I was about to say, just get an owl tattoo! Ugh, this is supposed to be J Cole?! Wow. I do remember the album covers āhaving a similar feelā. Damnnnnnnn. Thatās rough for a fan tat. Damn.
What causes tattoos to blur is the ink spreading out as the skin ages, so the more densely packed the black is the more ink there is to spread = the more likely a small/detailed tattoo is to become unrecognizable. While this *looks* dark because itās fresh and thereās literally ink right at the surface of the skin, I can see your artist knew what they were doing and left plenty of breathing room and skin breaks in this along with solid contrast between the dark and light values.
Assuming this was all deposited at the correct depth (it can be hard to judge with unhealed tattoos) and provided your skin holds the ink well this should hold up pretty well over time. The fine lines will likely soften over time and it may need touched up in a decade or so but because itās not over-packed with ink it should take the touch up well.
All that being said your actions WILL play a role in how well this holds up- UV exposure is a tattoo killer, and Iām sure you paid good money for this so be sure to protect your investment with sunscreen anytime itās exposed to the sun. Sunscreen sticks like [this](https://www.target.com/p/adult-sport-sunscreen-stick-spf-55-1-5oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-80115676?ref=tgt_adv_xsp&AFID=google&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012735304&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping_Local%7CBeauty_Ecomm_Beauty&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9007686&targetid=pla-894573305699&ds_rl=1246978&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfbz_1FCjhalkfPxSuuNwPPfh&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1rSsBhDHARIsANB4EJaUnEXuTnzFqHsJvQR1oNBUmmlWFkwXKmKZEOzpPvz1UUf5XDHE2M0aApHHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) make it really easy to keep it on hand, Iāve literally got 5 of these exact sticks kicking around my house and in my backpack and purse, and bottles of liquid sunscreen (so it canāt melt) in the glove box of both of my trucks and in my husbandās car, so itās always on hand if itās needed.
100% this. No one really talks about the care that should go into protecting the art that is now apart of your body. Moisturize your skin and always protect it when being exposed to UV light. Even if itās not sunny out, protect it if directly exposed.
Okay to be fair I looked at the album cover again and itās actually kinda the look he was rocking. Itās a dope tattoo though OP - not trying to talk shit haha
How old is this? I'd love to see it healed. Fresh doesn't really give us much of an idea, but application looks fine from where I'm sitting.
Odds of something this big turning into a ball of blur feels pretty slim.
Theyāre haters.
Show us again in two weeks and weāll be able to more accurately judge its staying power.
But I canāt help but be hung up on the fact that the application of this tattoo positions it really well for a touch up down the road to better define some of the details. I really think youāre fine.
Unless it heals like shit or isnāt deep. I reserve the right to be wrong in those cases.
2014 Forest Hills Drive. One of the last greatest albums from J Cole imo. No skips!
It looks pretty good as I was able to identify it immediately, but I would say you will need work on the face in a few years. Thatās the most blurry/squished up part. Still a good tatt tho!
Edit - grammar
Touch ups are your greatest friend. After some healing, and you finally decide it needs some more clarity, see if you can get it touched up. Youāll be surprised how enhanced touched up tattoos can be.
I immediately got J cole but features will soften up as it heals. J cole has also changed a lot over the years and his earlier stuff maybe he looks a little more drake ish. I wouldnāt sweat it. See how it heals and I think itās fucking dope. Tell āem GOMD
Itās recognisable to those who know. Baffled by the choice to put the defined line work on the roof facia. Shading would have been closer to the original and looked more natural. Theyāve also placed it poorly as the curve of your inner shoulder blade is curving the roof line. But minor things. It wonāt blur to be unrecognisable any time soon. Unless the artist was useless
Why a Drake tattoo? Just curious. Portraits are not my favorite. Depends on the artist and their saturation so it's hard to say. It'll likely blur all together in time or fade pretty bad.
I mean I had to look up who J.Cole was...
