Drake’s new tattoo has some people scratching their heads about its meaning, but it makes perfect sense to those who were born and raised in Toronto — or to those who speak and understand Arabic.
On Saturday (November 18), photographer Brent Kore took to his Instagram stories to post a photo of The 6 God’s new tattoo, which reads “miskeen.” The tattoo was over Drake’s right eyebrow.
Eagle-eyed fans noted that the word “miskeen” is a common turn of phrase in Toronto, and comes from the Arabic word مِسْكِين, or miskin. The word derives from the Classical Syriac and means “poor” or “misfortunate.” The Toronto slang “miskeen,” a derivative of that Arabic word, comes from the large Somali community in Toronto (who speak a dialect of Arabic), and means the same thing.
Check out the tattoo below.
It’s unclear what motivated Drake to get this tattoo, but this isn’t the first time that Drake has gotten one on his face.
Last August, Los Angeles-based tattoo artist NAL shared a video of Drizzy getting his mom’s initials, “SG,” tatted under his left eye on his Instagram page, writing in the caption, “The boi @champagnepapi.”
Drake debuted the tattoo of his mother Sandra Gale’s initials days after his father’s 2017 tattoo — a portrait of the rapper and OVO leader’s face on his shoulder — resurfaced online.
Instead of having gratitude towards the gesture, Drake laughed at the art and sarcastically wondered how close the two really were.
“@therealdennisg I was just sitting here thinking why you do me like this we family,” Drizzy captioned the post, capping it with a few laughing emojis to boot.
Then, last December, Drake paid tribute to Virgil Abloh by getting a tattoo of the late fashion icon throwing a kite down a Louis Vuitton runway during the 2018 Paris Fashion Week.
The 6 God’s infatuation with tattoos dates back years. He has portraits of singers Aaliyah and Sade, of his father Dennis Graham, and tribute tattoos for Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, and his mentor, Young Money co-founder Lil Wayne.
Drizzy also has tattoos of his son Adonis, producer Noah “40” Shebib, and Aaliyah.
On his forearm, Drake has a tattoo of The Beatles’ John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr from the Abbey Road album cover, except he’s standing in front of them waving. The tattoo debuted after he broke the band’s record for the highest number of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 songs in a single calendar year in 2018.
Americans gotta stop assuming what Drake does or says is common in Toronto. There’s only like 60,000 Somalis in all of Canada, there are about 3 million people in Toronto. Almost nobody is saying miskeen.
Americans can’t point out Toronto on a map or ontario, doubt they subscribe to anything Drake the “ambassador” has to say about a minority race in the Toronto area
Americans don’t care about Drake, Tory or any of your cosplay fake hip-hop culture vulture bullshit. Copying our slang and cadences. Know what I’m talking aboot my Misleen? LOL
Nobody, regardless of country, can point out Toronto or any Canadian city on the map because nobody cares about Canada. You guys just kind of exist.
@ LOl spoken like a true American. I bet you still believe the American dream and USA being the greatest country the world loves is a real thing. LMAO. Let me guess a vacation / trip would be another state LOLL.
Spoken like a true jealous Canadian who brought up America in the first place. Rent free baby. Rent free just like everybody else in the world on the internet. Bet you can name at least a dozen states. Can only name like 3 cities in Canada. Hmm wonder why. You’re not relevant.
canada’s military consists of three fighter jets bought from the us and 2000 troops on horseback LUL if you are a super rich canadian, chances are you live in the states. seen hundreds of canadian tourists over the years. never once heard of anybody wanting to take a trip to canada. hmmm. like the other dude said… rent free
Gotta love people talking shit about the US on an American website about hip hop(American) on either a Windows(American) PC or an Apple(American) phone. The irony of it all LOL.
ahhh yes and don’t forget he’s using the internet as well which was invented by an american and a brit.
Even if he’s not using an Apple phone… bet you it still runs on Android which is….. yup you guessed it.
Probably uses GPS(American) as well. Your whole life has American written all over it. The things you wear, devices you use, the cars you drive. Let this discussion keep America stuck in your head every single day of your life. Oh wait… it already was.
and let’s not forget… if he watches movies and tv shows 99 percent chance american. any music 99 percent american. play any video games? 99 percent chance either made and/or owned by american companies. anybody hating on america from anywhere in the world basically hates themselves LULLLL
Probably uses Amazon… shall we all continue?
Lmao at the reaction you are giving when someone even attempts to put a mirror in front of you. Let be be clear, canada has issues, facts. USA has issues, facts. All I’m doing is pointing out an obvious fact that a lot of Americans don’t know, care. Acknowledge, anything outside their own country and might have a hard time pointing out all the states in a map forget Toronto. Catch feelings or don’t. FYI, I’m American related and you’re comments don’t help the cause.
lemme do one more. even the professional league of canada’s very own national sport, the nhl, has only seven teams actually in canada. the other twenty eight teams are all in the us. appreciate it. they dont have enough big cities to even have one fourth of the teams in their own country.
Lmao at the fact you talk shit FIRST when nobody said anything about Canada and now you want to play mister nice guy after clearly being put in your place. That, in itself, explains everything.
The timing of getting this tattoo is interesting
Exactly my thought
Drake is gay
He is turning black men all gay and effeminate. 😂
No wonder why all Black men are turning gay and weird. Drake, Playboi Carti and Lil Nas X is who they idolize and look up to.
Ah that’s great. Fruitcake Drake got a tattoo on his midget looking face.
This is not even newsworthy. Lol.
Ah yes, because Drake has experienced so much misfortune in his life. The corny just got cornier.
Canada lol
The Somalians i know speak Somali, not arabic LOL
I’ve never heard of that word before. Americans keep assuming sh!t
Scary hours? Why fear a coward, beef heightened by peak light skin, highly wack, surely, eye tats at forty? salacious words live from canadian burbs, went from nick at nite to mobbin, wasn’t built for the life he jottin