Thug Tattoos

Thug tattoos used to be reserved for people who had a bona fide affiliation to a street gang or who had real "street credit." Nowadays these tattoos are sported by true thugs as well as people who simply like the style, even if they aren't thugs in any sense of the term.

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The term "thug" varies in usage, but it's generally considered to be a label for someone who is rough. Thug once solely meant someone who pushed other people around and engaged in criminal activity, but the term has evolved to evoke the image of someone who is tough or who has control over other people.

In current society, the term "thug" can also pertain to a style of dress that really has nothing to do with a person's criminal affiliation or even physical stature. Thug is a term that can be both positive and negative, depending on how it is used.

Thug tats used to signify toughness or affiliation with a criminal group. In the past, these tattoos were commonly placed somewhere on the body that is easily visible because the tattoos made a bold statement. Common body placement for thug tattoos include:

• Face
• Neck
• Arms
• Chest
• Back
• Hands

It is not unheard of to find these tough tattoos in unexpected places such as the inner lip or on a bald head. Since a thug is supposed to be tough, no body part is off limits when it comes to tattoo placement. Don't be surprised to find thug tattoos on places that might make you cringe.

Thug designs usually don't choose colorful tattoos with cheery motifs. Instead, they usually utilize dark colors and use images that are meant to evoke fear in others or claim affiliation to a group.

Lettering and symbols are popular choices for thug tattoo designs. When getting a name tattoo, the thug style may involve elaborate lettering or it may be simple, but it depends largely on the meaning of the tattoo. While the name of a loved one or a life motto may appear in elaborate script, an affiliation tattoo may be a simple script that is easily readable. Script tattoos are common choices for everyone – not just thugs - but whether a lettering tattoo falls into the category of a thug tattoo has to do with the placement of the tattoo and the meaning behind the tattoo. For example, a script tattoo that states "Seize the Day" may not necessarily be a thug tattoo, but place this tattoo on a neck and make the script elaborate, and then it could be considers a thug-style design. It really depends on the wearer's intent.

Thugs want to convey the message that they are in charge and they don't care about what anyone else thinks. This is why shock value is so important with their tattoo designs. True thugs want to show everyone else that they are tougher than them, so a painful, elaborate arm sleeve tattoo combining lettering and dark images is a popular choice. Face tattoos are also common choices for thug tattoos because they not only convey a message that the person disregards society's rules, but face tattoos are also known to be quite painful to get. Thugs want to show the world that they aren't afraid of pain, and that society rules don't apply to them.

As with most cultural phenomena that starts out on the societal fringe, these ghetto inspired designs are becoming more socially acceptable than they once were. College students who certainly don't live the thug lifestyle flock to tattoo parlors and request tattoos similar to those they see on television and in magazines.

For these reasons, a thug style tattoo doesn't always reflect a person's lifestyle choices. Not everyone who has a thug tattoo lives a thug lifestyle.

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