(Ceaser) In the ten years since I started Black Ink,
we went from a small shop on 113th
to several shops.
- To Black Ink. - (cheering)
(Ceaser) But for us to get through these next ten years...
It gotta be Black Ink or nothing.
(Tatti) I'm doing this apprenticeship program
because I wanna know everything there is to opening up
a Black Ink shop. - Clean the bathroom.
(Ceaser) Buck, you are no longer AP,
you are a tattoo artist.
I think we need to have a graduation ceremony.
(Spyder) A graduation?!
(humming "Pomp and Circumstance")
(Ted) I reached out to my brother
to see if he wanted to meet up with me.
It's been 25 years, man.
I don't wanna go into my 40s
and not have relationships with my family.
- Absolutely.
- Have you even been to the Indianapolis shop?
- No, I don't like leaving you here with both kids.
- Watch, Ceas gonna get on his Gemini (bleep) real quick.
- I'm still missing Milwaukee numbers
and Indianapolis. - Why?
That's Ted and Puma shop.
We ten years strong in this (bleep),
I need y'all to step up.
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.
They found out that my son is on the spectrum of autism.
(Puma) I have so many questions for what this means for my son.
Is this gonna affect my child's upbringing?
I don't know if I'm doing it right.
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Drop drop ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Get out get out, I can make a million if you gon' do it ♪♪
♪♪ You got a feel it if you gon' do it ♪♪
- Yo. - Yo, what's going on?
- What's up, Black man?
After our conversation with Ceas, I wanted
to check on Puma, I really didn't know
those things was going on with his son,
and to see tears coming out his eyes,
I know that he's very hurt.
What's good, though? - Same (bleep), man.
Had to come check the shop over here and (bleep).
Ceas got me thinkin' about being a business owner,
if I come back here and I realize somebody's
not doing their part, I get upset.
But at the same time, everybody don't got
the same (bleep) on their plate.
- I get where he was coming from,
but the yelling and his pointing his finger (bleep)
comes off the wrong way. - It has to be more
with communication and him understanding
that everybody doesn't move at his speed, or...
- Yeah, he's fast track with everything.
And before he fixes a problem,
he's onto the next to get over a problem.
- We have to really start conducting ourselves
in really a corporate... - As a bigger business, yeah.
But like I said at the pool table,
you have a dream, bro.
We a part of this dream,
but we also have dreams and other obligations.
Ceaser really doesn't understand
that we all have lives outside of the business.
Like, he doesn't know that I just met up with my brother
for the first time in years and I also have other
family issues that I've been dealing with.
And I know you're dealing with Zaiden.
How he doing, bro?
- Nah, it's all good, man, like,
I didn't say all that then
to have a pity party or nothing like that.
And I hate being all super emotional about (bleep),
but it's like, (bleep), a lotta (bleep) been
taking a toll on me, man.
- Being an adult, it's difficult, man.
- Yeah, man. I think that's
one of my problems too right now, like,
you know, hitting 40 now.
- Oh, (bleep), your birthday's in a few days, isn't it?
- Yeah, but I've still got like, this void,
like I'm missing something, like I want more out of life,
but it has nothing to do with like business and money (bleep).
- What you mean, like what,
you wanna jump out a plane or something?
A Puma production! (screams)
- I... don't know about that,
I wanna still live, you know what I'm sayin',
but you know, I wanna do something
'cause everybody's looking at you like you old
but yet you don't feel like it,
and like, you wanna show like, I'm not old.
Turning 40 seems really odd to me, you know?
'Cause I don't feel 40, like I don't have
all my (bleep) together-- it's really kinda confusing.
- I just wanted to check on you 'cause after our conversation
with Ceas, he booked the next flight out to Houston.
- At least he'll be off our backs for a couple days.
Just growing pains, bro. - Yeah, man.
- We gon' figure it out. - Yeah...
(laughter)
- Good ol' Harlem. - Good ol' Harlem, baby.
- Good ol' (bleep) Harlem.
(laughter)
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Light 'em up ♪♪
♪♪ Light 'em up, light 'em up, light 'em up ♪♪
(Tatti) Do you need any assistance?
- I need witch hazel.
- Where are you using it? - In my spray bottle.
- With the green soap? - Yeah.
- For redness? - It helps
calm the skin a little bit.
- Okay, I'll get you s-- I got you some witch hazel.
Do you need anything? You want some witch hazel.
- No, I just want you to hold this for a second.
- Bae!
(laughter) - That was tough.
- Here, toma! I got work to do.
- You lucky I understand toma, bitch.
- You need a whole setup? - Yeah.
- Alright, I got you. - I'ma need a setup
when you done, please. - Excuse me? What?
- I'ma need a setup when you're done, please.
- I'ma do you the favor and I'ma take care
of Spyder and Alex today so that you can focus
on your growth, okay? - Mmm.