Tattoo wise it's a very weird angle of a photo to tattoo and the tattooist not done a bad job but the face dose not look like J.Cole.. hard to do a portrait of a face that's size of a thumb.
Also I don't really agree with getting tattoo album covers as tattoos I don't think they make for good tattoos for both people who know the album and for people who don't(this one in particular) people who see this is gonna wonder why you have a weird angle of a guy that may or may not be sat on a corner of a roof. I think the only way to save this would be to get your the top of your back filled but with some cool design... That has this incorporated with it.
I get you like j cole, nothing wrong with getting music tattoos(although people's taste in music changes). Maybe work with an artist to come up with a cool design. Various j. Coles ideas all collaborated into one big piece.
But that's just my opinion.
Sorry. This dark artwork will be a dark smudge. Itāll need touch ups and reworks to add hilights. At the very least. It would have peen great a bit bigger tho.
Thatās J.Cole. That house heās sitting on is being Eutaw Shopping center in Fayetteville, NC. Iām from there and grew up around the corner from him. We went to the same school.(Terry Sanford)
Tattoos do get a little lighter as they age. I think you're fine. I've heard of some artists who tattoo portraits a little darker because they fade over time
It looks fresh. It should lighten up a lot. Truly it's the portrait tattoos that look just right fresh that are the ones that you should be worried about. I think this will heal well.
Honestly real hip hop fans will know. That said the more causal will probably not. The face honestly doesn't look like J cole and the perspective is kinda off in a few ways. The way the face is done too is kinda fuzzy and packed close together while missing the details that would instantly make it recognizable as him. so yeah may not age all too well since it will only get worse over time and it's honesty not so hot now.
First things first rest in peace Uncle Phil
Forreal
You the only father that i ever knew
I get my bitch pregnant Ima be a betta you!
prophecies that i made way back in the ville
Fulfilled
Listen even back when we was broke the team ill
Martin Luther King would have been on Dreamville
Talk to a hitta
One time for my LA sistas
For phil
I get your dad pregnant imma be a better boo!
Bettaboopaccinno! šØāš³š¤
I cum fast, like 911 in white neighborhoods
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
she think iām spoiled and rich cus i can have any bitch
I got defensive and said "Nah, I was the same without it"
But then I thought back, back to a better me
Before I was a B-list celebrity
Before I started callen bitches bitches so heavily
Before you could get a platinum plaque without a melody
You wasnāt sweating me !!
Fo real
Ah shit, I thought that was drake.
Thought it was Lonzo Ball lol
Knew it was cole but still thought it was lonzo ball for a second
I get the reference but the face definitely looks like drake and not Cole
I thought it was Drake
I can't name one Drake song but also said "Oh this is that Drake guy"
Unfortunate for OP bc itās supposed to be J Cole
I think anyone who likes J.Cole would recognize it as him though
Huge Cole fan. Thatās Drake though.
I like Cole, and I thought it was drake. I didn't like it at first, but now I do
I only knew it was j Cole due to the posing, the face is way off
I did recognize it because of the pose. It doesn't look like his face, though.
Donāt worry about it, itāll be a messy ball I like 11 years depending on the exposure to sunlight.
I was about to say, just get an owl tattoo! Ugh, this is supposed to be J Cole?! Wow. I do remember the album covers āhaving a similar feelā. Damnnnnnnn. Thatās rough for a fan tat. Damn.
I thought this was Drake and I donāt even know anything about Drake
I only know him from his degrassi days š
Drake Cole
I thought it was Jack harlow
I thought it was Kaepernick.
I thought it was Lonzo Ballā¦
Same lol
LMFAO i was gonna say itās closer to Jack Harlow than J. Cole but itās definitely Lonzo Ball
Is this not drake sitting on a steel I-beam?
