Moby Debuts Another Vegan Neck Tattoo

During the 1990s and early 2000s, Moby defined electronic dance music and sold over 20 million records world wide. Aside from being known for his music, Moby is also recognized as a passionate animal rights activist, who has been vegan for over thirty years. Thanks to a kitten named Tucker, Moby went vegetarian in 1984 and later became vegan in 1987. He went on to record an alternative rock album titled “Animal Rights,” in 1996 and has worked with a number of animal rights organizations over the years, including Best Friends Animal Society, Farms Not Factories and various farm sanctuaries.

His passion for animal rights has also impacted his tattoo choices. After being vegan for over 32 years, Moby decided to get the phrase “Vegan For Life,” tattooed on the side of his neck by “LA Ink” star Kat Von D in September 2019. “I’ve been a vegan for almost 32 years, so getting this tattoo seemed like a pretty safe bet,” Moby shared alongside the tattoo.  “Also, working for animal rights and animal liberation is my life’s work.”

Two months later, in November 2019, Moby decided to celebrate his 32 year vegan anniversary with 12 new tattoos, which were the phrase “Animal Rights,” down each of arms. He got this tattoo done by Kat Von D as well, later getting the lettering filled in December 2019. “I’m a vegan animal rights activist for many reasons,” Moby shared on Instagram with this tattoo. “But ultimately because I believe at the core of my being that every animal has the right to live their own life, according to their own will.”

Not long after, Moby then went on to get several more small tattoos that pay homage to his veganism. The first was “VX,” on the side of his eye, which as he explained on social media, represents vegan straight edge. “Straight edge because I simply can’t be a good activist if I’m lying in bed sick & hungover until 5pm every day,” Moby explained on Instagram. “And of course vegan because i care about animals, human health, climate change, rain forest deforestation, workers rights, water use, famine, and all of the other horrifying things that are the result of using animals for food.”

Moby also got the phrase “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” on the back of his neck, above a cross tattoo that he got almost 25 years earlier. “I got my first tattoo, a cross on my neck, in 1995 when i was on Lollapalooza with sonic youth, beck, pavement, etc,” Moby shares. “After 24 years i thought it was time to ask @thekatvond to give it an update. Wouldn’t it be remarkable if the worlds religions agreed on this one simple edict; thou shalt not kill? Thou shalt not kill humans. Thou shalt not kill animals. Thou simply shalt not kill.”

Then, after several months of not getting tattooed, Moby went back once more to get another neck tattoo. This time, it’s the phrase “Protect the innocent, defend the vulnerable.” According to Moby, he chose this quote as his own version of a Hippocratic oath, which is an oath that many doctors take after graduating from medical school. Moby got the tattoo by Dan Smith of Captured Tattoo, who like Moby is also vegan and straight edge according to his bio.

What do you think of Moby’s newest tattoo? Would you get a neck tattoo? Let us know your thoughts on this story on social media.