- Congratulations on graduating.
(Bae) He waited two years for this moment.
- That's way too long, I'ma be done in 90 days, bro.
- Oh, (bleep). - I'm obviously going
to be learning under those
who are qualified to teach me something.
About two minutes ago, I was the one in charge.
So Buck, I think (bleep) not.
- Front door. - Bing bong.
(all exclaiming)
- Nems is a recording artist,
big-time TikTok star from Coney Island, Brooklyn.
He got over half a million followers,
over a 100 million views, the boy poppin'.
- ♪♪ Been outside for years, and we still in here ♪♪
♪♪ Still in this mother-- ♪♪
♪♪ Bing bong ♪♪
(Spyder) So the tattoo I'm doing on Nem today
is the phrase that he made famous on TikTok.
You know, "Bing Bong."
- Yo, what we doin', man? You got the "Bing bong" (bleep)?
- Get a glimpse of that.
(Nems) Damn, that's fire!
Bing bong.
(Bae) What's bing bong?
- What's bing bong? - Yeah!
- "Bong" basically means like, here.
- But the "bing bong" stuff changed my life.
First of all, it's been used over a billion times on TikTok.
- (screaming)
(cameraman) Bing bong!
It's like, "Bong, check this new (bleep),
bong, bong," and then one day I was like, bing bong,
and then people started laughing,
and I just kept saying it and it's all over the place.
- Did you trademark that?
- Yeah, absolutely. - Of course.
- 'Cause I was gonna do it.
(laughter)
You was gonna have to buy a bing bong from me.
(laughter) - No, I own that.
- My ass will literally trademark anything in this
mother(bleep) world, okay?
If he didn't yet, ooh, I'da been like,
hello, lawyer!
- Brother Nems, come on over.
This is the Cadillac. - I need you to be gentle.
This is my last tattoo ever.
- This is crazy. - Unless they come out
with something that just numbs your whole body
and you don't feel nothin'...
- Anesthesia.
(laughter)
A'ight, let's see what we got here on the menu.
- Man, I can't wait to start to tattooing
so I can be as busy as Spyder and Alex.
- Yo, I ain't gonna lie, Al,
you been real busy these days, B.
- Just tryna get back in the groove, you feel me?
- If you see my glowin', it's because I'm growin'.
Ever since me and Donna split,
I've had more time to hustle, tattoo,
and how you say it, like, other curricular activities.
But that's for another conversation.
- I be feelin' like you be like,
aimin' for the crown and some (bleep) like that,
you know what I mean, what I'm sayin'?
- First off, we all know that as soon as
I start tattooing, it's gonna be me wearing the crown.
- Tatti, this is only for tattoo artists right now.
- This is artists talking, okay?
- Artist talk? - Yeah, artist talk.
- I heard artist tal-- oh, excuse me.
- We mean artists with clientele and stuff like that.
- We mean veterans. - Like big dogs.
- Who called me? What? What you want?
- It's an artist talk over here.
- Hello, bow wow. What we singin'--
- (laughter) - Talkin' about big dogs.
- First of all, if I was betting on anybody,
it would be my shorty right here.
- Y'all should have a competition or something,
see who's nice with it.
- Actually, you know what, none of the bosses
are gonna be here, so we should do this (bleep) like, tomorrow.
- Now we're talkin'. I mean, we all know that
I'm gonna win. - These guys
don't stand a chance.
They ain't ready for what I'm about to bring.
- I mean, in a competition, you gotta actually compete,
and everybody knows there's no competing with Spyder.
- Another (bleep) competition?
I'm sick of this (bleep).
- Alright, y'all, we are gonna have a competition
to see who the top earner of the shop is.
You can do as many tattoos as you want,
you can do one big-ass tattoo and charge a million,
I don't care, and whoever has the highest sales is the winner.
- Bing bong!
- I still wanna own my own shop one day
so I'm gonna show them that I know how to bring
money into the shop-- plus, with Ceaser going off
on Ted and Puma, this is my time to shine.
- Will Rok and Krystal be pullin' up
to this competition too?
- I'll hit them up.
Rok and Krystal have not come to the shop
since Ceaser gave out those shady-ass awards.
- This award goes to the two most likely
to succeed using the Black Ink brand
and opening up their own shop.
Rok and Krystal!
- So if they decide not to participate in the competition,
I have a stand-by.
You know a boss always has a plan-B.
- What's the prize, man? That's for real.
- The prize is you get to tattoo me.
(music winds down)
- Oh, that's a prize... - That's a prize?
- That's a prize. - Y'all won.
(laughter)
- Wow...
Okay, there will be a prize.
- What is it? - What is it?
- I will not tell you,
but I will wrap it.
- Like, rap it like you're gonna spit bars?
