Travis Barker, the renowned drummer of the iconic rock band Blink-182, is not only celebrated for his undeniable talent but also for his extensive collection of tattoos that adorn his body. A walking canvas of artistic expression—a whopping 70% of his body is covered in ink—Barker’s love for tattoos has become an integral part of his persona. As fans of both his music and tattoos, we’ve decided to dive deep into 30 Travis Barker tattoos and what they mean.
With his heavily inked arms, chest, and legs, Barker is a living testament to the power of body art. Getting his first tattoo at age 15, it didn’t take long for Barker to develop an obsession with tattoos. Each of his tattoos tells a story, representing different aspects of his life, passions, and experiences. From intricate designs to meaningful symbols, his body serves as a visual autobiography.
Barker’s love affair with tattoos goes beyond mere aesthetics. For him, each tattoo is a form of self-expression, a way to communicate his emotions, beliefs, and personal journey. The ink that covers his skin is a reflection of his diverse interests and influences, ranging from music and family to spirituality and personal growth. In his autobiography, Can I Say, the skateboard enthusiast discusses his tattoos, saying, “They’re all memories. They’re all experiences I went through.”
He has even ventured into the world of tattooing himself, opening a tattoo studio called The Raven and the Wolves in Los Angeles. This endeavor showcases his dedication to the art form and his desire to share it with others.
Barker’s tattoos have also become a source of inspiration for countless fans and aspiring tattoo enthusiasts. His bold and fearless approach to body art encourages people to embrace their individuality and express themselves through ink. His passion for tattoos has transcended his own body and resonated with a wide audience, leaving an indelible mark on the world of tattoo culture.
Travis Barker’s love of tattoos has become an integral part of his identity, intertwining with his music and shaping his unique persona. Through his extensive body art, he invites us into his world, telling stories with every stroke of ink. Whether on stage or off, Barker continues to inspire and captivate, showcasing the enduring power of tattoos as a form of personal expression and artistic freedom.
As many of Barker’s tatts are spur-of-the-moment suggestions or have no meaning (at least none Barker has expressed publicly), we’ve chosen to only highlight his most important and meaningful tattoos.
1. Boombox Tattoo
Arguably the most recognized of Travis Barker’s tattoos, the boombox is plastered across his stomach. Just above the boombox is an angel spreading her wings. What does it all mean? According to Body Art Guru, it’s all about his love for music.
“The boom box on my stomach is because I grew up loving to break-dance and I collected ghetto blasters,” Barker said in an interview. “I had like 20 of them. Everyone else would go buy candy and I would buy boom boxes and carry them around and break-dance on the street corner on a piece of cardboard. So I got my favorite boom box when I was 21.”
2. “Can I Say” Tattoo
Another of Barker’s more distinguishable tattoos, “can I say” is sprawled across his upper chest. The short three-letter phrase is actually the title of an album by punk rockers Dag Nasty. The Washington DC band was one of the first acts Barker got into as a teenager, so he decided to get the name of their first album inked on his body.
“I have a Dag Nasty Symbol,” Body Art Guru reports Barker saying in an interview. “That’s a band I grew up listening to. And I have ‘Can I Say’ because it’s the name of their first album.”
3. “Self Made” Tattoo
Check out Travis Barker’s knuckles and you will see the words “Self” and “Made” tattooed on his right and left hands respectively. Barker has had these words since 2000, and they represent how everything he has in life has been through his own hard work and determination.
4. Transplants Gas Mask
The Transplants are a band consisting chiefly of founders Tim Armstrong of Rancid and Operation Ivy and his good friend and roadie Rob Aston. Together with Barker and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Bivona, the quartet has released three albums and an EP since 1999.
In recognition of the band, Barker got a gas mask, the band’s emblem, tattooed on his head. It’s a rather gnarly tattoo and one of several on his head alongside a tatt of the Virgin Mary and the phrases “Family Loyalty Respect,” “Family First,” and “One Life One Chance.”
5. “Alabama” Tattoo
As someone who uses tattoos to tell his life story, it’s not surprising that the people who are important in Travis Barker’s life are etched on his skin. On his left wrist, Barker has the name of his daughter, Alabama, tattooed.
Born on December 24, 2005, Alabama is Barker’s second child with 1995 Miss USA Shanna Moakler, also his second ex-wife. This isn’t the only tattoo Barker has of his daughter, with a portrait of her on his back.
6. “Landon” Tattoo
On his right wrist, Barker has his son’s name inked in the same font as his daughter’s name on the opposite wrist. Landon was born on October 9, 2003. Barker also has a portrait tattoo of his son on his back.
7. Family Portrait Tattoos
As mentioned above, Barker has portraits of both his two children tattooed on his back. Not only that, he also has portrait tattoos of his mother, father, and Jesus Christ. These tattoos take up the majority of his back and show how much family means to the Blink-182 drummer.
In an interview with Vice, Barker described how the entire back tribute took over four to five sessions of ten hours each, with two tattoo artists working on him simultaneously.
