When looking for a video to open this post with I came to understand exactly why I’ve always thought Prince Rogers Nelson is one of the greatest musicians of all time. There isn’t anything he can’t do. Although to be fair, I’ve never seen him cook an omelet. Think about it, this little dude from Minnesota has over the course of his life (so far) has put out 10 platinum albums and over 30 top40 singles, not to mention the hundreds of awards he’s got lining his walls.
Granted The Artist hasn’t gone without his share of controversy. In the early 80s it was his song Darling Nikki that prompted Tipper Gore to push for explicit lyrics sticker that everyone who has owned a CD should be familiar with. Of course nobody can forget when he changed his name to 
which caused writers everywhere to go crazy trying to figure out how to spell his new name. His record label troubles made front pages everywhere, especially after he started appearing in public with the word “SLAVE” written on his face. There was also the rumors that always circulated about him. How he would change his clothes 20 times a day, how he has this vault of thousands of songs that are locked away, and of course his “awakening” (his words) which led him to become a Jehovah’s Witness, which Kevin Smith mocked mercilessly during one of his Q&A videos.
So is it any wonder that his fans are so passionate about him? The Purple Yoda has consistently produced incredible works of music, and in 2007 performed that Superbowl half-time show in the video that people describe as the best show ever. While some may only think of him for his pop songs from the 80s and 90s, others for his soul albums, some admire his films, and well, some just love The Bat Dance, many people tend to forget that he is consistently rated one of the top 10 guitarists ever to perform.
IAM: mook is one such fan of Prince, and recently got a tattoo that shows her love of His Purple Badness.
I’ll admit I did giggle a little when I saw it next to the bat symbol.
But mook here does show her passion for one of her favorite artists. Music is a powerful thing, it can bring about feelings of love, sadness, anger, and more, simply by listening to it. If tattoos are meant to be an external representation of our inner feelings, to identify with a particular artist is something that can seem natural to some people. I can’t count the number of Nine Inch Nails, Misfits, or Tool tattoos I’ve seen over the years, so the band tattoo is hardly a new thing. Just take a look at the music galleries on BME and you’ll see artists and musicians from all genres represented.
I suppose the question that could be asked it, what is it about a specific band or artist that can touch your soul to the point that you need to have them become one with your skin?
BME/News and Modblog highlight only a small fraction of what
I fucking love prince-He’s the man!!!!
yikes, those are some bad tattoos.
:/
AWESOME article.I’ve been on this site a good 11 yrs..I was shocked to see something about me on the main page!! You made my day posting a article about my tattoo! Thank you!
I did this tattoo with my left hand(i’m right handed) and I also did one of his guitars…. the blue cloud guitar on my thigh. I plan to do a anime cartoon of prince as my next tattoo! .
Mook my dear that looks awesome and i am much impressed you did it on yourself!!!
xx
yep touch ups a go go
no the only one thats bad is the cat. cause that stupid artist didn’t do wut i asked it. it was supposed to just the features then it fades. they color the whole head. i’m like wut are u doing!!!
I like the cat. AND the Dr Suess thing. I’d like to see more of these tats.
Sorry, Seuss. My bad.
Not a single one of those tattoos are done remotely well…
To think the 2 ppl who don’t like my tattoos don’t have linked IAM pages so i can see how bad their’s are???!! Why do you have to rain on my parade? Trying really hard to suppress the jersey attitude right now ………
only 2? LOL
@8: That’s not a Dr.Suess character, it’s a Fraggle Rock character. 🙂
As for the rest, I don’t have anything nice to say, so I won’t say anything.
I thought the whole point behind modblog was to post actual post worthy stuff. I would think that would also include the quality of the thing you are posting. The Fraggle tattoo, not so bad, but the other ones what horrible work. I’m sure this whole arm is only a few years away from a cover up job and then hopefully it will be quality work. Its like you are encouraging poor quality and for someone to go to any kitchen magician (hack artist). I’m not saying all my tattoo pieces are amazing award winning pieces, but I also wouldn’t want the ones that aren’t the best quality posted on modblog. Shame on you, bme.
I like the charlie brown one…
wow, the quality of bme/modblog keeps going down. whats next? how about a whole article devoted to scratchers.
There you go, a linked IAM page. I’m sorry to say but none of your tattoos look good. I wouldn’t want to leave the house wearing shit tattoos like that.
I dont have anything nice to say either, so I guess ill shut up then…
And that pretty much sums up what I think about your ink.
there u are im linked too
and i still stand by my comments. u need touch ups bad.
wow tottie your tattoos are amazing 😀
wow tottie your tattoos are awesome 😀
there sure are a lot of assholes on here.
