get a free lifetime subscription in return for the free promotion!
Diddy’s Iconic “New York” Tattoo is Two of a Kind
While plenty of people sport New York tattoos inspired by their hometown or their love for the Yankees, most people would probably assume that Diddy’s stylized “New York” ink is one of a kind. That’s where you’d be wrong. Back in 2011, a man named Fabrizio Goldstein, also known as “The Fat Jew” – a self-described “z-list celebrity” who does interviews for E! – got the exact same tattoo inked on his chest and posted a pic of the ink on Twitter. This is what he had to say in response to the mag’s question about whether or not the ink was real: “Oh it’s really real…I got this one because i’m a lifelong new yorker and was trying to decide what the quintessential new york symbol was for a tattoo. The empire state building? A homeless man eating a raw potato like an apple? (I actually saw that once) Michael Musto’s face? And then it dawned on me that’s it the iconic new york magazine logo. Also it seemed like an awesome idea and most stuff I do is awesome.” Congrats Diddy, you share your “New York” tattoo with “The Fat Jew.”
