Lil Xan is joining dozens of celebrities and millions of fans who are mourning Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller's death from an apparent overdose September 7. But instead of just making a statement on social media, the 22-year-old rapper opted for something more permanent: a tattoo over his right eyebrow.
Over the weekend, Lil Xan (née Diego Leanos) debuted the latest addition to his collection of face tattoos on Instagram which reads, "Momento Mori." The phrase, which roughly translates to "remember you must die" in Latin, often serves as a reminder that death is imminent. While it sounds dark, CNN reports that the phrase, which can sometimes be represented through various objects like skulls, is intended to get people thinking about their own mortality and the importance of living a meaningful life void of too many materialistic attachments or vanities.
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Lil Xan captioned the photo, "Miss you Mac, y'all can start hating me now."
He later clarified the second part of his caption in another Instagram post, in which he explained that he's tired of people judging him by his appearance.
"I do this for me,I could care less if this makes me ugly because that's what I was going for," he wrote. "Ugly is the new Beautiful,well not really but there's some truth to that,I love you guys."
Lil Xan seems to have taken Miller's death hard. According to People, he went on the Adam22 podcast, where he shared that the late rapper was his "idol" and inspiration for getting into the music industry.
"The Mac shit is crazy," he said. "I've been crying in my apartment... When your hero dies, fuck that shit. I don't want to make music no more."
Like Miller, Lil Xan has also used his platform as an artist to discuss his addiction and desire to get sober. In light of his friend's death, the "Live or Die" rapper said that he's committed more than ever to making a life change.
"I want to get sober now," he said on the Adam22 podcast. "Like, completely sober. But it's so hard, bro, so fucking hard. I want to be off everything. I just want to feel like ... a normal person."
If you are struggling with substance abuse, please call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 for free and confidential information.