The Mystery Behind the Method Man Tattoos
Although there are a handful of Method Man tattoos, it is very rare that you are able to find a photo of any other than the two that he shows off the most on his forearms. Method Man (born Clifford Smith) is an American record producer, hip hop artist and actor who has had his share of controversy in the tabloids. Himself and Redman make up the rap duo known as Method Man and Redman.
Method Man started his career in the Wu-Tang Clan. He was always the most visible member and has appeared on an endless number of television shows and movies. A few places you may have caught a glimpse of Method Man tattoos is on The Wire, CSI : Crime Scene Investigation, The Twilight Zone, Chappelles’ Show, Mind of Mencia, Belly, How High, Soul Plane, The Wackness, Meet the Spartans, Law and Order SVU and Burn Notice.
Shark Tattoo
One of the main Method Man tattoos is the shark he wears on the front of his right arm. Sharks are viewed as being the greatest predator in the world and the tattoo is a symbol of fearlessness and power. Many believe that the shark is much more than a man-eating machine. It is a sacred animal that has the ability to survive and adapt, something that Method Man knows a lot about.
Ambrigram Tattoo
The most popular of the Method Man tattoos and the one that an endless number of people are copying is his ambrigram tattoo. On his left forearm is a piece that when you look at it one way, you see the word Life but when you flip it over, the word Death appears.
There are many different types of ambrigrams that are categorized based on their readability and orientation. The most popular varieties are reflection (mirror) images, figure-ground and rotation. There are also less popular types such as spinograms, chains and three dimensional. Of course, there are also words that form natural ambrigrams such as suns and pod. These varieties are depending on typefaces and fonts.
Non-natural ambrigrams are dependent solely on the imagination and skill of the artist but the word must stay readable to maintain its effect. With ambrigrams, one word is able to have two meanings such as life and death that makes up one of the Method Man tattoos. Opposite words that are incorporated into one design create an element with increased depth, complexity and mystery rather than simply writing the words beside each other.
The ambrigram is the most popular of all the Method Man tattoos and has been copied by numerous people who embrace the philosophy of the rapper or want to show their admiration.
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