(distant siren wails)
(Ceaser) Ten years ago, we all came together
'cause we shared a dream to get out the hood.
- Welcome to Harlem, USA, this is Black Ink.
(Ceaser) Yeah, we fought, we struggled...
I believed in you, my (bleep)!
- Money don't mean (bleep)!
- (bleep)! (bleep)! Mother(bleep)!
...but we all knew what the dream were.
♪♪♪♪
I wanna welcome everybody to Black Ink 125th,
Atlanta, Milwaukee, Brooklyn!
I wanna welcome y'all to Black Ink's
battle of the tattoo titans. - (Puma) I didn't think
we were gonna get this (bleep) going on, 113th.
- This is what we worked for.
(Ceaser) But I'm still hungry, yo.
I see there's even higher mountains I have to climb.
- ♪♪ Can't hear a sound ♪♪
♪♪ If your heart's on your sleeve ♪♪
♪♪ You're going down ♪♪
♪♪ Down, down ♪♪
(Ceaser) These next couple of months are gonna
make or break Black Ink
and determine who's gonna be there at the end.
♪♪♪♪
(rewinding)
(cell phone vibrates)
- Just got a text of something with Ceas.
- It's a video? - Yeah.
- (gasps)
- What was he thinking?
- I don't believe this (bleep), bruh.
♪♪♪♪
- We've all made our mistakes, but I think this is the one
that might actually end this whole (bleep), man.
(Puma) It's crazy that it took
ten years to build our empire.
And in 30 seconds, destroy it.
♪♪♪♪
(rewinding)
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Lights, cameras, I'm ready for showtime ♪♪
♪♪ I picture these -- and I -- in my own mind ♪♪
♪♪ In my own mind ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Got my money up to the edge to a dollar sign ♪♪
♪♪ I'ma be a promoter like it's bottle time ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
(all cheering)
(Puma) Yo, it's been ten whole years?
(cheers continue)
(Quani) Oh, I got my own goblet!
- Let's go put some alcohol in it.
Ten years, Black Ink?
It's amazing that we're still here.
So, ladies, fellas,
it's time for a mother(bleep) celebration.
- Hip, hip, hooray! - Yeah, hip, hip, hooray!
- ♪♪ A-Ain't nobody touchin' this ♪♪
♪♪ Ain't nobody touchin' this, not even close ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- This is good as a back scratch.
- (Ted) This is fire, bro. - (Puma) Ten years.
- When I first walked in, like, I was just looking at
all of them, it's like, I remember that was us.
- Let's have a (bleep) party, yo.
(all cheering)
(Sky) Make 'em feel your vibe a little bit!
- I'm drunk and I don't know what I'm doing.
- Now where the (bleep) is Ceas at?
♪♪♪♪
(woman) Babe, what you doin'?
- I'm thinkin' about wearing this bad boy there,
you know what I mean? - Wait, wait, wait.
You wearing the belt to the party?
- I need a belt for my outfit.
- (laughter) - What, you don't think so?
- You not wearin' that (bleep) tonight.
- I am the official tattoo titan champion.
I'm about to celebrate ten years with my day-ones
from Black Ink,
and I got my lady back. - Cheers!
- I'm not gonna tell you no lie, y'all.
Last time you seen me and Suzette, it was over.
But I took my mom's advice.
- It's not easy, but we still cannot give up.
- We've been back together four months now
and we both decided we've got issues to work out.
Plus, I think Suzette missed that Ceaser magic touch,
if you know what I mean.
Hurry up and get dressed, don't make us late.
You know how you do. - There you go, it be you.
Gotta dye your beard and shave your scalp
and all that other (bleep) you be doin'.
♪♪♪♪
- (Puma) Playa! - (Spyder) Know what,
boy, you lookin' smoother than your next door neighbor.
- Wait, wait, what is that?
Velvet? Oh, God damnit! - Velvet!
As one of the newest artists here,
I'm super honored to be in the building
and be around for this crazy milestone.
After my health scare last year,
I'm ready to seize the day,
and it's given me a fire and the fuel to go
20 more years with this Black Ink (bleep), ya heard?
- Wait, can we take shots off this hoe?
(man) It's a straw!
There is a shot out of it!
(overlapping shouting)
- Alright, I'm getting up here. - It's a Puma production!
- Come on, Bae, you gotta start it up.
(overlapping shouting)
(all chanting) Bae! Bae! Bae!
(all cheering)
- When I first arrived at Black Ink, I was a wild child.
Popping out of a cake...
Let's party, bitches!
...poppin' off at parties...
What the (bleep) is this bull(bleep), for real?
...but now, only thing I'm crazy about
is my son Niko and giving him everything that I've never had.
