MTV News looks back at singer's extensive history with body art.
By Jocelyn Vena

Rihanna's "Thug Life" tattoo
Photo: Rihanna/Twitter

Rihanna had everyone buzzing this week when she debuted a tattoo with the words "Thug Life" scrolled across her famous fingers. The flesh-colored ink was done up by Los Angeles tat artist Mark Mahoney at the Shamrock Social Club parlor in Hollywood. While the body art pays tribute to late rapper Tupac, it is certainly not the first time that Rihanna has gotten a tattoo.

In fact, the singer is no novice. She's already covered in ink, ranging from the sugary sweet to the more hard-core.

She made headlines back in 2009 when she debuted a gun tattoo on her rib cage. Rihanna's tattoo was scandalous as it came only months after her Grammy-night altercation with her ex, Chris Brown. "People are going to react all different ways," tat artist BangBang explained to MTV News at the time, noting that it had been in the works long before the incident. "She's great. She's perfect. We had a blast, and we had a lot of fun."

BangBang and Rihanna have quite the history together when it comes to the many tats on her body. He is also responsible for the star tattoos on her back, the Roman numerals on her shoulder and the word "Shhh ... " on her finger.

But Rihanna hasn't stopped there. She has also been branded with a musical note on her ankle, a Pisces sign behind her right ear, the word "love" on her middle finger and a tribal tattoo on her hand. She reportedly has the birthday of her manager Melissa Forde written in Roman numerals on her shoulder: XI-IV-LXXXVI. As an homage to her perfume line she also has the French words for rebellious flower, "rebelle fleur," on her neck.

The singer also has a Sanatana Dharma Sanskrit prayer on her right hip.

Reportedly misspelled, the phrase was supposed to mean "forgiveness, honesty, suppression and control," but actually ends up meaning "long suffering, truthfulness, self-restraint, inward calm, fear and fearlessness."

On her rib cage, she also has the Arabic phrase "Al Hurria fi Al Maseeh," which means "Freedom in God." Proving to be some sort of billboard for sage advice, she also has the motto "Never a Failure, Always a Lesson" scrolled across her collarbone. Other Ri tats include a star in her ear and a skull and cross bone on her ankle.

In fact, Rihanna loves tattoos so much that in July 2009, she was spotted giving BangBang a tattoo at New York's East Side Ink, where he works. Owner Yadira said at the time, "We had a blast. It was so funny and cute."

When BangBang spoke to MTV News in 2009, he added this philosophy when it comes to tatting the singer: "You don't want to be staring at tats. You want to be staring at her face."

• Hip-Hop Celebrity Tribute Tattoos

• Rihanna

MTV News exclusive: The British boy band will play themselves on an episode of Miranda Cosgrove's hit Nick show.
By Jocelyn Vena

Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction
Photo: Redferns

"iCarly" is about to feel the effects of a British Invasion. The show has just booked British boy band One Direction to appear on the fifth season of the Miranda Cosgrove-starring show.

The guys will be on set Monday to tape their appearance on the episode, during which they will play themselves and perform "What Makes You Beautiful."

According to a synopsis of the episode, "Carly returns home sick after a trip and discovers that One Direction has accepted an invitation to perform on their web show. Not long after arriving, bandmate Harry becomes sick and we see Carly doting over him. Realizing Harry is playing sick for the attention, they hatch a plan to get him back in the group by telling him Gibby has become their newest bandmember. Meanwhile, Spencer becomes a personal trainer and gives a bratty girl a makeover."

The guys of One Direction, who got their start after appearing on "The X Factor" in 2010, are already superstars in their native U.K., and now it seems they are poised to break Stateside. Their debut album, Up All Night, is set for U.S. release on March 20, and they will be touring with Big Time Rush starting next month.