- You rap, Tatti? - No, no, no, no,
like I'm going to wrap it with wrapping paper.
- A'ight, well, hold on, if you was a rapper,
what would your rap name be?
- Misty. - What?!
She had that on ready. - She had it right here!
(air horn blows)
- That's a stripper name, stop. - Definitely a stripper name.
- No, because it could either be "Misty" or "Miss T."
Ooh, I've been waiting my whole life to say that.
- Boo, tomato, boo! - Get Misty outta here, man.
- Boo, tomatoes!
- You're not gonna get a prize.
(laughter)
Anyways, we down?
- I'm down.
- Yeah, I should be done with this tattoo by then.
- I don't know what y'all talkin' about,
I got my money on Spyder, you heard?
- Stick to the bing bong.
- "Stick to the bing bong."
(Nems) Bing bong!
- Today, I have a Houston legend in the shop.
- Now, Bun, I need one favor from you.
- For what you did for my wife, how could I say no, Ceas?
- It's like you don't want to... be here.
- I been telling you this (bleep) for months.
I need a reset.
- If (bleep) ain't takin' their (bleep) serious
and we don't see like, us really building
this (bleep) as a real franchise as it's going,
then we all can't be together, yo.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ It seemed like a dream, now it's all about me ♪♪
♪♪ Not you, not you, yeah, it's all about me ♪♪
(Puma) Oh, God.
Kids got the (bleep) Legos everywhere.
- What're you doing?
- It's been a rough couple of days, man.
- Well, I see you're excited for your birthday,
what are you trying to do? - Ehh, not really
all that excited, you know what I'm saying?
Like, I'm changing numbers. (groans)
- But you don't look 40.
- I feel like there's something missing.
- Turning 40 is not the last of you.
- I guess maybe it's just like a survival trauma,
you know what I'm sayin'? I have so much responsibilities
with the kids and you and stuff that I just
don't want to mess us up.
Everybody sees you and they're screaming,
"Puma!" And they want to (bleep) be happy
and "Oh, let's do this, and do that!"
And they're not realizing you're just not in that
headspace at the moment, you know, it's a lot.
Everything that's going on with us here,
Zaiden dealing with what he's dealing with,
I still don't even like...
- Understand what's going on. - Understand what's going on.
- Right now, it's all about Zaiden's behavior.
He can't explain to us how he's feeling.
So it's a struggle.
Life has been a bit trying
since we got Zaiden's diagnosis about being on the spectrum.
I have to be patient with him
and understand what he's going through,
because he doesn't understand.
He can't communicate his problems the way
he would like to, so it's a matter of us
being patient with him and trying to understand
and trying to get him to really...
show us what he's feeling.
- And then it's like, you know,
we be forgettin' about us.
- Yeah.
I know you've been going through your things,
but I've realized that I definitely forgot about me.
'Cause I've been feeling a way.
What have I personally achieved for myself?
(Quani) I'm like, seeing all of my friends
achieve so much in life.
And I feel like my biggest achievement
was getting married and having kids.
Basically... (sighs)
I can't-- I can't be everything for you guys
if I have nothing to give,
and right now I don't feel like I have anything to give.
I feel like since I got with Puma
my life has always been about Puma.
- I understand I've dragged you into my life,
so I just need you to come back
and be here. - Okay.
I followed him around like a (bleep) puppy for so long.
- I just really, really appreciate you always
just being my ride or die through everything, you know?
To forgiveness. To forgiveness.
Alright, yeah! - Yeah!
- And I would like to be identified as a person
that is beneficial to my family.
I don't feel like that right now.
- I want you to make sure you know what you want.
- I want more independence.
I want to have a job, I want to be able
to start a 401k, I want a retirement plan.
Doing stuff like that makes me feel like
I'm achieving something, I'm working.
- You're saying independent,
but everything I do is for family.
It has nothing to do about independence.
- It drives me crazy when you talk about what
you do for the family as if I don't do anything.
- I get that, but it also comes off like, a little...
I'm not gonna say selfish,
but it's like you don't want to... be here.
- But I've been with you for 12 years.
Could just get a good job and go.
- I don't know. - Where the hell am I going?
I got two kids with you, married you,
where am I going? - You don't seem happy.
- 'Cause I'm not.
I'm not happy with myself.
How many times do I gotta t--
I been telling you this (bleep) for months.
I need a reset.
(heavy breathing)
I just need for you to support
the reset that I'm taking.
I am 35 years old,
I started school, I haven't paid off these student loans,
I never finished it, I do not feel like
I'm a good role model for my children.
I need to build myself up.
(Puma) I wish I can give Quani
whatever she needs right now that makes her happy.
Not for nothing, that's what I thought
I've been doing all this mother(bleep) time.
I don't understand it. I'm trying to,
I'm not trying to be an asshole,
I'm just trying to understand.