- Who's next?
- (stammering) I'll do it, I'll do it.
- Oh, everybody take cover.
- What, a girl can't celebrate
after all that trouble I had last year?
(reporter) He shipped three kilos of cocaine
to co-defendant Tatiana Ritter.
- Then I got some amazing news
that changed everything for me.
(lawyer) We've negotiated an offer that does not
include any jail time.
- Oh, my God!
I did get five years probation, so right now,
I'm just focused on staying out of trouble
and becoming Black Ink's newest apprentice.
- So I'm giving you three months.
You gonna learn what you can from Spyder,
and even if he gets annoyed, that means you doin' a good job
because you need to learn.
- So I got a lot to celebrate tonight.
- Make sure you drink some water.
You know what I'm saying? - (slurping)
- So, I've heard you and Krystal opened a shop?
- Yeah, it took like, a year. You gotta pull up...
- Yeah, I got to... - I need all y'all to pull up.
So basically, me and Krystal have been working on opening
our own shop in Bayonne, New Jersey
for the past year.
It's called Gods of Ink,
and so far, it's really booming
- That's a dope step, ya' mean?
- Congratulations, bro. - That's a dope step.
- It's been a crazy busy time,
but I'm excited for the future.
- I'm proud of y'all.
- ♪♪ So when you great like this, they talk about you ♪♪
♪♪ When you great, they talk about you ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Climb so high, it's our moment ♪♪
♪♪ It's our time, lets own it ♪♪
♪♪ Gon' stay on top ♪♪
- (Puma) Hey! - (Bae) Oh, my God, yes!
(all exclaiming)
- That's a good coat.
Look at this, it looks like Ceas
finally might be catching up to me with the drip.
We've come a long way.
(bleep), look at myself.
I got a house in Atlanta,
I got a wife, I got a dog,
I got a record label, I'm in movies.
Not bad for Black Ink's resident couch sitter.
- Yo, the freshest penguin in the igloo.
- Wait, hold up, hold up, hold up.
You outside?
- (bleep), I'm single.
If you haven't heard, me and Donna are done.
I ignored a lot of red flags.
And before I knew it, I had lost myself and put
my dreams on the shelf to please Donna.
- So that's why you actin' like this.
You actin' like a free man!
- Since my break up, I've been getting back to the real me,
and, you know, just elevatin' as the Vagina Slayer.
- Wait, wait, she not hidin' in the bushes or nothin'...
- I would hope not. If she is, let me know.
(laughter)
- Yo, you (bleep) get over here, yo.
I gotta holla at y'all real quick.
I wanna just tell everybody thank you
for coming out tonight.
It's ten years in the making.
We went from a small shop on 113th
to several shops, and more on the way.
Some of y'all, I don't know back in the old days
if y'all had made it...
- Yeah, Rok. - (music sting)
- But it's a new era.
So, let's talk about right now.
I'm proud of us, and let's get another ten years in, yo.
(Ceaser) In order to spread the success,
you gotta spread the responsibility.
Listen, it ain't about me, it's about elevatin'
the next generation and pushin' the OGs even higher.
Let's celebrate the good times,
because tomorrow, we gon' have to get back to work.
My day-ones are my foundation.
And this next generation are hungry and ready
to take over the world.
- To Black Ink! - (all) To Black Ink!
(all cheering)
- ♪♪ I got it, baby ♪♪
♪♪ I'm makin' it to the top, baby ♪♪
♪♪ I delivered the pop-up entertainment ♪♪
♪♪ Not them in the least, I got it, baby ♪♪
(Spyder) Tatti, what's up, baby?
You movin' a little slow. - Oh, my God.
- I don't care if you're hungover or anything like that.
Need this wiped down and set up,
we got a busy day. - Okay, I got you.
- Same (bleep). - Let me just get
this little corner.
Now that I've stepped down from management,
I can solely focus on my apprenticeship
and give Black Ink the best damn apprentice
they've ever had...
Listen, I am not afraid to work hard.
...so that when I revisit the conversation with Ceaser
about having my own Black Ink,
the only answer he can give me is yes.
- I need green soap, Tatti.
♪♪♪♪
Green soap, paper towels, saran wrap.
You got all of that? - Green soap, paper towels,
and saran wrap. - Oh, oh, witch hazel.
(Bucks) Sanitize after the setup.
- Things gotta be wrapped up, things gotta be sprayed down.
- Let's just get this trash outta the way.
- We don't mix up the paper towels.
(bleep) is unacceptable.
(Tatti) Anything else?
- Yeah, clean the bathroom.
(tense music)
- Every apprentice that has been taught by someone
has cleaned the bathroom.
The bathroom is the rite of passage.
