Yes, The True Meaning Behind Every Post Malone Tattoo

After a 1.5 second Google search, we can say with near absolute uncertainty that, as of this moment, in 2021, the hip-hop, trap, and so-many-other-genre artist, Post Malone, currently has 78 identifiable tattoos. The real number, however, is likely higher, given his tattoos come in groups and given many likely live out their Post Malone existence covered always by clothing. We’ll call it 100 with an asterisk.

Open canvas space on Post’s body has been shrinking for some time. And the compulsion to add ink hasn’t always been a healthy one. In an interview with GQ earlier last year, Post explained that his decision to tattoo his face might have grown out of insecurity: “I'm a ugly-ass motherfucker. [Tattooing the face] does maybe come from a place of insecurity, to where I don't like how I look, so I'm going to put something cool on there so I can look at myself and say, ‘You look cool, kid,’ and have a modicum of self-confidence, when it comes to my appearance.”

Post’s tattoos, however, should not all be associated with mental health struggles; many reflect the artist’s history, his muses, and his aesthetic tastes. Still, we hope that Post leaves some negative space on his body canvass—and that he’s working through some of the difficulties which spurred him to fill in those other regions.

Here is every Post Malone tattoo that we could identify.

Post Malone’s face, head, and neck tattoos

Many of Post’s face tattoos—aside from making him “interesting to look at” and perhaps stemming from issues of self-confidence—also exist to piss off his own mother.

Let’s start with the right side of his face/head/neck. Moving down from the corner of his right eye vertically: a smiley face with “x” eyes, a Playboy bunny, and a heart. He reportedly got some of these tattoos to annoy his mom. With his brother, he also got the number 7 on each side of his nose. Parallel to the small tats are a hammer, a sword, because, again, “what better [way] to make my mom mad?” Also: “swords are fucking awesome.” Over the right eye are blackjack cards and underneath the cards are the words “stay away.” While it’s obscured by his hair, Post also has a giant skull on the right side of his own skull. By his ear, Post has gauntlet and flail weaponry which extends down to his jaw.

Connecting both sides of his face is barbed wire, tattooed across his forehead. Also spanning both sides are the words “always tired,” inked under both eyes, split by his nose.

Moving to the left side. On his left temple and extending to his ear, Post wears a Japanese design resembling waves. Below that and next to “tire,” he has a bloody buzzsaw. Beside the buzzsaw is a skull with devil horns and covering most of the right side of his head is the head of medusa-like figure. On the left side of his head are also a giant spider and a castle on the back. Behind both ears, Post has the outlines of the two states he grew up in: New York and Texas.

Moving down to the neck, Post wears two large eagles, one in black (left side) and one in white (right side). “Stony,” the name of one of his albums, is written on his chin, and a bison skull covers most of his throat.

Post Malone’s chest and back tattoos

Across his collarbone, Post wears a a sword, tattooed to look like it’s stabbing him through the neck (once again: “swords are fucking awesome"). Under his left collarbone is a Dallas Cowboys football helmet, and under the right is a pair of what looks like eyeball dice.

Over his right pec is zombie Jesus (as he told GQ: “Jesus is very handsome, so I figured how can we make him super metal?”) Post also has new mural art over his left pec and extending across his stomach. It’s unclear what the illustration depicts exactly, though it appears to be an antlered man leading an army of undead.

Moving down to Post’s ribs, we find a skull and crossbones on the left ribcage and Master Shake from ‘Aqua Teen Hunger Force’ on his right side.

On his stomach is the Cold War phrase “Kill a commie for mommy,” and spanning his whole stomach is the Greek phrase “Molon labe” (written in Greek), Spartan King Leonidas’s response to Xerxes when asked to lay down his weapons: “come and take them.”

We're not sure if Post has back tattoos.

Post Malone's arm tattoos

Working our way down from Post’s right shoulder, we find prayer hands holding a handgun extending down his arm. On the inside of his right bicep is a melting red face with an eyeball popping out. (Who knows.) Next to that is a Gallenson's Gun Shop logo. Lower down on the bicep is the word “PATIENT,” the name of one of Post’s records. On his right forearm is a minuteman soldier with a knight fighting from atop a horse beneath. And near that is Post himself fighting atop a horse. On the inner forearm is another skull, this time wearing a samurai helmet. And finally, on his right elbow, is an unfinished Lord of the Rings tattoo—supposedly a Sauron character.

Post’s left arm is just as much a collage. The largest tattoos are four portraits. The first, in the prayer hands spot, is Johnny Cash. (Floating by cash is a Miraak Mask from the Elder Scrolls game.) On his bicep, Post has Bob Dylan playing the harmonica. Post wears a second portrait of Kurt Cobain by his left elbow. (There’s also a Roman centurion design there.) And finally, on his left arm is Lil Peep.

Moving down his left arm we find a snake coiled around a rifle, reportedly recognizing Post’s second amendment rights. In the same spirit is the “don’t tread on me” rattlesnake also on the left arm. (In a Rolling Stone interview: “[Guns are] fun, they’re practical, and bad shit happens. If you hurt me, I'm gonna hurt you back.”) On his upper left forearm is also one of Post’s earliest tattoos, a large Playboy bunny. The bottom part of his forearm is absolutely covered. It features a skull shaded with the Texas flag, a Motörhead logo and then a bunch of stuff we can't identify, all surrounding the words “so far so good … so what” by his left wrist and "Posty Co" on the wrist.

We’re probably missing a bunch here. Oh well.

Post Malone’s hand tattoos

Moving on to Post’s hands. Barbed wire extends across both sets of knuckles as does the phrase “rest easy”—a word on each hand. Both hands also feature portraits of other musicians; their faces are inked between the barbed wire and the letters. Musicians on his fingers, his personal music inspirations: John Lennon, George Harrison, Elvis Presley, Kurt Cobain, Dimebag Darrell, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Bankroll Fresh. He also has the Cartier logo on a finger and the letters “S” and “F” on his thumbs. Meaning unknown.

Post’s right hand features the head of a grizzly bear. His right palm has another skull and crossbones as well as the word“Nevermind,” the name of a Nirvana album. On his left hand in the bear spot, Post wears St. Jude standing over a skeleton, next to which is a portrait of John F. Kennedy, next to which is the Anheuser-Busch log. On his left palm, Post has “Whatever,” which, combined with his right’s “Nevermind” alludes to the Nirvana “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” (The line: “Oh well, whatever, nevermind.”)

(For more on Post Malone and Nirvana, check out this full set of Nirvana covers he performed for charity last year)

Post Malone’s leg tattoos

The tattoo asteroid belt opens up a bit once we get to Post’s legs—likely the next major canvas for the musician.

On his right thigh, Post has another skull, this time coming out of cigarette smoke and captioned “smoke sum.” Opposite on his left thigh is another skull, this time wearing police riot gear and captioned “to serve and protect.” (He has yet another skull wearing a headdress on his right ankle and another skull in metal armor by a table with flowers just above that.)

Post wears several fictional characters on his legs, including Belle and the Beast (left calf), Vault Boy from the video game Fallout (left calf), and Kagome Higurashi from the manga series 'Inuyasha' (left leg).

Finally, Post has a gun on over left knee, some unidentifiable tattoos on both ankles, and a Skyrim logo on his left foot.

We probably missed one or one hundred. We’ll keep this updated as we learn more.

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