- I just want you to support me.
- Okay.
- Okay, Paul.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Here we go, locked and loaded ♪♪
♪♪ Been a minute since I made heads rock and roll ♪♪
♪♪ But I'm comin' in hot, spittin' rocket fuel ♪♪
- Mo, what up, yo?
It's dead in here, yo, where Van?
- He's not here, I haven't seen him.
- A'ight, um, do me a favor.
Text Van and see where the (bleep) he's at,
tell him I'm in town.
I'm down here in Houston because I've been hearing some rumors.
Basically, Van not showing up.
One time I FaceTimed him,
the (bleep) was in bed at 3:00.
I gotta talk to him 'cause I'm not trying to lose Houston.
I'm disappointed in Van,
Houston was the one shop that wasn't a problem child.
But we still got the love of the city.
That's why this client today is so special 'cause
he's one of the reasons why I opened up Black Ink Houston.
Welcome. - Thank you.
- What's good, my brother? - Brother.
Today, I have a Houston legend in the shop.
Bun B, he hit me up and asked me
to tattoo his wife Queenie, and I can't say no to that.
Bun B is a rapper and entrepreneur,
he paved the way for people
to come out of Houston for years.
- Ceas, man, how's the city treating you, man?
- Man, listen, I love this city, yo.
I ain't gonna lie to you, but I need help
with your city 'cause... - Word.
- It's different than New York and any other city...
- Oh, no, no, this is one of a kind.
The community is small and it's tight.
- And what's the best way to mix with the city?
- You wanna be more in like, the smaller community spots.
Like, the local businesses, go back and frequent
the small restaurants, the barber shops,
places like that, that's where you really get
to touch the people. - Yo, this is like
one of them dreams, you like, damn,
I'm really sitting here with Bun B, yo.
I'm talking to Bun B about business advice.
That's what I do.
Think he's gonna pick up your call?
No, he picks up my call. I know his wife and him.
I'm probably gonna know the kids real soon,
ya' mean, have a barbeque, because I made it.
I'ma start off small, alright?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ My queen ♪♪
♪♪ Sing it from the heart till you believe it (believe it) ♪♪
♪♪ You make them hard times look easy (easy) ♪♪
♪♪ You're righting your wrongs, you're weak and you're strong ♪♪
♪♪ I accept you completely, my queen ♪♪
- When anybody talks about Bun B,
you talkin' about Houston.
As a Black man, how can you not admire Bun B?
He showed the whole world that Houston rappers really get down.
♪♪♪♪
I feel like he made that mark, he really kicked that door down.
- ♪♪ Let's give it up one time for the Black woman ♪♪
♪♪ Because we know you've got our back and that's a fact ♪♪
♪♪ Comin' from the Black man ♪♪
♪♪ You know just what you mean to me ♪♪
♪♪ You always pick me up when the world keeps demeaning me ♪♪
(Ceaser) Last time I talked to my day-ones,
they dropped a lot on me.
But that's no excuse why they not doing their jobs.
It's on me to take care of everything,
and I'm tired of that (bleep).
I'm not putting up with mother(bleep)
taking advantage of me anymore.
- ♪♪ My queen, talkin' to you, baby, 'cause I love you ♪♪
♪♪ My A-team, you're my sister and my mother (mother) ♪♪
♪♪ This has been a beautiful struggle ♪♪♪♪
- A'ight, we done.
Now, Bun, I need one favor from you.
- I mean, for what you did for my wife,
how can I say no, Ceas?
- Listen, I'll be damned
if I can have a Houston legend
in my spot and not get you to sign your poster, yo.
- Yeah, bring it out. - Already got it ready for you.
- Y'all had it on deck. - Yes.
♪♪♪♪
- See, now I'm officially stamped in Houston now, yo.
- Make you an honorary Houstonian with this one.
- Whoo!
Thank you, Bun. - Thank you,
my brother, I appreciate it. - Alright.
(Quani) Rocking Horse Rehab was recommended to me
because they use horses for therapy
that Zaiden actually gets.
- Just brush him right here on the neck or the shoulder.
- (yelps) - (laughter)
- It's okay. - It's okay.
(Tatti) The competition has officially begun.
(Spyder) Bux don't got a client yet.
- She's in traffic.
- Bux, I told you this was a competition.
- And I told you, Tatti, he ain't competition.
- ♪♪ My queen, talkin' to you, baby, 'cause I love you ♪♪
- ♪♪ You can't see me gotta get a black light for me ♪♪
♪♪ A black light, Black-a-black light for me ♪♪
(Tatti) So we're all gonna have to fill out some paperwork.
Let's get that started now.
But three at a time
'cause I only got three clipboards.
Today is competition day, and we are having
a tattoo-a-thon to determine
who is the highest earner.