- Oh, my God. - Thank you, Tatti.
(Ceaser) Bucks, how's that tattoo coming?
- I'm almost done, I just gotta do the shading.
- Lemme see?
Yeah, looks pretty good.
Lemme grab my gloves
and show you how to shade correctly.
'Cause you might (bleep) with the end.
Hello. - Hey.
- Hey, boss man. - Y'all seen
Ted and Puma today?
- Not today, boss.
- That's (bleep) up.
- So today's the big day for Buck.
The boss man Ceaser's pulling up to give him some lessons,
you know what I mean, and if he got the skills
to pay the bills then he might change him
from apprentice to tattoo artist full-time.
- Now, I'm gonna do one of them, you're gonna do the next one.
- Okay.
♪♪♪♪
- Leave that little gap between there and there
so it shows dimension.
♪♪♪♪
(Ceaser) Bucks is a hard worker.
He don't miss a day, he ain't never late,
and he's proven his loyalty to Black Ink over and over again.
Now, you see how I'm bringing out dimensions
and it's starting to look 3-D?
That's what you want.
(Ceaser) I wanna reward workers like Buck.
They got a purpose. They purpose is to take us
into the next generation of Black Ink.
- You got it? - I got it.
- Finish it up and I'll come back and see how you did.
♪♪♪♪
- Yo, Ceas, I'm done, bro.
- Already? - Yeah.
- Oh, Lord, pray for young Buck.
(tense music)
It's pretty clean.
(Spyder) Yo, Bucks, that's tight.
(Ceaser) How you feel about your tattoo?
- I love it. - Ooh!
- Buck, you know what,
I think we all can agree...
you are no longer AP,
you are a tattoo artist.
(all cheering)
(Ceaser) To celebrate this great occasion,
I think we need to have like,
a graduation ceremony. - A graduation?
- Graduation ceremony, what?
(Ceaser) Look, I'm proud of Bucks.
(bleep), I'm proud of a lot of the newbies.
And this graduation is gonna be perfect
to showcase what's good with Black Ink
and what needs to change.
- His future is just as bright as his teeth.
(laughter)
(Bucks) I like that.
- Have you even been to the Indianapolis shop?
- No, I've-- I have never gotten the chance.
- That's your responsibility.
- Hey, Breezy. - I'm still missing
Milwaukee's numbers and Indianapolis.
- That's Ted and Puma's shop.
These mother(bleep) been letting me down
time and time again.
This is not how it's supposed to be.
You and you slackin'.
If y'all don't pick up what y'all supposed to pick up,
y'all can do your own thing without Black Ink.
♪♪ (women vocalizing) ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- (Quani sighing) - (Puma) Hey.
- Finally get to chill out.
- Yeah.
For at least a brief moment.
- Uh, while the monster takes a nap.
- Being a parent, they always tell you
to look out for, you know, the terrible twos.
But people gotta stop lying to everybody
and talk about the horrible threes.
Zaiden's a little different. - He's his father.
(Puma) He runs around all over the place.
Nonstop.
I worry about my son, but then at the same time,
honestly, I do worry about Tamia too because
we gotta make sure we give her attention and--
- Yeah. - I don't know if I'd
be annoying the hell out of her...
- You do, but she loves you,
so she's not gonna tell you that you annoy her.
I'm like, Daddy's kind of annoying, right?
She's like, "Mmm." - Good.
It's been good, man, just been a lot.
The anniversary party was kinda cool.
- Yeah, it was cool,
but I don't think we need another Ceaser speech.
- Lately, Ceaser's been all business all the damn time.
And I get it, it makes sense.
But not everybody can put that much energy
into the Black Ink brand.
Sometimes his determination makes him blind
to everything else that's going on in...
- Yeah, because he's worried about him.
He has his face in every single shop.
♪♪♪♪
- Wait, where my picture?
At least a cutout.
- He's thinking about himself. - Yeah.
- He's not thinking about what's going on
with the rest of you guys.
But you can't really fault someone for wanting...
- Nah, I can't. - For wanting to be
the best that they can be, it's just that he has
to be understanding to what's happening around him.
- Yeah, but I bet he's feeling a way about me
and the Indianapolis shop.
- Have you even been to the Indianapolis shop?
- No, I-I have never gotten a chance to
'cause you gotta understand how the timing of it all went.
So we're all at a convention in Philadelphia.
You know, the one that was all that chaos...
- You ain't gonna play with me, (bleep).
- I'ma go crazy...
- Yeah, that one.
Well, while we were there,
a young man came up to me and wanted us
to collaborate on his shop.
He was already established, shop was already running.
It wasn't like we were opening a new place.
So Ceaser says, "Take point on that shop, it's yours."
