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An Exhaustive Explanation Of Lil Xan's Tattoos

Shrijan Published On Wed Jan 22 2020   Modified On Wed Jan 22 2020
An Exhaustive Explanation Of Lil Xan's Tattoos

Tattoos are everywhere these days! They are a fashion symbol, a symbol of rebellion- of defiance and solidarity. But even the hardest of the hardcore tattoo-lovers would shudder at the thought of getting inked on their face. 

Not only would it be excruciatingly painful, but it would also effectively make them a pariah in society. But it seems like more and more people are going the extra mile: people like Kehlani,Tekashi 6ix9ine, and the like.

Another person who is hot on the heels of that controversial trend is 23-year-old rapper Lil Xan. The singer/songwriter seems hell-bent on having his entire body- face and all- covered in tattoos. 

Lil Xan face tattoos
Lil Xan face tattoos

Source: XXL Magazine

In this article, we look through the 40+ tattoos adorning the rapper's body and the meaning behind some of his favorite ones.

'XANARCHY' On Various Parts Of His Body

The word "XANARCHY" makes a repeat appearance on his skin. The phrase appears on both his arms and above his left eyebrow. 

Lil Xan gets his name from Xanax, a prescription drug for anxiety and depression. He used to be addicted to it and an assortment of other drugs. But the death of rapper Lil Peep in late 2017 prompted Xan to take stock of his life and change his lifestyle. He started the movement "Xanarchy" to raise awareness against drug abuse. 

Lil Xan right hand tattoos
Lil Xan right-hand tattoos

Source: Imgur

The phrase holds profound meaning to the rapper, and he celebrates sobriety with his tattoos.

'PEEP' Tattoo Across Fingers On Right Hand 

Speaking of Lil Peep, Lil Xan got 'PEEP' tattooed across the fingers on his right hand to pay homage to the deceased rapper and his friend Lil Peep

'Do not be overcome by evil' On Right Hand

The tattoo takes inspiration from the 12:21 verse of the Holy Bible of the Romans that reads: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” 

'ZZZ' Under Right Eye

'ZZZ' is the universal colloquialism for sleep. Lil Xan has admitted that it is the only tattoo on his body that holds no meaning. 

'LOVER' Under Right Eye

Directly under his 'ZZZ' tattoo is the tattoo reading 'LOVER.' The tattoo was originally a cover-up for his previous tattoo reading 'LOW.'  

Things worked out well in the end, as combined the two tattoo reads: 'ZZZ LOVER,' which, as the rapper would himself admit, is an apt description.    

"Last night I had a girl come over and I didn’t even do anything. I just literally, like, fell asleep on her. Like, twice.”

'Candy' Under Left Eye

The tattoo reading 'Candy' marked Lil Xan's first face tattoo. 

Lil Xan's face and neck tattoos
Lil Xan's face and neck tattoos

Source: Cosmopolitan

Candy is his mother's name, and he thought the tattoo would spare him a tongue-lashing from his mother. 

‘Heartbreak SOLDIER’ Tattoo on Left Cheek

This tattoo sits directly beneath the 'Candy' tattoo under his left eye. Heartbreak Soldiers is the name of Lil Xan's July 8, 2018 mixtape. He also released a second part of the mixtape on March 20, 2019.    

Horizontal '1996' Tattoo Along Left Temple

The tattoo across his left temple is representative of Lil Xan's birth year. He was born in 1996- September 6, 1996, to be exact.   

He also has a '96' tattoo on his right hand. 

'32' Tattoo On His Neck

While the meaning behind this tattoo has not been disclosed as of yet, Lil Xan does have a tattoo with the word '32' on his neck. 

‘BABYGIRL’ On Left Hand

Speaking of tattoos whose meanings have not been disclosed, Lil Xan has 'BABYGIRL' written on his left hand. 

Ripped Skin Design On Right Cheek And Tears Under Left Eye

The ripped skin design on the rapper's right cheek is symbolic of an unraveling of inner personalities, and the tears... well the rapper had this to say about his tears tattoo:

"... f**k this, f**k that, f**k everything, I’m getting some dramatic tears inked under my eye!”