It's gonna generate money for the shop,
and it's gonna make me look good,
so it's a win-win for everybody.
Oh, (bleep). - Jemz-y!
- Rok and Krystal weren't available today,
and I'm sure it has something to do with their feelings
because of that bull(bleep)
awards ceremony we had the other day.
But Jemz pulled up
and he's a dope artist and a high earner.
Okay, who's excited?
- Ehh. - Yeah, nah.
- That is not the attitude we're gonna have
on competition day.
- (slurps) - We wanna know
what's the definition of that word "competition."
Never even heard of that.
- Ohhh... - How you doin'? How you doin'?
(Tatti) So it's gonna be Jemz, Spyder, Alex, Bux, and Bae,
if she ever shows up.
So all the artists will have until close
to generate the highest sales for the shop,
and I will be keeping track.
Alright, you ready? - Yeah, we ready.
- Ooh, you know it's coming.
Gimme my hands in and we're getting started.
Win on three, ready? One, two, three.
(all) Win!
- The competition has officially begun.
- Client, what's up?
We all know I'ma kill this (bleep).
Them guys don't stand a chance.
- My boy.
When you're the best wherever you go,
you can pretty much take anybody down.
- Darken my tattoo 'cause it lightened up.
- I got you. - That's right.
- What we got today, bro?
- I'ma get a tiger right here on my left hand.
- Let's do it.
- Bux don't got a client yet.
- She's in traffic.
- Bux, I told you this was a competition.
- And I told you, Tatti, he ain't competition.
- He's crazy.
- Slow and steady wins the race
and I got this, baby.
This is my first time
to prove to these guys
that I can do what I gotta do
in this competition and prove that I'm an asset
and not a liability to the shop,
and I don't wanna lose this.
Oh, (bleep)!
Bae made it! - There she is!
- Thank you for joining the party.
You're a little late.
- Thank you for coming to my party, guys.
I came late because Niko's a little sick right now,
and the babysitter came late.
But I ain't worried about nobody
'cause I know at the end of the day,
I'm gonna make more money than all of them combined.
So we gonna do the forearm, right?
- Yes, we are. I want something
a little more on the darker side.
- Okay, alright, have a seat, I'ma call you over.
- Let's go, let's go, let's go.
The time is tickin', let's go.
- Bae, you know you movin' really slow for somebody
who just walked in, right?
- That's fine because I will smoke you, okay?
♪♪♪♪
Alright, y'all ready?
(gun buzzing)
(all exclaiming)
Don't y'all miss this sound?
Y'all crazy.
♪♪♪♪
- And just like that...
you're done, young lady.
And you know what, it just came to me
as an epiphany,
I just heard it in my head,
he said, "Spyder, you gon' win.
Alex been gone."
He said, "Bae, who's that?"
He said, "Bux is going down."
- Don't count me out.
♪♪♪♪
- Here we go, Zaiden, we're here.
- Welcome, everyone. - Say hello.
- Hi, Zaiden. He's so good.
- Yeah. - This is Rocking Horse Rehab
and our barn. - Awesome.
- And today, we're gonna spend time with Zaiden
and our pony Jax.
- Rocking Horse Rehab was recommended to me
because they use horses for therapy
that Zaiden actually gets, like OT and speech.
But because they're using animals,
it does a better job of getting kids' attention
than traditional therapy.
- This is Jax. - Jax!
- Would you like to say hi to Jax?
- Hi!
- Zaiden is like his father.
He likes to talk, say hi.
He's a social butterfly.
- (yelps) - (laughter)
- Yay, you did it, Zaiden.
- You did it. That's my boy.
- Just brush him right here on the neck or the shoulder.
- There you go. There you go.
- There you go, very nice, Zaiden.
- Ahh!
- It's okay. - It's okay.
One of the biggest issues we're having with Zaiden so far
is his attention span.
So to see him engage with the horses
and everything right now, it's really gotten me excited
to know that this is working.
- What like, long-term benefits of this have you seen,
like, personally from like, other clients?
- Therapeutic riding is really good for life skills.
So impulse control, independence skills,
energy regulation, mindfulness.
Jax helps teach all of those things.
- This is really amazing, I really appreciate you guys
taking the time out to have us.
- Yes, oh, Zaiden, you are so ready to ride.
It's time to ride Jax, let's go.
- As a mom, I'm always worried about my kids.
Even with professionals around,
I'm still gonna be worried about Zaiden.
If this horseback riding thing
actually wields results for Zaiden,
I would be so happy, but I'm not sure yet.
Think he'll do it, Paul? - He's gonna do it.
- Baby... - I believe in him.
You got this, Zaiden.
- Ready? - Yes.
- Let's go up to the mountain block.
- Oh, my baby.
- Big steps.
- Oh my God, he's doing it.