And Indianapolis right now is not on my radar
because I already got the Brooklyn shop,
I got Art2Ink in Harlem,
and I got a whole family to worry about.
I don't like leaving you here with both kids, it's a lot.
- But on the other hand, if you don't go,
watch, Ceaser gonna start talking mad (bleep).
He gonna get on his Gemini (bleep) real quick.
- Right now I gotta put my energy into my family.
- That's your responsibility,
and you gotta talk to him about that.
- ♪♪ Take your bet, unh ♪♪
♪♪ Anything I need to do and I'ma do it, no faith ♪♪
(Ted mumbling)
- Thank you, baby, thank you for being in my corner,
and thank you for always being there for me.
- I feel very lucky.
If you were a fruit,
you'd be a "fineapple."
(music winds down)
- Yuni is honestly the best thing
that's happened to me in a long time.
She's beautiful, she's compassionate,
she totally understands me.
I'm so happy she came up to visit from Atlanta
'cause I really miss having her close to me.
- (gasps) This is beautiful.
Is that for me? - Yes.
- It's perfect. - Do you love it?
- I love it.
(Ted) The business is great.
We're making money,
I get to spend time with Yuni,
so my life is booked and definitely busy.
- Oh, it's so pretty. - It's a beautiful night.
- It's almost as perfect as this view right here.
- Oh, you beat me to it, I was definitely
gonna hit you with that one.
♪♪♪♪
- Hey, Ceas.
- Hey, Breezy.
Why you don't sound, um,
your regularly happy self?
- I'm still missing Milwaukee numbers,
and Indianapolis.
- That's Ted and Puma shops.
- I have asked for it many times,
even with the whole group message I asked.
- I don't understand how these (bleep)
be havin' problems turning in their numbers
and (bleep) like that.
The numbers is how I tell how much each shop makes,
minus expenses.
And without those numbers,
it's like flying a plane blindfolded.
Great way to crash and burn.
(bleep), man.
(Ted) So, I know this is our romantic date.
But lately, I've really been thinking about
my whole family situation a lot.
Celebrating ten years of success really has me looking back
on my life and realizing, there's one place that I haven't
really been too successful,
and that's with my family.
You do know I have an older brother
who did 25 years in prison.
And then, he's been home for two years now,
but I still haven't seen or spoken to him.
- When's the last time you saw him?
- Um...
like, the last time I seen my brother,
I might've been ten years old?
My relationship with my older brother
was the normal younger brother older brother relationship.
We fought a lot, we played a lot,
we did video games, but I was young
when he got sentenced.
I was nine years old, so it was like
at the time my best friend was taken away from me.
And with me being so young
and him being so far away, we drifted apart.
I was thinking about possibly
reaching out to my older brother.
But I don't really know how to open those doors,
like, having this conversation with him,
it's like, it's kinda weird.
My brother went and came home right around the time
when COVID hit, and even though we connected on social media,
I didn't feel comfortable meeting up with him in person.
I don't know if it's a guilt,
I don't know if it's survivor's remorse.
But one thing I do know,
this (bleep)'s eating away at me.
- I think it's a great idea
for you to want to reach out to your brother.
If you feel that conviction, you have to address it.
And I just wanna see you rekindle your relationship
with your family again.
I want your brother and his family
to come to ours during Christmas,
during Thanksgiving, all of that.
- This is what I'm talking about when it comes to Yuni
when I say she totally gets me.
She always gives me the real,
but at this point, I'm still confused at what to do.
Give me a hug, baby.
- I can't move forward with half the stuff
that needs to be done.
There's a lotta stuff that's overdue,
that needs to be paid, and I don't know
the expenses over there.
- They got bills over there they ain't payin'?
- Yeah. - (bleep).
(Ceaser) At this stage in the game,
this is not how it's supposed to be.
Yo, this is crazy.
These mother(bleep) been letting me down
time and time and time again.
Lotta things ain't going right with the business.
We gotta get these two shops open.
- We on it, we got this.
(Ceaser) And even after I had that talk,
they were still slacking off again and again.
There's four bosses here. We (bleep) gotta
get (bleep) together, bro.
We're ten years in and nowhere near done.
So why are my OGs acting like
it's time to lay back and chill?
What the (bleep) is up with that?
Man, I don't even know what to say.
A'ight, let me get in contact with Ted,
I'll figure this out.
(Ceaser) I want everybody old and new
to hear this right now.
Lot of us put in blood, sweat, and tears,
and some of us just been half-assing.
It gotta be Black Ink or nothing.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Little old fool with the OYT ♪♪
♪♪ I know it's a little old school but shoot ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ A circle isn't broke ♪♪
♪♪ In my lifeline and my hope ♪♪
♪♪ Through the crazy times ♪♪
- Ceas! - What's poppin', buddy?