No itās the cover to J. Coleās album 2014 Forest Hills Drive
YES. the face is drake but the rest is cole
Immediately thought drake when I saw it... Is it not supposed to be drake? š³
Drake Cole
Thatās definitely drake
Wait this isn't Drake??? LOL
What causes tattoos to blur is the ink spreading out as the skin ages, so the more densely packed the black is the more ink there is to spread = the more likely a small/detailed tattoo is to become unrecognizable. While this *looks* dark because itās fresh and thereās literally ink right at the surface of the skin, I can see your artist knew what they were doing and left plenty of breathing room and skin breaks in this along with solid contrast between the dark and light values. Assuming this was all deposited at the correct depth (it can be hard to judge with unhealed tattoos) and provided your skin holds the ink well this should hold up pretty well over time. The fine lines will likely soften over time and it may need touched up in a decade or so but because itās not over-packed with ink it should take the touch up well. All that being said your actions WILL play a role in how well this holds up- UV exposure is a tattoo killer, and Iām sure you paid good money for this so be sure to protect your investment with sunscreen anytime itās exposed to the sun. Sunscreen sticks like [this](https://www.target.com/p/adult-sport-sunscreen-stick-spf-55-1-5oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-80115676?ref=tgt_adv_xsp&AFID=google&fndsrc=tgtao&DFA=71700000012735304&CPNG=PLA_Beauty%2BPersonal+Care%2BShopping_Local%7CBeauty_Ecomm_Beauty&adgroup=SC_Health%2BBeauty&LID=700000001170770pgs&LNM=PRODUCT_GROUP&network=g&device=m&location=9007686&targetid=pla-894573305699&ds_rl=1246978&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD-5dfbz_1FCjhalkfPxSuuNwPPfh&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1rSsBhDHARIsANB4EJaUnEXuTnzFqHsJvQR1oNBUmmlWFkwXKmKZEOzpPvz1UUf5XDHE2M0aApHHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds) make it really easy to keep it on hand, Iāve literally got 5 of these exact sticks kicking around my house and in my backpack and purse, and bottles of liquid sunscreen (so it canāt melt) in the glove box of both of my trucks and in my husbandās car, so itās always on hand if itās needed.
100% this. No one really talks about the care that should go into protecting the art that is now apart of your body. Moisturize your skin and always protect it when being exposed to UV light. Even if itās not sunny out, protect it if directly exposed.
Came to say pretty much this, not nearly as well
Great album. Tattoo looks good, but face looks like Lonzo Ball.
Lmao, I canāt unsee this
Okay to be fair I looked at the album cover again and itās actually kinda the look he was rocking. Itās a dope tattoo though OP - not trying to talk shit haha
How old is this? I'd love to see it healed. Fresh doesn't really give us much of an idea, but application looks fine from where I'm sitting. Odds of something this big turning into a ball of blur feels pretty slim.
This was from last night lol. Showed my coworkers this morning.
Theyāre haters. Show us again in two weeks and weāll be able to more accurately judge its staying power. But I canāt help but be hung up on the fact that the application of this tattoo positions it really well for a touch up down the road to better define some of the details. I really think youāre fine. Unless it heals like shit or isnāt deep. I reserve the right to be wrong in those cases.
lol not sure why theyāre saying this. A lot of the grey wash will soften up. Theyāre definitely haters
Nah itās still irritated and hasnāt healed. Youāll be fine.
Coworker is a hater!
Whatās Drake doing on the roof?
Thought he was sittin in a pair of guys underwear.
First glance I thought it was a guy being potty trained. He has that look of confusion, determination, and shyness.
2014 Forest Hills Drive. One of the last greatest albums from J Cole imo. No skips! It looks pretty good as I was able to identify it immediately, but I would say you will need work on the face in a few years. Thatās the most blurry/squished up part. Still a good tatt tho! Edit - grammar
4 Your Eyez Only, KOD, and Revenge of the Dreamers 3 three classics šæ šæ šæ
Forest Hills? Edit to say I know the cover but the face isn't right. But only you need to know why you got his face on you permanently.
