Having tattoos is a huge part of hip-hop culture and it is very rare to see a rapper without tattoos. Famous American rapper Lil Baby, is one of the few rappers to not have any. . 

   Lil Baby began his rapping career in April of 2017. During this time, he released a mixtape titled Perfect Timing. His first single released later that year, “My dawg,” peaked at 71 on the Billboard Hot 100. Building his way up from a complicated past, he is now known to be a successful self-made millionaire and rapper. 

   Considering this, in an in-depth interview with The New York Times, Lil Baby stated that he didn’t want to be distinguished as a “dope boy” when handling business, so he made the decision not to have any tattoos. 

  “I never saw myself being a rapper. A big-dog dope boy, that’s it. Not even just a dope boy. That’s why I ain’t got no tattoos because I always knew I was going to run my money up, and I was going to have to go sit in front of some people to do something with my money. And I didn’t want them to look at me like a dope boy. I had to keep my appearance straight. I literally said, ‘When I sit down in front of these white folks, I don’t want to have any tattoos.’ In a way, it’s still that today. Because when I’m sitting in these meetings, I don’t have tattoos on my face. I know they’d have to think something if I’ve got tattoos on my face,” Lil Baby reports to New York Times. Lil Baby Might Be Rap’s Most Reluctant New Star, New York Times.

   Lil Baby wants to look and be treated as a professional artist which allows him to stand out amongst other famous rappers.