My boy Dave East, rapper, fellow entrepreneur,
hit me up for some ink,
so I pulled up to his shop in Harlem.
Nice, this all you? - It's me.
(Ceaser) You know, I admire Dave East
'cause, you know, he's doing the same thing I'm trying
to do in the hood-- entrepreneur (bleep).
So, you know, I can't wait to just chop it up with him.
Not too many people come back to the hood and do what you do.
You came a long way, bro.
- You know that. - Lemme ask you a question.
Your day-ones, how many of them you still got around?
- Maybe four or five.
- It used to be a lot more, wasn't it?
- Yeah, it be like 15.
I just feel like with growth,
you just get to a point where you know what you want.
'Cause when you don't really know
what you want in live, everybody around you
'cause they lost like you lost, they all tryna figure it out.
But once you figure out what you tryna do,
you be like, "I can't kick it with you 'cause I'm doing this."
- A lotta friendships done ended 'cause I done
changed my views on (bleep). - But if it's your homie,
y'all can have that distance.
I understand you doin' what you doin',
you understand I'm doin' what I'm doin',
but the love the same.
- I always wanted to take my people from day ones
to the top with me, but sometime
that weight gets too heavy.
In talkin' to East, I had to understand that (bleep),
like, I ain't the only one that goes through it.
It's almost everybody that get to a certain stature
in they life has to feel the same.
So what we doin' on you today, bro?
- I got this chief.
My father's mother is Native American
so it kinda... - Kinda go with it.
- Go with my DNA, but I feel like it's dated,
you think you could bring it to life for me?
- I don't regularly touch other people's work,
but for you I'll do it, man. - Think you can do that for me?
- Lemme just set up and we'll get to work.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Gotta fill it ♪♪
♪♪ For this appetite, I need a plate ♪♪
♪♪ Green light, no breaks ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- I came in this wanting to build a legacy.
And after all this time, I came too far to fail
because I still got even higher mountains that I need to climb.
- ♪♪ Look, hungry for this life, starvin'... ♪♪
- But now, I'm really starting to wonder
if my day-ones really care about Black Ink at all
or they're just here for the ride.
- ♪♪ Ain't nothin' that's like a New Yorker ♪♪
♪♪ Never know what it's gon' cost ya, maybe ya life... ♪♪
- Maybe Dave's right. Maybe I need
to let go of what's holding me back.
- ♪♪ Pull up correctly you know every step ♪♪
♪♪ I got the purse, I would get half of the pressure ♪♪
♪♪ Ask someone why are you stressin'? ♪♪
- I done lost a lotta day ones in the past.
And, psh, I survived.
♪♪♪♪
A'ight, bro, we done.
- Fire, my G, I already knew you was gonna do, though.
- Little bit of space that you had left.
- That was a layup.
- ♪♪ Uh, a little project -- now starin' at the mirror ♪♪
♪♪ Like, damn, how could it be? ♪♪
♪♪ I used to hang with them dealers now I'm dealin' with ♪♪
♪♪ These fake -- on TV ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- (Spyder) The summer's comin'. - (Tatti) Right?
- It's about to be a hot boy summer in the city!
- Hot boy summer? - Ho-- tattoo artists?
- Yeah, yeah. - You can't do that.
(overlapping chatter/greetings)
- There he go! - Let's call
a timeout on this right now, you know what I mean?
At the end of the day, we ain't that small shop
on 113th no more.
We a growin' franchise, ain't no more
cruising through it, ya' mean?
It gotta be Black Ink or nothing.
I made up my mind, I can no longer
let Ted and Puma get off the way they been getting off, yo.
I got big dreams for Black Ink,
and I gotta make sure everybody's down
from the oldest OG to the next generation.
If we're gonna sit here and say, yo, we want 50 states,
we wanna go international,
this (bleep) gotta be serious, yo.
I can't open up a Jacksonville,
I can't open up a Miami,
I can't open up these cities if my foundation is weak.
- Ceas, I know you're always focused on business,
but you not even takin' time to consider
what everybody else has going on.
It's all about what Ceas wants to do
and when Ceas wants to do it.
- Lot of us put in blood, sweat, and tears,
and some of us just been half-assing through
this whole ten years. Now, think about
if everybody's putting 100%, you feel me?
Like, Alex been tourin' every single shop,
he's at every Black Ink event.
So I definitely wanna thank you, Alex.
- All I can do, bro. I appreciate y'all, man.
(Ceaser) I'm proud of Alex.
He's a great example of what the future holds for Black Ink.
I wish I could say that about all our artists,
but I got two who really think they slick.
