Rihanna has paid homage to rapper Tupac Shakur by getting his Thug Life tattoo on her hands.

Rihanna has paid homage to rapper Tupac Shakur by getting the same tattoo as him.

The 'We Found Love' hitmaker has had 'Thug Life' etched on her hands, the same inking that the slain rapper - who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996 - had on his stomach.

She tweeted a picture with the caption "All these b****es screaming that 2pac back #THUGLIFE (sic)."

All these b****es screaming that 2pac back #THUGLIFE (sic).

She also posted a separate message - reportedly in reference to Drake's single 'Free Spirit' which mentions Tupac's girlfriend Kidada Jones, who used to have a tattoo of his face on her arm.

She wrote: "Tat my f***in name on u girl so I know its real!!! #MINE (sic)."

The 23-year-old is a huge fan of tattoos, with approximately 14 visible inkings including a musical note, a Pisces, the word 'love', a trail of stars and the French saying 'Rebelle Fleur' - which means rebellious flower.

Rihanna also appears to have gotten a new tattoo on her back. She posted a picture on the micro-blogging site of her posing on a table drinking a bottle of beer while the tattoo artist Mark Mahoney worked on her body art.

She wrote: "My boo Mark Mahoney!!!! #RockstarS*** #TATnight (sic)."