The image of the tragically slain teen, Trayvon Martin, wearing a hoodie will probably be imprinted on all of our minds for years to come, but rapper The Game took that one step further, immortalizing the iconic photo in a tattoo on his leg last week. The Game, real name Jayceon Tarrell Taylor, got the black and white image of Trayvon Martin’s face inked on the back of his leg, and the portrait joins a number of other tribute tattoos The Game has added to his collection over the years, including those dedicated to Nate Dogg, Barack Obama and the cover of Dr. Dre’s 90’s classic “The Chronic.” The rapper also has a red star tattooed on his right cheek with the letters “LA” inked in black, a large tat across his chest that reads “Hate it or Love it,” and an even larger tat on his abdomen that reads “Compton.”
The Game’s Trayvon Tat Took 7 Hours to Complete!
On August 16, The Game posted a picture on Instagram showing the stencil that would be used to create his Trayvon Martin leg tattoo, then posted another photo revealing the final product, side by side with the original photo of the teen wearing a hoodie. The tat of the 17-year-old, who was shot and killed last February during a confrontation with Florida neighborhood watch coordinator George Zimmerman, is exceptionally well done, and The Game has a California-based tattoo artist by the name of Roman Abrego to thank for that. After debuting his Trayvon Martin portrait tattoo on Instagram, the rapper wrote: “After 7 hours sleep…@romantattoos woke me up & my #Trayvon Martin tat is finito.”
Trayvon Martin Tattoo a Symbol of Support, Protest
The iconic photograph of Trayvon Martin sporting a hoodie has been widely circulated by the media since the teen’s tragic 2012 death, which took place in a gated community in Sanford, Florida. By getting a portrait of Trayvon Martin inked on his body, The Game is not only showing his support for the Martin family, but is also contributing to a heated public response to the shooting, which has included the use of hoodies as a sign of protest. The Game’s choice of tattoo is particularly poignant, considering that a photo of the rapper was used in a chain email that made its rounds during the Zimmerman trial. Those responsible for the email claimed that the “liberal media” was attempting to depict Trayvon Martin as an innocent child by using younger pictures of the high school student. The email included a photo of The Game, 31 years old at the time, with the caption “The Real Trayvon Martin.”
