Drake‘s collection of offbeat and personal tattoos is a subject of endless fascination for his fans. From getting his son’s name on his neck to his mother’s initials just under his eye, Drake keeps adding to the set, paying homage to his favorite people, places, and things.
His latest tattoo, according to eagle-eyed fans on social media, is of the word “miskeen,” and it’s just over his right eyebrow. Naturally, those who aren’t familiar with the term might wonder what it means.
Drake has “miskeen” tattooed on his forehead so help him God he wants an Habesha girl so bad
pic.twitter.com/zFctrjtol1
— heran mamo / ሄራን ማሞ (@heranmamo) November 20, 2023
“Miskeen” is an Arabic word which means, according to several sources, “poor” or “hopeless.” Its usage in Toronto slang stems from the strong presence of East African cultures in the city, including Ethiopians, Eritreans, and Somalians (it roughly translates to the same use in Amharic, the language of the Habesha people from Ethiopia and Eritrea, hench the above tweet). Modern use has taken this loan word and applied it to mean someone who is not down with street culture (like a mark or buster in Los Angeles). Drake’s tattoo could be a reference to its original use as well; his whole vibe has always been sort of forlorn and heartbroken, and on his recent albums he’s seemed even more so (with a dash of bitterness and spite thrown in).
Whatever Drake means by adding this tattoo to his face, it’ll only add to the endless speculation and discussion of his many inscrutable attributes.