Tramar Lacel Dillard, better known by his stage name, Flo Rida is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His first single, “Low” peaked at no. 1 for 10 weeks in the US in 2007 and broke the record for digital download sales. He released his debut album the following year, “Mail on Sunday” that peaked at no. 4. Since then he has released a number of albums and given hit singles topping the charts and has over 100 million record sales worldwide. Flo Rida’s arms and back are covered in many tattoos that give us a look into his mind. Let us look at his inks and the meanings behind them.
1. ‘Hendrix’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The left shoulder and upper arm of the rapper has a large tattoo of a portrait of Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar.
Meaning: The tattoo of Hendrix’s portrait on his shoulder represents his love and admiration for Jimi. Flo Rida considers Jimi one of his idols and also thinks that they both are much alike in several ways which is why he got a tattoo of the late musician on his arm.
2. ‘DJ’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The upper part of Flo Rida’s left forearm has a tattoo of a DJ controller on it.
Meaning: The tattoo of the DJ controller on his arm represents his love for music.
3. ‘Woman’ Tattoo
Tattoo: There is a tattoo of a woman’s face on his left forearm, coming out of the DJ controller on his arm.
4. ‘Guitarist’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inner part of his left forearm has a tattoo of a girl playing the guitar on it. There is also a mic tattooed near his wrist.
Meaning: The tattoo of the girl on his forearm is a tribute tattoo for another one of his idols, Peggy Jones.
5. ‘World and Roots’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The upper side of his right forearm is covered in a large tattoo of a man on it that is carrying the world on his back. The world shown on his back is full of green trees with mics and dove birds tattooed inside it. The word, “R.O.O.T.S” is also tattooed on the inside of his right forearm near the world.
Meaning: The tattoo of the dove birds goes along with his religious tattoo that you will soon find out. The mic and the word, “R.O.O.T.S” represents the name of Flo Rida’s second studio album that was released in 2009. The tattoo represents the name of his album that celebrates his success and all the hard work he put into achieving it. The name of the album is short for, “Route of Overcoming the Struggle”
6. ‘Jesus and Cross’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The tattoo of the world on the man’s back on his right forearm also has the face of Jesus Christ tattooed inside it, wearing a crown of thorns. There is also a rosemary bead necklace tattooed on his forearm that has a Cross as a pendant.
Meaning: The tattoo of Jesus and dove birds on his arm represent his religious views and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to save humanity. The pendant of the cross on his arm represents his belief and the power of prayer.
7. ‘Hands, Piano, and Star’ Tattoos
Tattoo: The right shoulder and upper arm of the rapper has a tattoo of two hands on it joining together to form the shape of a heart in front of the keys of a piano. There is also a star tattooed near his elbow that has his stage name, “FLO RIDA” written on it.
Meaning: The tattoo of the hands forming the heart represents his love for music. The star tattoo with his name represents his stage name and celebrates his success.
8. ‘RIP’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The backside of his right upper arm also has the words, “RIP Julia” tattooed on it.
Meaning: The tattoo on his arm is a tribute tattoo to his sister, Julia who is no longer in this world. The tattoo reminds him of his promise that he made to his sister that he would never give up. Flo Rida said that this tattoo is what has kept him going on and working harder whenever he has faced tough situations and continues to motivate him throughout his difficulties. This is one of the first tattoos that he got. Flo Rida was raised with seven sisters, the youngest of whom is his twin. All his sisters also used to sing in a local gospel group in his hometown of Carol City, Florida.
9. Portraits on Chest
Tattoo: There are many portrait tattoos across Flo’s chest. Starting from the left he has the face of two men and then a woman tattooed on his chest. There is also a pin-up girl tattooed on the corner of his right pec.
Meaning: The tattoos of portraits on his chest are tribute tattoos to his idols. Starting from the right, the people are Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, and Etta James.
10. ‘Rose’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The left side of the rapper’s stomach has a tattoo of a rose stick on it being held by a hand.
11. Back Tattoo
Tattoo: The entire back of the singer is covered in the largest tattoo piece on his body. The tattoo shows a red car traveling on a road in the middle of his back, in the city of Florida. There are houses and buildings on the right side of the road and huge palm trees on the left side. There is also a giant pin-up girl with tattoos all over her body, tattooed on the right side of his back, clinging to a signpost. There is also a tattoo of a boy taking a photo, standing among a crowd on the lower part of his back. The word, “Flo Rida” is also tattooed on the right side of his upper back.
Meaning: The tattoo on his back represents his stage name, Flo Rida that he took because of his love for his hometown, Carol City, Florida, and the place that gave him everything. The tattoo celebrates his success and how far he has come.
That looks more like Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr, and James Brown to me…