Cosgrove stopped by the MTV News offices recently and teased that there were some big plans in store for season five. "We're just getting started to start the next season, so I'm not really sure what's going to come, because it's sort of a surprise for all of us even," she said. "But I've heard Carly's getting a boyfriend, so that's exciting, and we're gonna have some more musical guests, some big, different musical artists," she said, noting that she'd love to get Katy Perry on the show. "There are a lot of different musical acts that I love, so it's fun whenever we get to have music in an episode."

Michelle Obama made an "iCarly" appearance earlier this month on a special episode that honored military families.

Are you excited for the fifth season of "iCarly"? Leave your comments below!

• One Direction
• Miranda Cosgrove

Actor who plays Ron Swanson tells MTV News that 'the evil Tammy Two' returns in the fall.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Nick Offerman in "Parks and Recreation"
Photo: NBC

As the latest season of "Parks and Recreation" rolls along, fans of the quirky NBC comedy have been rooting for the show's leading lady, Leslie Knope, as she tries to win the hearts of the folks in Pawnee, Indiana, by running for a spot on the city council.

But Leslie isn't having all the fun. Pawnee's resident curmudgeon, Ron Swanson (played by Nick Offerman), is finding himself caught up in an unexpected friendship with the always-optimistic government star Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe). As always, Swanson is working to make sure government doesn't run smoothly, and of course he faces the possibility that one of his ex-wives could show up and bring their own brand of trouble to his life.

"If we can help it," Offerman told MTV News at the Sundance Film Festival when asked if there would be a chance to bring back one of his character's former wives, both named Tammy (one played by his real-life wife, Megan Mullally, and the other by Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson). "I know that there's one juicy story coming up in the fall for Tammy Two, the evil Tammy Two [Mullally]."

But until then, Offerman, offscreen, will be wearing another hat. He recently wrote one of the show's upcoming episodes, and in addition to some more Knope-related election excitement there will also be a shakeup in his character's romantic life.

"Oh gosh. It was so fun and exciting and crazy. The episode is called 'Lucky.' Leslie Knope gets this really lucky interview with sort of the Anderson Cooper of Indianapolis. But then the interview is canceled and it comes back on, and some hilarity ensues," he explained. "Meanwhile, Ron Swanson and Chris Traeger are vying for the attentions of Andy Dwyer's women's studies college professor. It's very funny."

Atlanta rapper commends Short Dog on his beef-free career and way with the ladies.
By Rob Markman, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Too $hort
Photo: Natasha Chandel/ MTV News

No doubt 2 Chainz is the hottest underground rapper in the streets right now, so when he threw a nod to rap legend Too $hort on Rick Ross' "F--- Em," it proved that the ATL spitter's hip-hop ties were deep-rooted. "Dad wasn't around; my father figure was Too $hort," 2 Chainz spit when he appeared on Rozay's Rich Forever mixtape.

So when Chainz and Short Dog appeared on Wednesday's "RapFix Live," they shared quite a moment. It was $hort's 1988 album Life Is ... Too $hort that provided 2 Chainz with his earliest musical memories after he sent someone much older than him to the store to buy the explicit CD LP for him. "I remember being in the neighborhood and all the other kids' parents thought I was bad because I was tryin' to get them to get on that," 2 Chainz said.

2 Chainz went on to praise $hort for his beef-free career as well as his way with the ladies. "I can only imagine why $hort has never had beef with nobody," 2 Chainz told "RapFix" host Sway Calloway. "He's a straight-up businessman. He got a savvy and it is about the women. And at the end of the day, it's about getting your money."

Getting money is something 2 Chainz knows plenty about. His current single, "Spend It," is a lyrical celebration of life's excesses. Industry insiders expect Chainz to go on to cash even bigger checks once he signs with one of the major labels that have been pursuing him. "I'm coming up to New York to have a few finalized meetings," 2 Chainz said about his plans for next week.

Chainz is also headlining his first major NYC show at SOB's on Monday and will stop by "RapFix Live" next Wednesday.

• 'RapFix Live' With Bow Wow And Too $hort