From BallerStatus.com -- Jermaine Dupri tattooJermaine Dupri and Janet Jackson have been together for quite some time. In fact, since 2002 and hasn't seem to have faded whatsoever.

Dupri is making his love for Janet official ... and permanent, with the addition of a tattoo of the pop star on his rib cage.

J.D. had famed tattoo artist Jun Cha blast his lower right rib cage with a classic Virgin Mary image ... modified to look like his beloved girlfriend.

"He decided to work his lower right ribcage with the classic Virgin Mary, with a little twist," Cha writes on his blog. "Jermaine's queen, Janet Jackson, takes the role of man's spiritual savior. About three hours into it, Janet walks in stunned to see her face on her man's side."

While the rib cage is known for being one of the most sensitive areas to get tattooed, Cha says Jermaine took it "like a soldier."

Dupri, on the other hand, said it "hurt like hell."

"This is the longest I have ever sat for a tat. I had to take 100 breaks 'cause that sh** hurt like hell," said Dupri.

Cha works out of Los Angeles, via Arudima Studios. For more info, visit him online @ Arudima.com.