Where is Rok and Krystal? - They were driving here.
Their dog started flipping the (bleep) out, right?
And then they drove seven hours back to New Jersey.
- You wanna know what they're doing in New Jersey?
- What? - Tattooing.
- So I want everybody old and new
to hear this right now.
I hate to say it, some of us ain't gonna
make it that next ten years.
'Cause if your dreams ain't to grow
within the company or the brand,
then you in the wrong place, homie.
- So, it's been 25 years, man.
- 28. - 28.
(Ted) I have so much going through my mind right now.
I really don't know what to do
now that he's in front of me.
I really need my big brother in my life, man.
- ♪♪ Ain't nothin' that's like a New Yorker ♪♪
♪♪ Never know what it's gon' cost ya ♪♪
♪♪ Maybe your life, I been just tryna be nice ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ All these sleepless nights ♪♪
♪♪ Finally got my type ♪♪
(Ted) Right now, I'm all over the place
when it came to Ceaser's last conversation.
I don't know how I should be feeling.
So for now, I don't wanna talk about Ceaser.
I took Yuni's advice, and I reached out
to my brother via social media
to see if he wanted to meet up with me.
And to my surprise, he said yes.
- ♪♪ Increase my means, elevated the team ♪♪
♪♪ The humble ones you once knew evolved into royalty ♪♪
(man) Yo.
♪♪♪♪
- Gimme a hug, man.
♪♪♪♪
- What's going on with you? - Thank you.
Thank you for meeting up with me.
- You already know. - Thank you.
What's going on-- where the (bleep)
do we start, man? - Anywhere.
(Ted) I have so much going through my mind right now.
A lotta guilt, a lotta happiness,
a lotta confusion, I really don't know what to do
now that he's in front of me.
So, it's been 25 years, man.
- 28. - 28.
It's (bleep) crazy.
- Mm. All that time.
You know, I held my head, stayed focused.
Came home with my priorities in order.
- Listen, bro, first, I wanna apologize.
Like, sometimes it's like, damn, I shoulda been there
the first day you came home, but I didn't know, like,
I ain't know what to expect.
Because of how the whole time you was locked up, like,
know what I'm sayin', I really wasn't there.
For one, there was nothing I could really do,
you know what I'm sayin', it wasn't like I had
a bunch of money, I was still trying to figure myself out--
so I had to grow up.
- That's understandable. Of course, I was a little upset
but I had to take a step back and say, when the time is right,
it'll happen.
- Thank you.
Thank you for not holding no grudges for me...
- Nah. - Because like,
I don't wanna go into my 40s
and not have relationships with my family.
- Absolutely. - And as you know,
I don't got the best relationship with our dad.
(Ted) My father wasn't in my life at all.
He came around, in my memory, two times.
One time for a birthday, one time to take me
shopping for the first day of school.
My resentment just comes from like,
where the (bleep) was you? - Mm-hmm.
- Like, why he move the way he move?
- We both had resentment towards him when we was growin' up,
but we all had our addiction. - Right.
- I had addiction to the streets,
fast money, women, he had addiction to drugs.
But he's-- he's gettin' himself together.
Like, a little mishap here,
but he got himself together.
- How is your relationship with our pops?
- My relationship with him is pretty good, like,
he was a staple during my incarceration.
Nobody else was. - Mm.
- And I could never turn my back on him for that.
- Right, when it counted the most.
- Absolutely. - Hearing you, this is why
we need to have this bond, I need to know these things,
know what I'm saying, it would give me some clarification.
I was living in a world where
there was no excuses for my father.
But after speaking with my brother and finding out
the info I found out about my dad,
it kinda made me crack the door a little bit.
It's still a lot more work that needs to be done,
but I like the direction it's going.
I got a million and one questions for you.
We could sit down, we go to dinner
and talk some more, this definitely
won't be our last conversation.
I really need my big brother in my life, man.
- It's an awards ceremony!
(all cheering)
- This is a bull(bleep) award.
- Damn!
- This is a bull(bleep) award, (bleep).
Ceas, I don't know what the (bleep) your problem is,
and if you have a problem with me,
we can talk about this face to face.
- You know what, you’re very unappreciative.
- ♪♪ I won't stop till I'm standin' on top ♪♪
♪♪ The game is on lock ♪♪
♪♪ Now they know I can't be stopped ♪♪
- Look at Bucks standing here like, where's the music at?
- (humming "Pomp and Circumstance")
(all humming)
- As president and dean of Black Ink University--
a street accredited institution of higher learning,
I'm proud to present the first
Black Ink Apprenticeship graduation.
Buck, I wanna thank you.
You are an example of what Black Ink future is gonna be.