He's doing it! - He's got this.
- Oh, my God!
- One, two, three! - Yeah, Zay!
- Yay, Zay! This is insane
that Zaiden just walks up to the horse,
he gets on the horse, there's no whining,
there's no screaming, he just does it.
And I don't know who's more excited, me or Zaiden.
- We'll go nice and slow.
- Hey. Good job! - You're doing good.
Good job, Zaiden.
♪♪♪♪
- He is a natural.
Yeah, like you've been
riding horses your whole life.
- Yay!
- ♪♪ Never truly believed ♪♪
♪♪ Anything I couldn't see ♪♪
♪♪ I never know what I need ♪♪
♪♪ Until it's right in front of me ♪♪
- I can really tell that this is working,
he's really focused and attentive right now.
I can't front, this is probably the cutest thing ever
to see my little man so happy and smiling--
this is what dad life is all about.
- ♪♪ I don't wanna wait till Sunday ♪♪
♪♪ God, I gotta feel your love ♪♪
♪♪ If I'm gonna make tomorrow ♪♪
♪♪ Then we gotta push somehow ♪♪
(Quani) I am losing my (bleep)
and my mind right now, I'm totally surprised
by how he's actually sitting still on this horse
and listening to what they're telling him.
He never does stuff like that.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ She's off ♪♪
♪♪ If we're shooting for the moon ♪♪
♪♪ I know we'll make it but I hope we end up ♪♪
♪♪ Somewhere in the stars ♪♪
- I'm not gonna lie,
when I first got Zaiden's diagnosis,
I was thinking the worst.
But I gotta stop overthinking
and just stay focused and do everything
that I can do to help.
Then everything is gonna be a-okay.
- ♪♪ I don't wanna wait till Sunday ♪♪♪♪
- And... walk, sitting tall.
- Look how happy he is. - He's so happy,
and he's actually listening, I'm so proud of him.
- Yeah. - Good ride today.
Let's have our cool down.
- I'm very proud of you for even finding
something like this, this is good.
- Can you give me high-fives?
(gasps) Yeah!
- There's different ways to, you know, work with him.
- We're gonna figure this out, Quani.
- It always feels amazing to see my kids so happy
so I could not feel prouder of Zaiden right now.
- Alright, Zaiden had a wonderful first ride.
- Yay, a clap for Zaiden, yes!
- You know and I know
that mother(bleep) don't want us to succeed together, yo.
I trusted you because of who you are, bro.
Your whole crew (bleep) left you for dead, yo.
- ♪♪ All star slay, I'ma all star swish ♪♪
♪♪ Ballin' 'cause we runnin' through more green ♪♪
♪♪ Than a golf course ♪♪
- Okay, who's next?
- So Spyder, Spyder finished his first.
- Check on Buck, check on Buck.
- Ain't nothin' going on over there.
(laughter)
(tattoo guns buzzing)
- So Spyder has already finished with his first client.
Jemz, Bae, and Alex, are hard at work,
and, you know, Bux...
he's here, still no client.
- Hey!
- Oh, there she is. - Is that Bux client?
- I'm so sorry! - You good.
Finally! I got a lot of ground to cover with this.
But you know what? Bux about to show 'em
what he do, so come on, we about to do this.
A'ight, so we gonna get this rockin', baby.
- Come on, everyone, let's get this money.
- ♪♪ Ride ride ride, rest on chill ♪♪
♪♪ Necklace on ice ♪♪
♪♪ Accounts on the rise ♪♪
- Oh, (bleep), look who started.
- Oh, you came... - Ohh!
- ♪♪ Haters move out my way when I'm comin' through, yeah ♪♪
♪♪ The yellow diamonds go well with that pink and blue ♪♪
♪♪ With that pink and blue, yeah, my style so sick, baby ♪♪
♪♪ You might just catch a flu, might just catch a flu ♪♪
- The competition will end in 2.5 hours.
- 2.5 hours?
- Is that two hours and 50 minutes?
- No, no, no, that is not how numbers work.
Things are going fantastic.
Money is coming in, everybody's working hard,
clients are happy, I'm feeling super confident
about this Tatti production.
- ♪♪ Ride ride ride ♪♪
- ♪♪ Yeah, baby, stop playin' with me ♪♪
- Oh, you done? - Bing bong, (bleep).
- Yeah, there we go.
- Alright, have a good one.
Okay, Spydy, I like what you did there.
Said it was his first tatt he wanted to start small
but then you added more... - Right.
- So that you could add more.
- That's cheating. - That is called upselling.
- At Spyder School of Business and Economics 101,
we teach all of our students
that bigger tattoos gets you a bigger bag.
Psh, I know, who would know, right?
(Tatti) We got two hours left.
You can take your last clients
before then but not after.
♪♪♪♪
Bux is making a comeback.
