When it comes to tattoos, Drake has never met a design he didn’t like.
The Toronto-born rapper is covered in more than 55 designs at last count, and each piece of his body art tells a story that’s just as layered as his chart-topping hits.
Drake has been steadily adding to his tattoo collection since he released his debut studio album in 2010, showing off designs that pay tribute to his OVO Sound music label, a portrait of Aaliyah, keepsakes from his relationship with Rihanna and a bottle of Drakkar Noir.
The “Hotline Bling” singer even revealed a surprising face tat in November 2023 — and his tattoo obsession shows no signs of slowing down.
From symbolic motifs to personal phrases, we’re taking a closer look at Drake’s tattoos and their meanings, below.
Face tattoos
Drake made headlines in November 2023 when he debuted a tattoo above his right eyebrow reading “miskeen,” which is slang for a “sweet and innocent” person in his Canadian hometown.
The phrase also means “poor” or “pathetic” in Arabic, causing many fans to be confused about the seemingly conflicting meaning about his unusual face tattoo.
However, this wasn’t the first piece of face ink he’s showed off; the “No Guidance singer got his mother, Sandra Gayle Graham’s, initials “SG” tattooed under his left eye in 2022.
Rihanna
While his relationship with Rihanna over the years has been complicated — and the “Umbrella” singer has never actually confirmed that they dated — Drake has two tattoos that may or may not be dedicated to his former friend and flame.
One of them is a camouflage-printed shark design he has on the inside of his arm, and until 2021, Rihanna had a matching design on her ankle, later covering it up with a crown. The design is said to have been inspired by a stuffed animal the rapper bought Rih at an aquarium, per E!
The other piece of art is up for debate, with Drake showing off a tattoo of a woman eating ice cream on his arm that many fans are convinced is a portrait of the “Diamonds” singer.
Family and Friends
His family and friends are certainly a huge part of Drake’s tattoo collection, with numerous designs paying tribute to his loved ones.
While the “One Dance” singer has his mom’s initials immortalized on his face, he also has a back tattoo of his mother’s image that sits under portraits of his grandmother and uncle. He also got his father, Dennis Graham’s, mugshot inked on his back, with his dad returning the favor with a huge tattoo portrait of his famous son a few years later.
Of course, Drake’s own son Adonis, who he shares with Sophie Brussaux, isn’t left out of the family homages, with the star getting his only child’s name inked on his right arm.
The “Degrassi” alum also has portraits of his friends and role models on his arms, including designs featuring Lil Wayne, LeBron James and Denzel Washington along with one honoring his good friend, Anthony “Fif” Soares, who was murdered in 2017.
Other important figures
The “Rich Flex” singer certainly loves to ink a female face, and along with his alleged Rihanna tat, other female musicians have spots of honor on his frame.
Drake has long admired Aaliyah, debuting a tattoo on his back of the late singer — who died in a 2001 plane crash — in 2011.
He also has not one, but two portraits of Sade, with the “Smooth Operator” singer’s handwriting inked below one of the tattoos; she gifted him a signed poster for his birthday in 2017 after the reclusive star was pictured with the Canadian rapper at one of his concerts.
One woman who doesn’t want her face immortalized on Drake’s body? Celine Dion.
“Please, Drake, I love you very much. Can I tell you something? Don’t do that,” the “My Heart Will Go On” singer said during an iHeart Radio interview in 2019 after the “Ride” singer told her that he planned to add her visage to his collection.
Nature
Drake has plenty of tattoos nodding to the natural world, with most of them also hinting back at his career, like an owl design on the back of his right shoulder that he debuted in 2011. The owl logo represents his fashion brand, “October’s Very Own” or “OVO,” and he frequently integrates the design into his style, like the 100-carat diamond necklace he owns with its own birdcage.
He also has a tree tattoo on his left side as well as an image of a lion’s head with the words “Oktober Lejonhjärta” or “October Lionhearted” accompanying the design.
Two songbirds sit on his back and left side, and the rapper got a hibiscus flower with a bee to commemorate his album “More Life” in 2017.
Music
Of course, his musical career plays a part in the “IDGAF” singer’s body art, with Drake covered in several designs that reference his journey through the industry.
One of the more controversial designs involves a Beatles tattoo that extends down his left arm, with the artwork — bashed by many fans as “cocky” — portraying Drake leading the legendary singers down the street like on their iconic “Abbey Road” album cover.
Next to his owl tattoo, a line from Lil Wayne’s song “If I Die Today (John)” is inked, with the phrase reading “If I die today, it’ll be a holiday.” Underneath,”atf,” “ovo,” “ymcmb” and “reps up” are written in a straight line below the sentence.
The first abbreviation stands for his former fansite, “All Things Fresh,” with “ovo” representing his slogan, “October’s Very Own.” “Ymcmb” and “reps up” stand for “Young Money Cash Money Billionaires” — the group of rappers represented by Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records — and “Reps-Up Records,” a Canadian label his friend Preme created, respectively.
Another music-related design is a flaming skull on Drake’s left shoulder that reads “unruly,” a nod to his friend Popcaan, who is signed to Drake’s OVO Sound record label.
Toronto
Drake’s beloved hometown of Toronto is represented with multiple designs on his body, ranging from the city’s area code, “416” (along with a shortened version reading “6” on his right arm) to the city’s famous CN tower.
The singer also got a compass design on his left bicep in 2015, with the letter “E” standing for the East side, another shout-out to Toronto.
Sports
Sports also play a big part in the “First Person Shooter” singer’s life, and he’s emblazoned with symbols representing his favorite teams like the Toronto Raptors, Houston Astros and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Drake also has shout-outs to his friends Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant on his arm, with their Golden State Warriors jersey numbers 30 and 35 inked below his compass tattoo.
Miscellaneous
A bottle of Drakkar Noir cologne is perhaps one of Drake’s more famous tattoos, and although the bicep tattoo seems random, the design throws back to his old Twitter handle, @drakkardnoir.
Another design, reading “EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON SWEET THING” is inked upside down on his inner arm, although the exact signifcance of the phrase to Drake is unknown.
He also has an Egyptian symbol, the Eye of Horus, on his left arm, with the design symbolizing protection, good luck, healing and power in ancient Egypt.
