This story first appeared in our 2016 Sports, Culture and Women in Hip Hop Issue, on newsstands now featuring our Yo Gotti and Hip Hop & Hollywood covers.
Meet the veteran tattoo artist whose work pays tribute to Hip Hop’s icons.
Words: KC Orcutt
Doctor Dreidel, 50 Centaur, Chewbacca Flocka Flame, Ghostface Killah Koopa and ODBee. These are examples of requests tattoo artist Adam Hathorn has honored by permanently placing them on some of his more Hip Hop-minded clientele over the years.
Originally hailing from upstate New York and relocating to San Diego after attending Savannah College of Art and Design, Hawthorn acquired the moniker Honkey Kong early on in his career and has been mastering his signature style ever since.
Regardless of the canvas, skin or paper, Honkey Kong’s witty and eccentric artwork draws inspiration from a smorgasbord of urban street culture and has caught the attention of the likes of Killer Mike, Action Bronson and Apathy.
“I put a buddy of mine onto Action Bronson’s music however many years ago, and he ended up tattooing him in Brooklyn later on,” Hathorn recalls. “He showed Bronson my artwork since I was the one who introduced him to his music, and the next time he was in San Diego playing a show, it worked out that I tattooed him as well.
“It wasn’t until about a year and a half ago that he hit me up for the artwork for his song, ‘Easy Rider.’ He had a solid idea to go with the song and it worked out well. I’m not even sure I heard the song beforehand,” Hathorn laughs.
At this point in Honkey Kong’s 15 plus years tattooing, clients come to him eager to see his creative spin on their ideas.
“I’m pretty open about people’s creations because they want me to do things the way that I do them, otherwise they wouldn’t come to me with specific tattoo ideas,” he says. “Some people are more open-minded, while other people are stricter with what they’re looking for.”
Much like Bronson, Killer Mike had a specific concept in mind for a series of t-shirt designs for Honkey to craft, after the two were connected via Instagram. Additionally, Hathorn’s portfolio includes album art he’s created for underground artists like Men Of Many Crowns and Giant Gorilla Dog Thing.
Often playing 90’s Hip Hop in his studio, Honkey Kong can currently be found working on an ongoing series of 100 portraits paired with a collection of tattoos, to be published as a book titled Exercising Demons.
