Award-winning Nigerian singer Adedamola Adefolahan, popularly known as Fireboy DML, has opened up about the strain his tattoos have placed on his relationship with his father.
Speaking on a recent episode of the 90s Baby Show, the 29-year-old singer revealed that his father may never come to terms with his decision to ink his body. To avoid upsetting him, Fireboy said he resorts to wearing jalabiyas—traditional long robes—whenever his father visits, just to keep the tattoos out of sight.
“One thing that I would do that can break my dad’s heart? I think I already did; my tattoos,” Fireboy confessed. “Whenever he comes to visit me, I’m always on jalabiya, fully covered. Because tattoos, they break his heart every time he sees them.”
He added that while his father is tolerant of piercings, tattoos are a different story. “My dad doesn’t have a problem with my piercing, but these tattoos? He will never forgive me for these things.”
The Peru crooner, however, clarified that his love for body art isn’t rooted in his career as a musician. “Even if I had ended up as a banker, I would still have had tattoos,” he said. “It is not even about being an artist for me, I’m just that kind of person. I see it as an art.”
Fireboy explained that tattoos give him a sense of presence and expression. “Sometimes, I want to be shirtless and still look like I am dressed up. I want to wear a singlet and step into a place and still have a presence. That is what tattoos are to me.”