Ryan Castro’s tattoos follow the same threads as his music: Medellín, the artists he grew up listening to, and a taste for big, cinematic images. The most ambitious piece is a black-and-gray back tattoo inspired by Al Capone and old gangster films. His neck also carries “El Cantante del Ghetto,” the name he uses as an artist and the title of his first album.
Castro has shown portraits of musicians he admires, including Lauryn Hill. Some photos document the tattoos; others simply show him at Coachella or in his usual clothes and settings. I’ve kept those kinds of images separate here, so a contextual portrait isn’t mistaken for close-up proof of a design.
Who Is Ryan Castro?
Ryan Castro is a rapper, singer and songwriter from Medellín, Colombia. “Jordan” and “Mujeriego” helped him reach an international audience, and his nickname, El Cantante del Ghetto, points back to Pedregal, the neighborhood where he grew up. He has linked his music to that place and to the perspective he brings to his songs.
That background helps explain why his tattoos connect music, home and older crime-film imagery. The back piece is a large, planned composition, while the neck lettering names his first album. In public photos, sunglasses, chains and sportswear often sit alongside visible neck and hand ink; the tattoos are part of his look, but the designs also refer to things he has discussed in his work.
The Huge Al Capone-Inspired Back Tattoo
LOS40 Colombia described Castro’s large black-and-gray back tattoo as a collage inspired by Al Capone and 1930s gangster films. The reported details include women, broken glass, roulette wheels and old cars. The common palette ties the elements together, making the tattoo read as one scene.

The available image shows the scale of the piece, with Castro’s back inset beside a larger front-facing portrait. It covers most of his back, rather than sitting as a small shoulder design.
The imagery brings casino details, cars, women and shattered glass into the same imagined world. Castro hasn’t explained what each object means to him, so the grounded description is the one in the reporting: an Al Capone-inspired, gangster-era collage.
LOS40 reported that five tattooers worked on it for about ten hours, and that Castro was under general anesthesia during the session. It was a substantial project, not a quick filler piece.
The Album Behind the Look
In an interview with El Nuevo Herald, Castro discussed the words El Cantante del Ghetto on his neck while promoting his first album of the same name. The phrase is his artist identity as well as the album title, so the lettering has a direct connection to his career.
He described the album as personal, drawing on his beginnings, musical influences and the graffiti imagery behind the project. The neck tattoo puts that title in a visible place; Castro hasn’t said it was designed as a logo.

The Coachella Moment
At Coachella, Castro showed Lauryn Hill a portrait of her tattooed on his arm. El Colombiano reported that the same area includes portraits of Celia Cruz, 2Pac, Héctor Lavoe and Michael Jackson, and described a separate Snoop Dogg portrait on his left leg.

This festival photo captures Castro with Hill, but it isn’t a close-up of the tattoos. The reporting identifies the portrait and the other musicians. Castro has described Hill as an important influence, and the moment gave him a chance to show her the tribute.
The reported names span salsa, rap and pop: Cruz and Lavoe, 2Pac and Jackson. Together, they point to some of the performers Castro has said shaped his musical taste.
Ryan Castro’s Visual Style
Castro’s public style often leaves his neck, hands or arms visible. Tattoos sit alongside chains, sunglasses and streetwear in those photos, while his large back piece draws on the same bold, cinematic look.

This is a contextual portrait, not evidence of a particular tattoo. The photo shows Castro’s styling; the reported details about his ink come from the sources and images that actually document it. His collection leans toward large compositions and portraits, rather than small, delicate designs.
The Medellín and Album Connection
The neck phrase connects Castro’s public identity to the album and to Pedregal, where he grew up. He has described the record as a way of looking back at his beginnings and the influences that helped shape his music.

This portrait is also contextual. The meaning of the neck lettering comes from Castro’s interview and the album title, not from trying to infer details from the photo.
For a tattoo tied to music or home, the useful idea is to choose a phrase with a personal connection. It doesn’t need to copy Castro’s lettering or sit on the neck.
What’s Confirmed and What Isn’t
LOS40 Colombia reported the Al Capone-inspired back piece and its collage of gangster-film imagery. El Nuevo Herald noted the neck lettering while Castro was promoting the album, and El Colombiano covered the Lauryn Hill portrait and the other musicians reported on his arm and leg.
Some smaller marks in social photos are too cropped or low-resolution to identify. A photo may show Castro’s style without documenting a tattoo, and the Coachella image shows the meeting more clearly than the portrait itself. Where Castro hasn’t explained a design, its meaning remains unknown.
Building a Personal Theme
Castro’s back piece holds together because it stays within one visual world: gangster films, old cars, casino details and broken glass. For a large composition, choosing elements that belong together can make the whole design easier to read.
His portrait tattoos take a more personal route. The musicians reported around his arm are people he admires, so the idea is more specific than a generic music symbol. You might choose artists, relatives, athletes or characters, but it helps to pick subjects that will still matter to you later.
The neck lettering offers a simpler starting point: a phrase tied to work, home or family. Lettering on the neck is hard to hide, so check the stencil and size with an experienced tattooer before committing.












































