A tattoo of the late Migos rapper Takeoff has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest tattoo artwork. The record-breaking piece of art was created by Atlanta artists J.R. Outlaw and Christian Verrette and other artists from Atlanta Ink, Iron Palm Tattoos & Body Piercing and Pèse Noir to honor the slain rapper.
The tattoo, which was made on silicone skin using professional tattoo ink, features Takeoff in a spacesuit as it was inspired by the rapper’s only solo album “The Last Rocket”, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“As it was coming together, the skin just kind of started getting bigger and bigger, but it was just like, once we started, once we committed to doing it, it was like, well, how big is the biggest one?” Outlaw, who has been a tattoo artist for 15 years, told the news site.
Outlaw fellow artist Verrette subsequently approached the Guinness World Records to find out if the team had set a record. Measuring 7.395 square meters, the tattoo honoring the late rapper was officially named the largest tattoo artwork on Wednesday at Atlanta Ink during a presentation from Guinness World Record adjudicator Michael Empric.
“I really love that it celebrates the community. It’s not like he just did something in his head that was random. It celebrates Atlanta, the music scene, and it’s more impressive in person than I expected,” Empric said to AJC.
Some of the challenges the artists faced in designing the artwork was getting the right silicone skin for the design. Verette said they also had to buy more tools for the work that took six months to complete.
“We bought some less expensive machines because tattoo machines are like $2,000, so the ones that we use for our work are really expensive. A piece like this — it’s so massive. You spend 30, 40, 50, 60 hours straight tattooing it, and we didn’t want to wear out our expensive machines, so we brought some $400 or $500 machines off Amazon.”
Fans of Takeoff can now get the design inked on their body while Outlaw is also contacting local art galleries to exhibit the artwork.
Award-winning rapper and Migos group member Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston in November last year. The fatal incident was said to have occurred at 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston. The 28-year-old, born Kirshnik Khari Ball, was with fellow band member Quavo when he was shot and killed. An individual at the scene reportedly opened fire after an altercation escalated while Takeoff and Quavo were playing dice.
“I just want people to reflect on him as a person and his legacy in music and in the city,” Outlaw told FOX 5 after creating the tattoo.