I second that lily. I guess all the ppl who come up to me every day complementing my ink have terrible taste in ink also all tattoo shops in just new jersey suck?In my area I live in I always get ppl coming up to me whenever they are showing. If i say i got my own machine I get offered jobs at shops and asked to do tattoo parties but I don’t want to tattoo other people.F*** these haters. Yes I know some need touch up but I did it with my opposite hand. . I had no training. I just bought a machine. I’ve been on here 11 yrs and this is my first article .All these mofos sure love to talk s*** like we are back in high school or something. If you don’t have something nice to say then keep it to yourself and don’t say anything at all. And people wonder why stuff like columbine happened. (rolls eyes)This reminds me of that stupid art teacher in high school who had us draw stupid trash bags and stupid shit. I didn’t paint for like 10 yrs cause he made it hate it so much.
This site is dead as a doornail. All the forums are dead. Everyone disappeared. Well except for these haters. I barely update my page anymore cause it’s so dead.. Why bother? I miss shannon. It’s not the same
Since when do modded ppl make funny of each other? Too many posers anymore. Now everyone has ink or piercings and dresses like me.The world has changed alot in 10 yrs. Are the cheerleaders and jocks now the social misfit oddballs??
Man I wish this was like facebook/myspace so I can leave comments on some of your pictures.
You know seriously. the only thing that matters is that they are on me and i like them
ok ok I’m in the shower just now and yes I know the batman tattoo looks like shit.. I have it right near my elbow joint. this was a real pain in the butt to heal, I swear every time I moved my arm it was insane.
But really one of my favorite shirts I got is a weathered old looking batman logo symbol. It looks just like the tattoo. Yellow ink hates me.
Yes I do have a list of tattoos I plan to touch up. IT”S SUMMER! I don’t wanna be stuck unable to go to a pool,beach or out in the sun for 3 weeks(even though I barely do that) I’m broke as hell right now anyway to order and restock tattoo supplies…
I ain’t ever touching up my ankle snake cause 2-3 days after that was agony getting around! and I was on vacation the first 7 days!
I don’t why I’m wasting my time explaining this but anyone’s who is my friend knows all this.
everyone is entitled to their opinion darl, im sorry you dont like some peoples opinion but when you get featured on modblog its an open form for discussion.
since when are people not allowed to comment and give their opinion.
ive been on iam since when it was free, yes its changed, but ten years ago i still wouldnt have complimented you on your tattoos either. everyone has different tastes.
i personally would never tattoo myself, or let anyone tattoo me that didnt work in a reputible studio. i would rather save money and pay for a good artist so my work looks good in ten years time. i personally am also after impecible linework.
anyway good on you for tattooing yourself, but everyones allowed to voice their opinion 🙂
if you feel the need to voice yours about people who have critisized you, why not do so on their forum on their iam page. just a suggestion!
You know, there are a lot of people with bad tattoos, but i would NEVER tell them that. I think it’s cruel to point that out, especially since a lot of these people dont know and by saying something to them, you are making them aware. Let them be happy with what they have and stay out of it .
i come on here and i read all this hate – at the end of the day it doesnt matter if you think they look bad because to the person who has them they may be the best thing ever and as everyone knows….we get our tattoos for our own reasons – don’t hate on something that may have the biggest meaning to the person who wears it.
Mook sweetie, as long as you are happy with your ink (which im sure you are) then ignor the haters – you do not need to justify yourself to others.
The negative responses demonstrates the decline of the core values of BME that whether you agree or like how a person chooses to modify their body they have to absolute right to do so without judgment or persecution. Insults only hinder the modified community and have no value in advancing the acceptance of individual freedoms. And before you speak of freedom of speech remember that with every freedom comes responsibility, you cannot yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater, “bomb on an airplane, or racial slurs the seek to incite riot.
And seriously, if you post that you’re not going to say anything because you have noting nice to say is being just as disrespectful as the insulting posts.
As modified individuals we should be more concerened with the rights of people to modify themselves as they see fit rather than bringing them down for doing so.
The point some people seem to be missing is that, as a modded person, she (wither she likes it or not) is a representative of the modded community. When I see scratcher/home done tattoos on people, I understand why there is still a negative stigma around tattooed people. It puts out a bad image. Personally, I prefer to have quality tattoos, and when people see them they are impressed and interested, instead of cringing and thinking to themselves “Ew, look at that person with tattoos.”
It just bothers me to see bad work passed off as good. Totally sends the wrong message to people if they think crappy tattoos are the norm. Reinforces the “Why would they put THAT on their body!? People with tattoos are crazy and dumb” Mindset.
As far as scratchers doing tattoos in their bathrooms, I wish people would stop. It makes the rest of us look bad. I am one who is for a POSITIVE image of modded people. Not people using safety pins to pierce themselves (not saying she did), or giving themselves tattoos when they don’t know what they are doing.
Yes, I understand people have the right to do to their bodies what they will, and that no matter what there will always be people doing dumb shit. However, it’s still worth trying to make as much as a responsible, intelligent, positive image as possible. Or am I the only one who cares?
