Dear Lil' Wayne,
Ever since you exploded onto the rap scene (and onto the screen of my parent's living room television set) in the '90s with your fast-talking Nola slang, two-step bounce and shoulder-grazing braids, I was a fan. My girlfriends and I couldn't stop gushing over the pint-sized lyricist in Juvenile's "Back That Azz Up" music video. (Mom, I promise I wasn't dancing like those girls).
When I look back to your days as a baby-faced rapper, however, I get a small pang of sadness inside my chest. My heartbreak isn't because the Hot Boy$ are no longer together, but because you've ruined all the boyish good looks you've had with face tattoos.
Just in case you needed a refresher, look at this screenshot from 1999's "Tha Block Is Hot" video:
That flawless complexion shows no signs of being a 17-year-old father seeking fame and fortune. I mean, did you even experience acne? Maybe it's just genetics along with the good ol' New Orleans sunshine that blessed you with a bronze skin tone. Yet, your love for tattoos came to a head (literally) when you went ink crazy on your face.
Your face tattoos include: red teardrops (we won't even ask questions), a cross and Saints symbol (hometown love), the words "Fear God" on your eyelids, glow in the dark stars (boy, you are so creative), a tribal symbol under your left eye and your most recent forehead scribble, "BAKED."
When I first heard about your latest tattoo, naturally I thought it was a reference to days when you may have blown trees, aka smoke marijuana. But assuming that you're "drug-free" since being on parole, I knew that there had to be more behind this message. While the connection to Baker Skateboards isn't really cutting it for me, I won't shun you for this permanent declaration of living a skater lifestyle. Instead, I make a plea to chill out with the face tattoos.
Not only are all those black and red tattoos on your face starting to meld into one mess, it has become a total distraction from your talents. Whether you're freestyling on a mixtape, popping a wheelie or hawking Trukfit sweatshirts, the man behind the brand is fading away into the ink. Also, have you considered what you'd look like when you're in your eighties, surrounded by more kids and possibly grandkids? Flipping through family photo albums can get pretty awkward when someone points in your direction and asks, "How did this dark spot get here?"
My New Year's resolution for you, Weezy F. Baby, is to spend less time inside tattoo parlors and more hours working on hits inside the music studio.
Check out Lil' Wayne's new "BAKED" tat in the slideshow below, plus more celebrities, like Mike Tyson, Wiz Khalifa and Kat Von D, with face tattoos. Then tell us your thoughts on this form of body art in the comments section.
Celebrities With Face Tattoos
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