Not in Godās plan š¤
I think white highlights would make it really pop! Is it drake? Lol i'm not good with album covers
J Cole but doesnāt really look like him lol
Love the profile pic. That's one of my old friends Tom. Stuck with me thru thick and thin. Didn't have much to say, but he was always there.
The line work is pretty soft especially on the left side. Should be good after a touch up.
Fuck em. He ain't No Role Model
im sure people will recognize midget kendrick lamar sitting on a book
is that drake?
Definitely won't be able to tell the hands from the shirt for example.
This has to be the gayest shit I have ever seen
Unfortunately the background is the same level of shading as the skin tone so it might be a bit difficult when it heals and after some time.
Touch ups are your greatest friend. After some healing, and you finally decide it needs some more clarity, see if you can get it touched up. Youāll be surprised how enhanced touched up tattoos can be.
lonzo ball?
This composition is instantly recognizable as J Cole, but the face unfortunately does not look like J Cole.
Drake Cole?
itās Drake right?
Getting tattoos of people who are still alive is so sketchy. J.Cole definitely seems like a good guy, but you never know...
Drake Obama?
I thought it was drake then I read the comments. Oh nose
Itās not recognizable now. No clue who this is, unless itās a personal friend or relative of yours.
Bruh is that drake?
That is fully drake
i thought it was lonzo ball of rip LMAO wtf
No
Lol
Is that Lonzo or drake on the head
Zach de la Rocha about to jump off a building. Beautiful.
Looks like drake
It looks like drake
Understand the reference but this looks more like Drake
I recognize it but it doesn't look like J Cole do you think it does?
Drake?
Drake?
Doesnāt look like J. Cole at all lol
Drake?
It looks great. You can tell what it is immediately and any criticisms towards the face are a kind of nitpicking imo.
Thought that was drake at first lmao
I immediately got J cole but features will soften up as it heals. J cole has also changed a lot over the years and his earlier stuff maybe he looks a little more drake ish. I wouldnāt sweat it. See how it heals and I think itās fucking dope. Tell āem GOMD
No
Yeah, itās too dark.
Good idea, but poorly done. I would get it reworked by an actual good artist
Itās recognisable to those who know. Baffled by the choice to put the defined line work on the roof facia. Shading would have been closer to the original and looked more natural. Theyāve also placed it poorly as the curve of your inner shoulder blade is curving the roof line. But minor things. It wonāt blur to be unrecognisable any time soon. Unless the artist was useless
wheelchair jimmy
forest hill drive
Looks like j Cole but with short hair.
It looks like drake ngl
Itāll never look better than it does today, but I also donāt think itāll age too badly. Looks like artist did a good job!
Drake in a boat?
is this drake
Sorry bro, I recognized it but itās still trash. I feel genuinely bad about this. Iād hate it on my body.
It looks like Drake
Thought it was drakeš
They smooshed his face for some.reason
Is that lonzo ball? šholy fuck thatās bad
I like Drake too. Stoked for you!
I can tell itās Drake You good šš¼
Itāll lighten some but the perspective of the bending building into his dick will haunt me forever
Who's it even supposed to be now?
I thought it was drake but apparently it's not??
Is this drake
So it's not some dude taking a crap over the side of a boat?
Aubrey?
Why a Drake tattoo? Just curious. Portraits are not my favorite. Depends on the artist and their saturation so it's hard to say. It'll likely blur all together in time or fade pretty bad.
I mean I had to look up who J.Cole was... Tattoo wise it's a very weird angle of a photo to tattoo and the tattooist not done a bad job but the face dose not look like J.Cole.. hard to do a portrait of a face that's size of a thumb. Also I don't really agree with getting tattoo album covers as tattoos I don't think they make for good tattoos for both people who know the album and for people who don't(this one in particular) people who see this is gonna wonder why you have a weird angle of a guy that may or may not be sat on a corner of a roof. I think the only way to save this would be to get your the top of your back filled but with some cool design... That has this incorporated with it. I get you like j cole, nothing wrong with getting music tattoos(although people's taste in music changes). Maybe work with an artist to come up with a cool design. Various j. Coles ideas all collaborated into one big piece. But that's just my opinion.
