From Barack Obama to Trayvon Martin and now Nelson Mandela, California-born rapper The Game seems intent on paying tribute to some of the world’s most iconic figures with gigantic portrait tattoos inked on his body. In mid-August, The Game got a pretty incredible leg tattoo of Trayvon Martin – hoodie and all – during an excruciating seven-hour session, and just this week, the rapper endured the needle for another seven hours, adding to his collection a detailed portrait tat of Nelson Mandela, the iconic South African leader and freedom fighter who passed away on December 5.
The Game’s Nelson Mandela tattoo was inked by Nikko Hurtado, a California-based artist known for his incredibly detailed portrait tats who has also inked some of Drake’s tattoos and Cheryl Cole’s tattoos. Shortly after going under the needle, the rapper shared a photo of his new portrait tattoo, which takes up most of his right side, on Instagram, captioning the pic: “The finished ‘Nelson Mandela’ lookin out of the prison bars by @NikkoHurtado done on my side. 7 hours sitting…Few more hours to tie in the tats around it & we solid.” Hurtado also posted a pic of The Game’s tattoo, with his own caption: “A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don’t have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.”
Since Nelson Mandela passed away last week, a number of people have honored the highly-respected South African leader with tattoos, and one tattoo artist in the UK even inked a portrait tat of Nelson Mandela for free as his own way to pay tribute to “a great man.” What do you all think of The Game’s tattoo of Nelson Mandela? Tasteful tribute or just too much?
