"Old Streets" rapper 2KBABY isn't letting his face tat critics stop his grind ... if anything they're motivating him ahead of the release of his "Scared 2 Luv" album.
We caught up with 2KBABY this week ... fresh out the tattoo parlor, of course, where he added even more ink to his face -- including a pair of hearts and the album title on opposite sides of his face.
Despite the hearts, 2K didn't get much love from the fans, just a lot of noise from the haters ... and he tells TMZ Hip Hop the reactions tested his patience a bit.
Call it a colorful act of defiance, but 2K says he'll keep pushing the limits of his body art -- he does NOT care about pain, and actually had some words for rappers who use numbing creams while getting tatted.
As for fan reactions -- he says he'll be watching to see how many of his 600K followers are down for the long haul. Everyone else is invited to dine on his genitalia ... although, he used slightly more colorful words.
Less aggressively, the Louisville-born rapper told us 'S2L' will be a collection of cinematic songs ... reflecting his life experiences and delivered in audio format.
2K says he's only one song away from completing the new album and "Old Streets" also went platinum this week ... just a few more bones for his haters to gnaw on!!!