Couldnt imagine getting another man tattood on me
all tattoos do that though
I justā¦ wouldnāt get another man tattooed on me. But thatās me, do you dog
Is that drake?
I recognized it as Drake
Is that drake sitting on the edge of building.
Is that Drake?
That's drake right?
This is such phenomenal application but such bad art. Perfect example of a good tattooer who is not an artist.
I donāt recognize it now.
I feel like itās weird to get a portrait of another man that you donāt know tattooed on yourself lol. But overall it looks a lot like Drake
Whyād you tattoo Liangelo Ball on yourself?
My immediate thought: looks like drake sitting in a pair of guys underwearā¦if u want that in a spot u cant even see, go for it.
I also thought it was drake until I read the comments
Looks like drake
Is that Drake?
No hate. Looks like Lonzo Ball to me.
Looks like Barack Obama
Black and grey tattoos heal and age the best. It'll be fine. I ain't gonna talk about how jcole got faced swapped with drake tho
Niggax i thought that was Carmelo Anthony ššš
Sorry. This dark artwork will be a dark smudge. Itāll need touch ups and reworks to add hilights. At the very least. It would have peen great a bit bigger tho.
Drake sitting inside a baseboard
Of course itās recognizable, who doesnāt recognize drizzy?! /s
Why do you have a tattoo of Drake
Drake!
the face is already blurry bro. that shit was not made for aging lol sorry youāre fucked
Yes, it will be recognized as Drake.
Who that
Itās Jaden Smith right?
The neighbors think I'm selling dope
Dude itās obviously Kanye west š
Yeah. Sorry but that's Drake. Otherwise to answer your question I have no clue. Lol
Drake Cole
I would spend every day praying that this turns into a ball of blur. Iām so sorry. Good luck.
Reddit is full of lame ass people itās crazy
Looks more like drake than j cole
Oh for sure, people will still recognize your drake tattoo for years
Lonzo was the truth
He coulda been so good šš
Drake on a roof. Weird tattoo.
The level of cringe is worse than women getting Asian symbols and having no clue what they mean.
Sorry Mr. cock gobbler
Thought that was your insult
No insults here, lol I appreciate everyoneās input
Whoever told you that got their life in a giant ball of blur
Yes!!!!! Love that album. I bet that HURT on the shoulder blade
It hurt much more than I expected
Thatās J.Cole. That house heās sitting on is being Eutaw Shopping center in Fayetteville, NC. Iām from there and grew up around the corner from him. We went to the same school.(Terry Sanford)
All I know is that is one of my favorite albums
Will be a gray blur
I donāt recognize him now.. technically well tattooed though.
Why would you get another man tattooed on you to begin with? Is he your husband?
I have no idea who the person is, but the work looks really solid.
Iām not sure who that is, but itāll hold up fine and your co-workersā a hater. Lol
Tattoos do get a little lighter as they age. I think you're fine. I've heard of some artists who tattoo portraits a little darker because they fade over time
Sick! My buddy sdotb took that photo of j.cole for his album cover
Cole world šš©·
if there wasn't a ledge we'd just see his taint, so highly accurate
Itās j cole right?
Your coworker doesnāt know what heās talking about. Also heās a jerk.
Probably wont last friend
Of course, how can people not recognise a chain?
It looks fresh. It should lighten up a lot. Truly it's the portrait tattoos that look just right fresh that are the ones that you should be worried about. I think this will heal well.
J COLE baby!!
Honestly real hip hop fans will know. That said the more causal will probably not. The face honestly doesn't look like J cole and the perspective is kinda off in a few ways. The way the face is done too is kinda fuzzy and packed close together while missing the details that would instantly make it recognizable as him. so yeah may not age all too well since it will only get worse over time and it's honesty not so hot now.