Pretty self-explanatory, huh?

'ANNIE' On Right Hand  

Lil Xan dated the Instagram model Annie Smith in 2018. They had a turbulent relationship that ended in accusations of infidelity and fake pregnancy, but the memory of Annie lingers with the 'Annie' hand tattoo.

Broken Heart On Right Hand

Lil Xan has had his fair share of heartbreaks in his life, whether that be the death of his friend Lil Peep, his addiction, or his breakups with Noah Cyrus and Annie Smith.   

Lil Xan and ex-girlfriend Annie Smith
Lil Xan and ex-girlfriend Annie Smith

Source: E! Online

As a symbol that everyone hurts, Xan got a broken heart tattoo on his right hand. 

'F**K Off' Tattoo On Left Hand

This one is pretty self-explanatory!

Dots Along His Nose And Eyebrows

The dots along his nose and his eyebrows are purely aesthetic and are among the many face tattoos the rapper has gotten in his lifetime.  

'909' On Wrist And Hand

The '909' on the rapper's wrist and left hand is the area code of Redlands, California- Lil Xan's hometown.

Upside Down Cross Tattoo On Right Temple

One of the more controversial pieces of art adorning the 23-year-old rapper is the upside-down cross, symbolic of satanism and a general contempt of Christianity.

An assortment of Lil Xan's face tattoos
An assortment of Lil Xan's face tattoos

Source: Cosmopolitan

The rapper has since gone on to explain that he was not anti-Christian. 

'CITGO' Tattoo On Right Side Of Neck

CITGO is the name of Lil Xan's September 2016 EP.  

Hummingbird On Left Peck

A hummingbird tattoo is typically a metaphor for joy, freedom, luck, and prosperity. 'Memento Mori' Tattoo above Right Eyebrow

The Latin phrase Memento Mori can be translated to 'remember that you must die' and is a grim reminder of the brevity of life.

The ink is a sobering reminder about the death of one of Lil Xan's heroes, Mac Miller, on September 7, 2018, due to an overdose.

"EVOL" Tattoo On Left Eyelid

The way the word is phrased has a double meaning. It is pronounced as "evil," and it is "love" spelled backward, perhaps alluding to his failed relationships and how love can be evil.

"PARANOID" On Right Forearm

In a show of self-awareness, Lil Xan got a tattoo of the word "paranoid" on his right forearm.

‘MOONLIGHT-JUNE 18’ On Right Forearm

A common track from both Lil Xan and XXXTentacian, the tattoo is a memento for one of Lil Xan's heroes in light of his death on June 18.

"We both have tracks called ‘Moonlight’ — I like his a lot better, So I thought it’d be cool to get ‘moonlight’ and then get the day, unfortunately, we lost a legend, June 18.”

‘KILL ME’ On Stomach

This controversial tattoo is also a tribute to XXXTentacian, who had a similar tattoo with the exact words on his hand.

‘DEC. 3’ On Left Peck

Another homage to a fallen friend, December 3, marks the death of his best friend, Brian.

On the three-year anniversary of Brian's death, he tweeted:

"3 Years ago today I lost my best friend, miss you every day Brian ! Can’t wait to see you again one day.”

‘ANXIETY’ Tattoo On Left Side Of Neck

Most people don't like to share their battles with mental illness, but Lil Xan is not one of them. He went all-out with a giant tattoo that read 'ANXIETY' on the side of his neck.

Tattoo Of No-Face On Right Wrist

The tattoo that started it all! Xan's first tattoo is a character from the Japanese animated movie Spirited Away, No-Face.

Lil Xan also has doodles and an assortment of unidentified tattoos all over his body. Some of the more prominent ones include a hand holding a revolver on his left hand, barbed wire on his left hand, "YOU" near his right eyelid, ‘NO HEART’ on his left forearm, and ‘NO RULEZ’ near his right thumb.