He may look dapper in white on the cover of GQ Style, but Post Malone has confessed that he has so many insecurities about his appearance that he turned to tattoos to help him “look cool.”
The 24-year-old hip hop star gets candid about feeling ugly, drinking and mental health in a cover interview for the magazine's Spring/Summer issue, in which he also explains why he has numerous facial tattoos.
Recommended Videos
“I’m a ugly-a** motherf**ker,” the musician says. “It does maybe come from a place of insecurity, to where I don’t like how I look, so I’m going to put something cool on there so I can look at myself and say, ‘You look cool, kid,’ and have a modicum of self-confidence when it comes to my appearance.”
The singer’s facial tattoos include the words "Stay Away" and "Always Tired" in script, an ace of spades card and a ball-and-chain flail, which he explains is a nod to his lifelong obsession with “knights and medieval times and ancient Egypt and ancient Rome and sh*t like that.”
More recently, he had a circular saw with red blood coming out of it etched onto his left cheek.
Additionally, the singer, whose real name is Austin Richard Post, also got inked to honor late music idols including Kurt Cobain and Lil Peep. He previously shared how his pal, Justin Bieber, first got him into tattoos.
In addition to addressing self-image struggles, the Syracuse, New York, native also opens up about mental health and the “sad times” which have inspired hits like “Goodbyes.” He indicates that he didn’t believe his sadness was connected to any specific event.
“Middle school, I would cry myself to sleep every f**kin' day,” he reveals. “High school, the same thing. I tried to drink some beers to get rid of that sh*t, but it just never goes away. And, I don't think that's anybody's fault; it has to do with something predisposed in you.”
He also admits that seeking help for such struggles remains “difficult.”
“I am, now -- I'm trying,” he says. “It's difficult. Through my songs, I can talk about whatever I want. But sitting here, face-to-face, it's difficult.”
See more on Post Malone and facial tattoos below.
RELATED CONTENT:
Post Malone’s Latest Face Tattoo Is Very Graphic
Post Malone Falls Off Stage During NYE Show in Times Square