Bringing up our own artists from the ground up,
and building with them for years on,
and hopefully one day building a Black Ink with you.
(all cheering)
So with no further ado...
(man) That my boy Buck!
(overlapping chatter)
(Spyder) Speech! Speech! Speech!
- Thank you. We gonna turn up,
and we want ten more years of Black Ink greatness.
- Uh-huh. - Thank you.
I love y'all, thank you.
- Look, I've been around Ceaser long enough to know,
this mother(bleep) ain't nice for no reason.
There's probably something behind this.
Now, it's not only a graduation...
(Puma) See? I (bleep) told y'all!
Here-- here it comes, get ready.
- It's an awards ceremony.
(all cheering)
♪♪♪♪
Let me just start with my first award.
It seem like some people ain't gettin' the note
about the new Black Ink, so I think it's time
for some PDP-- public display of pettiness!
And who's the king of that?
(chuckles) Me!
- This is gonna go left.
- Now, this first award...
it goes to a person that, you know, has been
doing this for a long time.
Sometimes, I look at him and be like, wow,
after all you've been through,
you act like you're 18
even though you're turning 40.
It gives me great pleasure
to call Puma the life of the party!
♪♪♪♪
He know how to party before he get (bleep) work done.
You know that is--
party party party, no no no no no work?
Yeah, Puma.
- Alright. Really, Ceas?
Life of the party?
Have you not seen my life lately?
Does this look like a party face?
- Now, my next award goes to a person that might hold
the Guinness Book of World Record
for couch sitting. - It's Teddy.
- Our favorite couch sitter
of the decade-- Teddy Ruks!
(all cheering)
- Ceas, I don't know what the (bleep) your problem is,
and if you have a problem with me,
we can talk about this face to face.
Don't try and make me look crazy in front of everybody else.
- Yeah, Ted!
- This is a bull(bleep) award.
This a bull(bleep) award, (bleep).
- I got ya, I got ya.
Petty Ceaser is outside, baby.
You know what, you're very unappreciative.
- It was a great award, I liked it.
- So, we got one more award.
- One? - One.
This award goes to the two most likely
to succeed using the Black Ink brand
and opening up their own shop...
Rok and Krystal!
♪♪♪♪
- Listen, what the (bleep) is this (bleep)?
- Damn! - (Rok) I feel confused.
I told him about the shop and all that,
and I'm pretty sure that everybody knows.
I've been telling Ceaser about the shop,
asked him if he okay with it and all that (bleep).
- So it wasn't a surprise. - It wasn't a surprise.
He said he didn't want no parts in it.
A'ight... - Give that speech, yeah!
- You caught him off-guard, boss!
- Alright, Krystal, you wanna say something?
- All I'm saying is, if you eat off my plate,
I need to eat off your plate.
I wasn't joking when I said Black Ink or nothing.
I fired whole shops for violating my brand.
Ask Atlanta.
♪♪♪♪
This concludes the first ever Black Ink Awards.
I wanna thank all y'all for showing up tonight.
More to come.
♪♪♪♪
(Ted) What the hell was Ceaser doing with that award crap?
- I was about to ask you that question, know what I'm sayin'?
- Yeah, we need to talk to him. - I'ma text Ceaser, man,
and tell him, like, we need to link up.
- I don't know how to feel about Ceaser and his petty (bleep)
he got going on, 'cause the way he's moving,
it's starting to become really insulting.
We're brothers, we're not supposed to be
tearing each other down in front of the employees.
- "Yo, we need to meet up.
Just let us know time and place."
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I got the money ♪♪
♪♪ I take what I want you cannot stop me ♪♪
♪♪ I show no mercy ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
(Ted) I appreciate you agreeing to meet us today.
- Yeah.
- Okay, what's up that bull(bleep)-ass award ceremony?
That (bleep) hurt.
But I know the person you are,
so I know you didn't mean nothing by it.
But at the same time, what I don't want it to become
is us at odds because then it's only gonna
crash and burn from there.
- Like, I'ma be honest with y'all, bro.
We ten years strong in this (bleep),
I need y'all to step up.
We need to do numbers like no one ever seen
these next ten years, but you and you slackin'.
I'm ready to sit here like, yo, what's going on with Milwaukee?
We supposed to be hittin' figures,
we don't even hit 30 yet, yo. - How is that on me?
- That's your city.
- I try to talk to you about (bleep),
but everything that goes on in Milwaukee,
you bring it up when you bring it up.
- I'll be honest with y'all, that's y'all fault too.
Y'all don't do this unless
I'm sittin' here beefin with you.
If we was able to share some of this respon--
- How can we figure out a game plan?
'Cause it look like we're just playing the blame game...
