I’m sure many of you seen the post from The Shade Room surrounding what was deemed as a possible “tattoo fail” when a man had a picture of his tattoo that had “Black Matter Lives” scripted on his shoulder.

Many around the nation assumed this was a “Black Lives Matter” support move gone wrong. Not only is the tattoo NOT a fail, I got the official statement from the creator of the phrase as well as permission from him to post it below. The meaning is actually very powerful and for those that don’t subscribe to “group think”, I believe you will find this information great and right on time, especially with the type of year 2016 has been. Full statement with images of the creator and the artist below.

As many of you know, some time ago, I created a brand called 80TwoSix. 80TwoSix is a brand that embodies artistry and information; an intentional mesh between what is unpopular and that which is fashionable..in terms of thinking as well as being, with heavy emphasis on the idea of empowerment and perpetuating the idea that each individual should “Strive For Mastery.” One of my very first ideas for the brand was a shirt that read “Black Matter Lives.” It was during a time of increasing civil unrest, surrounding what has since seemed like endless tragedy at the hands of law enforcement officials. The expression was a flip on “Black Lives Matter.”
Someone asked me what the phrase “Black Matter Lives” meant, and I said: To me, it is the difference between asserting that “I cannot be killed,” versus pleading for an enemy to “please stop killing me.” It suggests and perpetuates empowerment instead of a victim mentality.
“BLACK MATTER” is our skin. Our hair. Our nails. MELANIN. We are physically composed of the same materials that make up the stars and the sky(endless and infinite). It is not only another way of saying that BLACK Lives Matter, but also that BLACK is powerful, and that BLACK is beautiful.”
Many were receptive and embraced the concept, while some are still late to the party. Apparently though, those who did get the message have decided to carry it on.
Recently, a photograph went viral of a man’s tattoo of the aforementioned expression. He has been praised by those who have recognized the concept as that which is uplifting and empowering, while also receiving an ungodly amount of backlash and criticism from those who do not understand. The same media outlet that posted the original photo reposted the photo with my words describing the expression attached. Since then, my Instagram has been blowing up, and I am still being tagged in a plethora of posts regarding the photo.
Amidst all of the unexpected confusion and chaos of people thinking that I am the man with the tattoo and the actual Artist(Anjel Art Illustrati) being under the impression that I was somehow trying to take credit for his work, we miraculously crossed paths in the comment section of one of the many posts, hashed everything out, and not only was I able to connect with the artist yesterday, but also with the brother who got the tattoo, Azari Patum. We spent a little time building, and it was awesome. Let’s continue to build and empower each other family.
www.80twosix.com

Salute to the Xen and the great people at 80TwoSix! This is a Freeport win and a Hip-Hop Win! So great to see this spawn from a member of my hometown.