8. Race Flag Tattoo
Turns out Travis Barker is a car guy, specifically Cadillacs. He enjoys them so much he got a race flag tattoo on his neck that is meant to represent the year of his favorite Cadillac.
“The race flag on my neck is for the year of my favorite Cadillac,” Barker said in an interview according to Body Art Guru. “I also have Japanese flowers on the back of my neck. I don’t even know what they look like because I can’t see back there. But I have a heart that says ‘Mom’ with the flowers.”
This isn’t the only reference to the automobile on his body, with Barker also sporting a large 1947 Cadillac logo on the right side of his torso alongside a big bold script of the word Cadillac. Both tatts were inked by famous tattoo artist Franco Vescovi, with the Cadillac script taking around 12 hours to complete.
9. “Hope” Tattoo
One of the larger tattoos Barker has is the word “Hope” across the lower part of his back. The inspiration for this piece is the song “Hope” by the punk act Descendants.
10. “LLJ” Tattoo
While conducting a live interview on 106.7 FM KROQ’s Kevin & Bean show, Barker got a tattoo dedicated to rapper XXXTentacion, another tattoo lover, who was killed in 2018. The tattoo is of the letters “LLJ,” which stands for “Long Live Jahseh,” with Jahseh being XXX’s real name.
11. “Don’t Trust Anyone”
This is one of Barker’s more recent additions and is on his neck. “Don’t Trust Anyone” is the name of a song the drummer featured on with the rap duo $UICIDEBOY$ and is possibly a dig at his ex-wife Moakler, at least according to the tabloid Page Six.
12. “One Life One Chance” Tattoo
As mentioned earlier, this tattoo is on the top of Barker’s scalp. It deserves to be mentioned in greater detail because of what it stands for. One Life One Chance is the name of a non-profit organization founded by H2O lead singer Toby Morse in 2009.
The purpose of the organization is to encourage kids to live a straight-edge life free from drugs and concentrate on being good people and the best that they can be. Barker was asked to become part of One Life One Chance in 2010 and was keen as mustard to get involved. So much so that he got the organization’s name inked on his head.
13. Crossroads Kitchen Logo
A known vegan, Travis Barker is a big fan of the vegan restaurant Crossroads Kitchen. So much so that he got its logo—two crossing knives—inked on his arm by tattoo artist Chuey Quintanar. He got this tattoo on June 9, 2014, almost a year after the eatery opened.
14. “Pal” Tattoo
Barker and his father got matching tattoos of the word “Pal,” which is a nickname they call each other. He elaborated on the tattoo in an interview with Vice.
“It was funny, ‘cos growing up he said: ‘If you ever get a tattoo, I’m gonna kick your ass and kick you out of the house.’ But many years later—20 years—Pops had some tattoos of his own. It’s awesome. My mum passed away when I was 12, so my relationship with him is so important. He works alongside my business mergers. He helps me pay bills, keeps me organized. I speak to him every morning like clockwork. It’s always good to have a parent there to keep you humble, keep you grounded.”
15. Praying Hands Tattoo
When Barker has a shaved head, this tattoo is hard to miss. Located on the left side of his skull is a design of praying hands with Barker’s surname written in cursive inside a scroll. This is one of several religious tattoos Barker has acquired over the journey. As Body Art Guru reports, Barker was brought up religiously and has these tattoos as a sign of his faith.
“I have a sacred heart when I was 19 because I was brought up Catholic. I also have a microphone, dice, and Jesus. I figured if I tattooed Jesus on me, good things would happen, or maybe he’d have my back or something.”
16. Skull Tattoo
Barker had several tattoos referencing his former wife Moakler but has covered the majority of them up since they officially divorced in 2008. The drummer had her initials on his right hand but got tattooist Scott Campbell to cover it with a skull design.
It just so happened that his new wife, Kourtney Kardashian, was on hand to watch as he got the tattoo. Wonder if she had anything to do with it?
17. “Mom” Tattoo
At the base of his neck is a small unassuming tattoo of the word “Mom” in a scroll. This is a dedication to Barker’s mother who passed away when he was a child from Sjogren Syndrome. Barker credits his mom for much of his success and this tattoo is a tribute to her impact on his life. He also has her name, Gloria, tattooed on his neck by Chuey Quintanar.
18. Virgin Mary Tattoo
Another skull tattoo, this one of the Virgin Mary covers the top of his scalp. Chuey Quintanar is the artist who inked the tattoo in April 2012. The tattoo is another religious piece that demonstrates Barker’s faith, with Body Art Guru revealing his thoughts on the tattoo in an interview he did.
“I was brought up Catholic. I definitely pray; I believe in God. I definitely think I was blessed, and I’m here for a reason after being the only survivor of a plane crash. So I’m not at church every day and I’m not pushing religion on people. But I believe in God and I pray and my kids pray.”