@ Hooked – Mook seems to use the fact that she did them her self as an excuse to the quality of them. As other members have stated why not save up and go to a good artist ? What else do you really expect when you just buy and machine and tattoo yourself with no training ? I can understand that some people like to do their on modifications, however why not practice on animal skin before taking the machine to your skin ?
Also i must agree with jeremy. I am somewhat disappointed that work some as this was posted on ModBlog
This is someone who tattooed themself and while there will be a whole campaign about DIY mods it’s still the personal decision of the idividual. This does not mean that mod blog is advocating or endorsing “scratchers”, many new tattooist practice on themselves. Everyone has their own personal taste and should not be critisized for what they decide to do with their own body.
they look like meth-head basement tattoos…you need laser!
I’m not a scratcher being I don’t tattoo other ppl soooo
Don’t put me in the class of those hacks who have tattoo parties and all get drunk. or high and tattoo each other. I actually bought the machine cause I got a tattoo on vacation on the jersey shore and that artist’s work ended up looking like a “meth- head basement” tattoo and iI wasn’t pleased. The color was bad,the outline had gaps….I recolored it and filled the outline gaps…
Actually the ones I got a k&b in hightstown from big mac do suck. My line work and coloring comes out much better then his. He doesn’t put much detail into anything. I really need a new/better machine. I never intended to ever do all these tattoos.
I got 84 of em. Yes i know they are all not 100% but like i said. some are still a work in progress.
unless you read my tattoo list or go on my facebook which has the professional and self done is separate albums how do u even know which ones i did or which were pro.
I GOT AN IDEA! i just got home from the pool. lets play PICK OUT THE HACK TATTOOS FROM PROFESSIONAL ONES!!!;
like this blog is the mofo-ing holy grail.? this site and forums have been dead since shannon left. i miss shannon!!!
oh finally someone said it – i miss shannon too hun.
I agree, the site will never be the same.
But deal with it.
The courts ordered Shannon not to write about body modification for a set amount of time (from what I remember), so the end-point for that mandated time frame must be coming up soon. I’m sure Shannon wouldn’t want to come back, or start another BME, because it seems to me like he has a good life, raising his daughter, and BME would only take away his valuable time.
I know when BME was under Shannon, it was so enjoyable that I spent hours on BME every day, I didn’t get SHIT done. When Rachel took over, I dropped off and got a life. I infinitely prefer where I am at now, rather than partying, fucking IAM girls, and the rest.
I hope Shannon stays out of the game and keeps enjoying his time. I know I wouldn’t come back if BME reverted back to the pre-Rachel days.
You guys don’t feature or revel in godawful piercings or other mods, so why are you always featuring he fucking terrible tattoos?
I miss Shannon too. You should get someone else in to write the tattoo entries.
Like allready posted hear I’m in agreement with the more negative side of this debate, I feel that as modified people we have to try extra hard to be acepted in normal sociaty, I’m British and work in a cinima and I always have to try so so hard customer service wise in comparison to other staff beacuse of my modds (26mm ears, septum and visible tattoos) I have to agree that tattoos such as this only serve to make stigma worse, if thease sort of tatts are seen a nagative seterio type is re-enforced and therefore we all as a comunity are forced to try EVEN harder to fight that. Having said that I do agree that it’s her body so have at it and this is just a lowley 22 year old minimum wage’ers opinion,
on the subject of bme, I haven’t posted a comment in nearly 2 years and iv not re-newed my iam membership since last year and yes Shannon was loved an missed, but the fact still re-mains that this is a FUCKING inspirational blog site that brings us as a comunity together, wether that’s posers ordie hard pureists wear all modifiying our bodys and this bebate shows, surely, how important to our comunity this blog really is
anywhoooo
that’s me 10 pence worth
peace out
She’s from New Jersey, come on. That explains everything.
I think the tats rock. I’d like to see your myspace/facebook pages.
i didn’t know there were courts involved. sigh. well he had messaged me on facebook once a while back. it was nice to see/hear he’s happily remarried and cancer free
Hey hey hey, ease up on NJ there are plenty of excellant shops here 🙂 . Mook message me on iam if you would like some suggestions to shops for reworks and what not….
you wanna talk stereotypical? all those jersey shows are so false. jerseylicious is fake with actors and almost everyone on jersey shore aren’t even from jersey! the only truth to these reality tv portrayals are jersey ppl have attitudes and make the best of friends and the worst enemies. ask most ppl from jersey that its mostly a guilty pleasure to watch what the rest of the country thinks jersey is like.
i like what dave tango from ghosthunters (taps) whose from linden said. he wants to chase after girls with poofs and set their hair on fire.
Those are just… painful to look at. I don’t have many tattoos myself but I’ve watched my heavily modded friends try to convince people for years that tattooing is a legit art form, and things like this just make me realize exactly why unmodded people look at tattoos and cringe. They look like sharpie.