A portrait tattoo is a realistic rendering that appears less like a drawing and more like a photograph. This style is generally reserved for images of loved ones, family members or heroes. Choose your favorite hip hop artist, alive or dead, and have a photograph of that person tattooed in a portrait style. This style requires a highly skilled and experienced artist and should be somewhat large because of the extensive details.
Musical notes are common tattoos for many music lovers, but for a specific hip hop style tattoo consider tattooing the exact musical notes that create the beat or hook of your favorite hip hop song. A single string of notes set to the corresponding background of sheet music is a simple design, but requires an experienced hand, as every line must be perfectly straight. You can also choose to tattoo the title of the song above the notes or just represent the notes by themselves for a more abstract and mysterious tattoo.
A script tattoo is a single word or several tattooed in any particular font or style you wish. For a hip hop script tattoo, consider using a passage of lyrics from a song or even a media quote from your favorite artist. The more words in the script and the more detail put into each letter, the larger the design will need to be. However, some fonts are small enough to fit on your wrist, provided the script is limited to one or two words. Also, for a more personal tattoo, consider designing the font yourself.
A microphone wreathed in flame is an appropriate tattoo for any fan of hip hop music, but is especially appropriate for any established or aspiring hip hop artist. The tattoo represents a respect for, or ability to, passionately ignite a beat with words and transfer that passion to anyone who listens. The microphone can be small or large and either attached to a cord or represented on its own. The flames are also optional, but may add a level of vibrancy to the design.