- We're not playing the blame game.
Indianapolis, (bleep),
you know how much money you missin', bro?
- I know. - No, I'm deadass.
That (bleep) make six figures a (bleep) year in profit.
Half of that (bleep) is yours.
It ain't no excuse, Puma.
If y'all don't pick up what y'all supposed to pick up,
y'all can do y'all own thing without Black Ink.
- I've been going through something personal,
and I been keeping it very private to myself.
- What?
- It's my son.
And I don't know how... to deal with this.
- I've been going through something personal,
and I been keeping it very private to myself.
They found out that my son is on the spectrum
of, uh, autism.
And, um, it's been really hard,
I'm not even gonna front to you.
It's been, like, I hear you,
and I be feelin' bad 'cause it's like I'm not doing my part,
but I can't-- I can't leave him.
(Puma) This is all new to me.
I have so many questions for what this means for my son.
Is this gonna affect my child's upbringing,
and how he's gonna grow up?
Like, I don't know if I'm doing it right.
- Why you ain't tell me nothin', bro?
- Bro, look how this (bleep) got me feeling right now, man.
- Yeah, but we supposed to be here for each other, bro.
- I know, but it's hard to tell you because
you have this "I'm going" way, you know what I'm saying?
And it's like, you're not the easiest person
to communicate with.
And I don't mean to get all weird and emotional...
(Ted) It's not weird or nothing about it, bro.
We brothers. (bleep) like this,
you should be able to express yourself.
There's no way I shouldn't know that this is going on,
and this is definitely not the way to find things out.
Being poor, bro, it kept us together.
This money, this fame,
all the (bleep) that we got going on,
it divided us.
We gotta pull it back together
before we lose it and all three of us
are sitting here like, what the -- did we do with
these ten years?
- ♪♪ When the clock run down ♪♪
♪♪ It's too late to turn around ♪♪
(Ceaser) Time is against us.
Once we sit here and be complacent with
the place we at, we gon' be destroyed.
- I think we should write a book.
"How to Be a Grown-ass Black man in America For Dummies."
- Cheers to new beginnings.
(all cheering)
(laughter)
(overlapping chatter)
- The penis is the vagina tucked out.
- What?! - That's a time out.
- We are upgrading. - (Spyder) New employees.
- My name is Nichelle, and I'm from Dallas, Texas.
What's up? Yeah, Dallas in the building, what's up?
- Draya, let's go. - Hey, hey!
- Super surprised, (bleep) from Chicago.
(Ted) We all gon' take a trip
just so everybody can get to know each other.
- Oh... - Welcome to Orlando.
(Bae) This is amazing.
- For Black Ink Bootcamp.
♪♪♪♪
- Oh, (bleep)!
- When he opens, you toss it in.
(laughter)
- My fans want new content.
- I think we should set up
some type of audition for OnlyFans.
- I can (bleep) his (bleep) upside down.
- Wow.
- Ceaser wants to make Gods of Ink Black Ink Jersey.
- But what about all the hard work
that we put into the shop?
- Let's put it like this.
It's gonna happen with y'all or without y'all.
- What's that mean?
(Quani) I felt like since I got with Puma,
my life has always been about Puma.
And I definitely forgot about me.
- It's like you don't want to be here.
- I'm closing 125th up.
- Closing 125th?
(Ted) Same (bleep) happen to 113th,
now 125th, (bleep).
- Never in my life would I ever think
a Black Ink would not be in Harlem.
- This is the (bleep) I be talkin' about.
- Nobody gives a (bleep) about y'all.
- (bleep) outta here, bro.
- Y'all supposed to protect the brand.
- Ceaser is like a bottle that's been shaken for mad long.
- I been here ten years strong,
you think I'ma let y'all destroy this (bleep)?
(overlapping arguing)
- What you doin'?!
(shouting/bleeps continue)
- Effective immediately,
y'all officially fired.
- Can I just say this about last night?
- What? - I'm so (bleep) happy
I didn't drink. - (laughs)
(cell phone vibrates)
- I just got a text
of something with Ceas.
- Oh, (bleep).
- No f... - No!
- What the (bleep) is...
- Bro, is that Ceaser? - Yes!
(Puma) Where is he?
(Ted) He's not pickin' the phone up.
- That (bleep)'s about to blow up right now.
- This ain't good.
- The network has decided to cut ties with Ceaser
effective immediately.
- Damn, that's crazy. - What?
Are you really gonna cut him loose like that?
- ♪♪ It's a long way down ♪♪
- What the (bleep) is the next step--
if there is a next step?
- I don't see how there's a Black Ink without Ceaser.
- How are we moving forward? - What do y'all think?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ MTV ♪♪