19. “Familia” Tattoo
In the nook of his right arm is the word “Familia” inked above red and blue roses. If you know Spanish you will know “Familia” is the word for “Family,” with this tattoo another design showing how much Barker loves those close to him.
20. DJ AM Tattoo
Travis Barker was involved in a terrible plane crash in 2008 that claimed the life of everyone on board besides himself and DJ AM, also known as Adam Goldstein. The incident saw Barker severely burned, spending 11 weeks in hospital and undergoing 16 surgeries. Thankfully he was able to recover and continue his career, but the same can’t be said for DJ AM, who died less than a year later from a drug overdose.
While the plane crash caused Barker to suffer survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress syndrome, along with ramping up his fear of flying (it took 13 years before he would step foot on a plane again), the death of DJ AM also hit Barker hard.
In tribute to his fallen friend, Barker got his name inked on his left thigh above the image of a crying baby angel praying. This is one of Barker’s most personal tattoos.
21. Tulip Tattoo
Extending down his right arm is a tattoo of a tulip. This is a random tattoo Barker got to finish his sleeve, as an interview published by Body Art Guru reveals. “I was in Denver and I was bored and wanted to get tattooed to finish my arm up. So I just went into this shop and this guy buys me that [flower on his arms]. He specialized in Tulips. I’m not a flower guy, but it’s an honor to get a tattoo from him because he won’t even tattoo you if he doesn’t like you.”
22. “I Love You” Tattoo
Since they have been together, Travis Barker has got several tattoos referencing his relationship with Kourtney Kardashian. He has her name inked on his chest near his nipple and her lips are tattooed on his arm. The most impressive, though, are the words “I Love You” tattooed on his wrist.
It might be a relatively simple tattoo, but what makes it so special is the fact Kardashian is the one responsible for the artwork. She tattooed her own husband. Does love get any better?
23. “I Did It My Way” Tattoo
Across the outside of his hands, Barker has the words “I did it my way” tattooed. “I did it” is on his right hand and “my way” is on his left. This phrase is also the title of a song made famous by Frank Sinatra, with many speculating Barker is a fan of the tune or the message the phrase conveys, with Barker living life his way.
24. “LaSalle” Tattoo
LaSalle is the name of Barker’s record label which he set up in 2004. He got this tattoo on the left side of his torso as a dedication to the label.
25. 1975 Tattoo
Following a long list of celebrities, Barker also has the year he was born tattooed on his body. 1975 can be found on the lower part of his left forearm as a reminder of when he came into the world.
Barker, born on November 14, 1975, also has a scorpion on his right hand, which is his Zodiac. This tattoo was inked by Oliver Macintosh on September 8, 2014.
26. “Trigz RIP” Tattoo
This is another tattoo to a fallen comrade. Trigz, born Michael Christopher Pebley, was a celebrity tattoo artist who was tragically shot to death after an argument. The story goes that a customer, Robert Andrew Falcon, said something offensive to Pebley and the two got into a verbal slinging match that turned physical. Falcon pulled out a pistol and gunned down Pebley, killing him.
Trigz’s death caused shock in the tattoo community, with the 40-year-old father of five known as a great guy and family man. His death also impacted Barker, with the drummer getting “Trigz RIP” inked on his right forearm as tribute.
27. Rose Tattoo
On the right side of his neck is a tattoo of a rose. This is actually another cover-up, with the rose tattoo covering his Melissa tattoo, which is the name of his first wife, Melissa Kennedy. He got this ink done shortly after marrying his second wife Shanna Moakler.
28. Number Seven Tattoo
Barker considers seven his lucky number, so he got it tattooed on his right arm. In an interview referenced by Body Art Guru, Barker had this to say about the tattoo: “My right arm is like my good luck arm. It has everything—a deck of cards, drumsticks, a martini glass, a dollar sign, my lucky number seven, my initials, and a rabbit’s foot. I have a devil that was of Black Label skateboards. I was into skateboarding when I was 22, so I got it. It healed really badly, but I refused to get it touched up. I don’t want to touch up any of my stuff. It just looks rad.”
29. Randalai Tamara Tattoo
If you haven’t worked it out by now, family means a lot to Barker. Another addition to his collection of family-related tattoos is the names of his sisters, Randalai and Tamara, inked on the left side of his torso.
30. Kid Sketch Tattoos
Kourtney Kardashian isn’t the only family member to tattoo Barker. Both his children, Landon and Alabama, have put their mark on their father. On Barker’s left thigh, Landon inked a cross with the letters L and A, while Alabama inked a heart with the letter A inside. He talked about his kids tattooing him in a 2016 profile in GQ.
“I have this portion on my thigh where basically anytime I get tattooed, if they’re around and they want to, they can grab the gun and doodle on me. It’s like a sketchbook. Those are the memories that are really priceless. It all started because Landon wanted a tattoo. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t. He was worked up and in tears. I had to explain that I’d go to jail if you get a tattoo. So I said ‘Let’s make a deal, you tattoo me.’”