That slow and steady (bleep) might be working over here.
- I told y'all from the beginning!
- Alright, Bux, relax.
♪♪♪♪
- That is the end of the day.
- Who won? - The winner
of the tattoo-a-thon is...
everybody.
(squeals)
- Boo!
- (surprised dog bark)
- What're you talking about? What?!
- This is some bull(bleep).
- I mean, we all know who the real winner is,
which is me.
- Yo, shoutout to everybody, though.
Real talk, it means a lot, I appreciate y'all.
Honestly, I don't know why everybody's tripping.
All I'm doing is bringing money into the shop.
After all calculations were finished,
Jemz was the winner.
But nobody likes to lose,
so I'ma keep it to myself.
- Tatti, I should've charged you full price.
I'm tired.
(laughter)
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ They get with you on this journey ♪♪
♪♪ Do it by yourself ♪♪
♪♪ Ain't no other choices so you might as well ♪♪
♪♪ Don't cry for help ♪♪
♪♪ Time will tell ♪♪
♪♪ It's up to you how you define yourself ♪♪
- (Ceaser) What up, fool? - (Van) How you doing, baby?
- What up, man?
- What brought you in town, (bleep)?
- (bleep), you. - Me?
- I just finished talking to Puma and Ted
and got they bull(bleep).
Now it's time to hear Van's.
So the (bleep) you been up to, yo?
- I mean, you know, just tryna run everything
the right way, know what I'm sayin'
keep the numbers right. - Mm-hmm.
- It's been a little rough, though, I ain't even
gonna stunt to you, bro, like, for real.
- Before, you was the number one shop
in my whole joint. - Right.
- But now, I don't know what is going on.
Your (bleep) falling apart. Look what we dwindled to, bro.
We had like ten artists, we got four now.
I partnered with Van because I trusted him.
He came with an amazing business plan
and the work ethic to match it.
But now, I don't know what the (bleep) done happened.
- I mean, to be honest with you, bro, like,
I was dealing with some-- some heavy (bleep),
know what I mean? - Talk to me, yo.
- Leaving Chicago, know what I'm saying,
coming down here, I had some issues with my daughter.
I should've told you what the (bleep) was going on,
but as a man and as your business partner,
I'm like, man, I'ma hurry up and fix this (bleep)
and get on the ball before
this (bleep) hear about this (bleep).
- I ain't gonna knock you on that (bleep),
but, bro, even if you struggling,
I'm supposed to be sitting here
to help you to pick up the pieces.
I just left New York having the same conversation
with Puma and Ted, I'm not playing with
this Black Ink (bleep) no more.
I told them the same thing, if (bleep) ain't takin'
their (bleep) serious and I don't see like,
us really building this (bleep) as a real franchise
as it's going, then we all can't be together, yo.
(Alex) So since my relationship has ended,
I'm just ready to get out there and explore the streets.
They missed me.
(Ceaser) If (bleep) ain't takin' their (bleep) serious
and I don't see like, us really building this (bleep)
as a real franchise as it's going,
then we all can't be together, yo.
When you asked me, "Yo, let's open up
a Black Ink Houston," did I hesitate?
- No, not at all. - I said it not even
three seconds, yeah, a'ight, let's do it,
'cause I know how much passion you have
once you get behind (bleep).
You know and I know
that mother(bleep) don't want us to succeed together, yo.
- Yeah, I know that. What you heard,
I wasn't around while I was, you know what I'm sayin',
drinking or I was (bleep) up,
that was some (bleep) that was going on in the past,
and I should've brought it to your attention.
But granted, I didn't.
- I trusted you because of who you are, bro.
Your whole crew (bleep) left you for dead, yo.
Van's so-called "friends" in Chicago
turned their back on him.
I was the one that helped him get his shop.
Look, I can understand, people have problems.
(bleep), I got problems too,
but I had to learn to keep my personal problems
away from the business.
I see the potential in you, bro,
and it's not like I still don't.
You gotta straighten up, bro.
- I ain't come down to mother(bleep) fail, dog.
From this point on, you gonna see
a huge difference in me, my (bleep).
- Just like me,
you can't go back home a loser, bro.
- This is my home, dog.
Black Ink mother(bleep) Houston,
Black Ink Texas, (bleep).
You finna see what the (bleep) I'm talkin' about,
putting Texas on my back, the whole (bleep) state.
Like, I ain't just talkin',
I'ma show you exactly what the (bleep) I can do.
- I'm not very sure that Van can keep these promises.
I wanna believe, but I open these shops
on the beliefs of these promises.
Mother(bleep) gotta start showing me
they're worth keeping around.
I need you to show improvement.
Less talk, more action.
