J Balvin Got His 1st Tattoo at 12 — Here’s a Tour of the Singer’s Body Ink

J Balvin has tattoos of his sister, a skull version of Mickey Mouse, and a woman he found on Google. This musician actually revealed that he got his first tattoo at 12 years old — even though his mother thought he was joking at the time.

J Balvin got his first tattoo at only 12 years old

J Balvin is the artist behind “LA CANCIÓN,” “UN PESO,” “Mi Gente,” and “QUE PRETENDES.” He’s also a songwriter known for his tattoos, which cover his arms and other parts of his body. During one 2018 interview with GQ, J Balvin shared that, like fashion and music, he thinks tattoos “tell something about who you are.”

“My first tattoo was when I was 12 — I actually asked my mom,” J Balvin said during the same interview. “I was like, ‘yo mom, I wanna get a tattoo.’ And she thought I was joking. She said, ‘yeah, yeah, go ahead.’ and I went ‘ok.’”

It was a tribal pattern, although the artist has since covered up the original ink. The artist added that if he had a son, even at 12 years old, he would help him choose the right tattoo. (Now, J Balvin is a father, announcing the birth of his son, Rio, in June 2021.)

J Balvin shared some inspiration behind his tattoos

J Balvin’s biggest tattoo has smaller pictures within the bigger image, including a woman, a dollar, poker cards, and a microphone. On his knuckles are the letters that spell “vida,” which means life. There are also several tigers on this songwriter’s arms. 

“Tigers are my favorite animals. I have this tiger here, I have this tiger here…,” J Balvin said, pointing at different tattoos. “When I went to Thailand, I got the opportunity to share a little bit of the culture and watch a lot of tigers, and I just, like, I fell in love with them. How powerful and smart, and beautiful they are.”

J Balvin revealed where he thinks is the most painful tattoo spot

J Balvin said that because he wanted to do something different, he got a Mickey Mouse that looks similar to a skull. There’s a flower on the back of his hand and a woman from Google on his arm. J Balvin added that he has his sister, Carolina, tattooed on his arm, saying, “she’s not, like, real expressive, but I think she loves it.”

Where is the most painful spot to get a tattoo? According to J Balvin, that’s “definitely” the ribs or the back of someone’s hand. There is the Nirvana logo on J Balvin’s leg, which he revealed also hurt “like crazy.”

In honor of his chart-topping song “Mi Gente,” this artist has “Mi Gente” tattooed on his body. This song currently has over a billion Spotify plays, with most music by J Balvin available on major streaming platforms.