A London-based tattoo studio is offering customers the opportunity to remove any tattoos they have related to Kanye West totally free of charge following recent controversy surrounding the rapper. Naama studios, a tattoo removal studio in Marylebone, usually offers the service for upward of $150 per session, with multiple sessions necessary, but the business confirmed with POPSUGAR that they would extend the laser removal for free for anyone who wants to rid themselves of West-inspired ink.
On Nov. 25, Naama posted a video on Instagram, with "Yeezy come, yeezy go" written across the footage of the removal procedure. The caption to accompany the post reads, "When you have a tattoo inspired by someone you admire and they end up making headlines for all the wrong reasons . . . at Naama we offer an empowering, empathetic, high-tech tattoo clearing experience. If you want a change, we're here to help."
This move follows recent antisemitic remarks made by West, which resulted in his Twitter and Instagram accounts being suspended at the time. West's actions of late, which also include sending "White Lives Matter" shirts down the runway at Paris Fashion Week and sharing a hugely disrespectful conspiracy theory about the murder of George Floyd on the "Drinks Champs" podcast, have undeniably damaged his reputation. West's longtime collaborators including Balenciaga and Adidas have parted ways with the rapper, and now former fans are looking to disassociate with the star, too.
Alex Jones was one of those former fans, tweeting in October, "I got a Kanye related tattoo in 2016 and ever since he's been the most colossal f*ck head on the planet." The tattoo in question was artwork from West's 2010 album, "My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy." Naama Studio reached out to Jones and offered to remove it for free. "It's really kind of depressing to see someone that you like, who was your hero, start saying awful things about entire groups of people," Jones told Metro. "So yeah, it's been quite a sad journey."
Choosing permanent ink is not an easy decision, and Naama already recognises how these choices can impact our confidence. As such, the business offers a community-led "Second Chances" program, where someone can nominate themselves or someone else to have a triggering tattoo removed that is no longer representative of who they are. Tattoos that were once inspiring can become disturbing and, by reaching out to West fans in particular, it appears this is direction of his legacy.