I'm not flying back to Houston
to have this conversation again.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Keep your head up ♪♪
♪♪ On your down time, down time ♪♪
♪♪ The will to become great sometimes ♪♪
♪♪ Is hard to find, hard to find ♪♪
♪♪ You gotta hit rock bottom then you fall in line ♪♪
(Alex) So since my relationship has ended,
I'm able to be free with my body,
with my money, with everything.
And I'm just ready to get out there
and explore the streets.
They missed me.
- ♪♪ It's a gamble rolling the dice ♪♪
♪♪ Keeping the job, believing the hype ♪♪
- So as a newly single man,
I've been able to show my nasty side.
I've been getting a lotta requests,
a lotta people asking if I got an OnlyFans.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I write down all of my plans ♪♪
♪♪ This the art of manifestation ♪♪
♪♪ Follow everything that they doin' ♪♪
♪♪ Is a form of miseducation ♪♪
(Alex) So I just went ahead and made one one day,
and it blew up.
And now, I'm top three percentile of the earners
and it's blowing my mind.
I'm excited about my future.
I'm living my best life, I'm making money,
and I'm giving the ladies what they want.
- ♪♪ Keep your head up ♪♪
♪♪ Like a satellite, satellite ♪♪
♪♪ Your aura got a shine so turn off the lights ♪♪♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Beat to the beat, docta, docta, this work ♪♪
(all exclaiming)
- Things are not always perfect with Paul and I,
but Puma has been really having a hard time
and he's really been trying to be there for the kids.
Everybody deserves to celebrate their birthday.
This is a big birthday for him,
so I really wanted to do something special.
♪♪♪♪
- Happy birthday, my brother. - Thank you.
And thank you, Quani, for putting this together.
- Do you think I would miss the chance to see your old ass
try to climb a rock wall?
- I really appreciate Quani putting
this whole event on for me, man.
I know things with us have been a little shaky lately
but she put all that to the side
and put this awesome party on for me, and that means a lot.
I'm about to show these young mother(bleep)
that 40 is the new 25, know what I'm talking about?
- You gonna go put your thong on?
Look at Spyder, Spyder got a bad BBL,
look, look, look.
- My nuts and stomach will never be the same.
- Somebody link me up on this bitch, come on, my boy.
- It's a good thing that Ceaser is not here,
'cause if he knew that Rok and Krystal
could show up to party with Puma
but can't show up to work, they'd be in deep (bleep).
- I'm just mad I'm not dressed for the occasion
because I'd have smoked everybody in here.
- Why you lie like that?
♪♪♪♪
- Let's go! - Let's do it.
- Don't look down. Don't look down.
- (screams)
I looked down, oh, my God!
- Yo, this (bleep) right here!
- You scared? - Yeah!
- Oh, (bleep)! - My boy Spyder making it.
- Okay, Bae, there you go.
- Look, Rok is passing you. Go up, Buck.
- My leg is shaking.
(laughter)
- Uh...
(all shouting)
- Oh! Oh, (bleep)!
- Go ahead and climb.
- Ninja Warrior, son. - Puma...
(all chanting) Puma! Puma!
- Puma, if you die, Ceas is gonna be mad at you.
(laughter)
(overlapping chatter)
- You gotta jump, bro, jump!
- The last time my Black ass jumped off of something,
it didn't go so well.
(all shouting)
- One...
(all) Two, three...
- (bleep)!
- Oh, (bleep)! - Grab it!
(slow heartbeat)
(all cheering)
- Whoa, man, the curl! Can you feel it?
40 years old, I can still move like this.
- You feel 19 again? - Yeah.
I feel alive right now.
(all exclaiming)
♪♪ Happy birthday to you... ♪♪
- As you get older, you feel like you have
to have all these goals and have all this stuff done
by a certain age.
Nah, (bleep) that (bleep), man.
Live your life how you live it, and I'm gonna be alright.
Me and Quani, we're gonna be alright.
God damnit, Black Ink is gonna be alright.
- Blow the candle.
- We don't blow, COVID!
(all cheering)
- No? I was waitin'...
(all shouting, laughing) - (bleep)!
- Things may not always be perfect for Paul and I,
I would still like to work professionally,
but I love my family and I feel like
with their support I'll be good either way.
- Yeah! Yeah!
- To four more decades!
- 40 more years!
(Spyder) I've been working on this clothing line, Branded Content, for four years now.
- This your first pop-up shop, right?
- First one.
This all the merchandise that we got?
- This is everything.
- You can obviously tell it's not a full size rack.
We only got one hour before this pop-up pops off,
now I'm officially stressed out.
- I showed you I did a little tat the other day.
- You tattooed a real person?
You not ready for that, girl.
Without the basics, you always gonna be wack.
- We already got the crib.
Next is...
- What-- what's next, Rok?
♪♪♪♪
- I got a little proposal for you.
What if I give you this ring right now?
Would you say yes?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ MTV ♪♪