[WATCH] August Alsina Credits Facial Tattoos & Brother’s Death For Motivation

Despite his VERY vocal beef with fellow R&B crooner Trey Songz, August Alsina seems to pushing full steam ahead. On Tuesday (April 1st), we caught the New Orleans-raised singer taking over the Arsenio Hall Show, sharing insight on his humble beginnings. He told the talk show host:

I’m from New Orleans, and I gotta say, it’s a blessing to be here…I know where I come from…You know I think life is about the decisions you make and sometimes decision are made for yo and you don’t have a choice. Cuz as a youngin’ your reality is your reality by default, you don’t get to choose your parents…..That’s what it was for me….If you don’t accept something, you gotta do what you gotta do to get it….

Baring a plethora of ink, August says that he got ‘Self Made’ tattoos on his face for two reasons. First, he knew that it would prevent him from ever receiving certain types of jobs and secondly, to reflect the type of man that he is. He shared:

For me, what it was…I know that for a fact, that I can’t go get no job, at a fast food restaurant, nowhere, with these tattoos on my face.

He adds that his late brother inspired him:

So I know I had to uh, to go and get it and that’s what I’m doing. I’m at one of my lowest points in my life and …. it was like my brother told me, ‘You a self made such and such. You make your situation, don’t let your situation make you and that’s where these come from.

Watch his performance!