Teardrop tattoo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The teardrop tattoo or tear tattoo is a symbolic tattoo that is placed underneath the eye. The tattoo has several connotations. Teardrop tattoos usually signify the loss of a friend or loved one. An empty tear signifies that the loved one has been killed or that the bearer has unsuccessfully attempted murder.[1] A filled tattoo signifies that a loved one has taken his or her own life, or was killed by a cause other than murder (car crash, death penalty, etc.) A tear with an empty top and a full bottom means that the wearer has avenged the murder of a loved one. The majority of the 'tear tattoos' seen in popular culture today, however, signifies that the wearer has killed, with the number of tears representing the number of kills.[1]
It is a tattoo that is almost always associated with prison tattoos and membership in a gang. Tear tattoos, when given in prison, are primarily to indicate that the bearer has murdered someone, either in or out of jail.[1][2][3] The tattoo can also be given to commemorate a loved one who died while the wearer was incarcerated.[2]
In Australian prisons, teardrop tattoos are often forcibly given to convicted child molesters by other inmates.[2]
[edit] Notable individuals with teardrop tattoos
- Birdman
- Lil Wayne
- Brian "Head" Welch
- Chink Santana
- Dolla
- The Game
- Gucci Mane
- Kastro of Outlawz
- NBA player Larry Hughes has a tear tattoo in memory of his younger brother, who died.[4]
- Punk musician Lars Frederiksen has the tattoo in memory of his brother Robert who died of an aneurysm.[citation needed]
- Song writer/producer/singer Linda Perry (empty teardrop)
- Mark "The Undertaker" Calloway
- Yung Berg
- Yung LA
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "The Teardrop Tattoo". A Tattooed Blog by Noel Boyd. http://www.noelboyd.com/2008/03/teardrop-tattoo.html. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ a b c "Break the Tattoo Code - The Tear drop Tattoo". INKEDBlog. http://www.inkedblog.com/archives/2005/09/break_the_tatto.html. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ "Meanings of tattoos that start with the letter T". Target Tattoo. http://www.targettattoo.com/symbols/T.htm. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
- ^ "One year later, Hughes still hurting". The Cleveland Plain Dealer. http://blog.cleveland.com/earlyedition/2007/05/one_year_later_hughes_still_hu.html. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
