- I took Yuni's advice and I reached out to my brother.
As you know, I don't have the best relationship with our dad.
- We all had an addiction. - Right.
- He had an addiction to drugs.
But he's, he's getting his self together.
- With Zaiden's diagnosis and Puma constantly being called
into work, I feel like I'm about to fall apart at the seams.
I'm trying to take a few steps to make that change.
- Just because you're a mother and a wife,
that shouldn't stop what you wanna do.
- [bleep] ain't eating off Black Ink table
if I can't eat off their table.
- Yeah!
- What happened? - We're engaged.
[screaming]
- Congratulations. - Yeah.
- I kinda feel bad for Rok and Krystal.
- They think this is a celebration.
And this is no celebration, baby.
- What if we did Black Ink presents Gods of Ink?
- Nah.
I don't have no Black Ink like that.
This is a conflict of interest. You feel me?
- I quit. Rok, you do what the [bleep]
you want with your life.
- I will tell you to sit down with him and just talk.
Figure it out.
- We are upgrading.
[lively greeting]
- My name is Nychelle, I'm from Dallas, Texas.
- Damn, when Ceaser said upgrade, he wasn't lying.
- [Ceaser] ♪♪ What a beautiful day... unh ♪♪
Unh, unh.
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Looking at style ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Taking off and win ♪♪
- So, let me show your, um, your new booth.
- New booth? - That's Krystal's old booth.
- Oh [bleep]!
[laughter/bleep]
- All right? - I'm with it, I'm good.
- Boys, please stay away from her.
Ladies, please show her hospitality and whatnot.
Have a good day. - All right, sir.
- I'll talk to you later. - Appreciate you.
♪♪♪♪
- But who are you, and why are you here?
I don't know if it's a coincidence
that Nychelle is showing up around the same time
that Krystal's walking out.
So I don't know if we're calling her a guest artist
or a replacement at this point.
Ceaser seems like he's up to something.
- What's going on? Am I missing something?
- We're upgrading. - [Spyder] Upgrades.
- Upgrades? - Out with the old,
in with the new. - Why are you--
What's the upgrade for? - Tell her.
- Uh, we had a, we had a previous artist that felt like,
uh, she didn't wanna do the right thing.
So she wound up leaving.
And we still need another artist, so, boom.
- Oh, okay. - In comes you.
- Thank you, sir. - Ow!
[laughter]
- Thanks, Bux.
- I feel special.
So this is weird.
I've known Ceaser for a minute. So when he told me
there was a spot open here in Brooklyn,
I was excited to audition.
This is a big opportunity for me.
Now I'm seeing it's not quite that simple.
But everybody seems pretty cool, so I'ma roll with it.
- So how did you start tattooing, Nychelle?
- In an apprenticeship. - What made you start tattooing?
- Actually I was a professional painter in Dallas.
And everybody knew me as a painter.
And I wanted to learn, but you know, it's hard
to get into the industry. - That's how I started.
- Painting? That's fire.
- How old are you? - Ooh.
[laughter]
I'm 29, yeah.
- Look, I don't even pretend to know where Ceaser's head is at.
Is Nychelle Krystal's replacement or not?
That's the question.
But she has a cool, little vibe.
I wonder if she's seen my OnlyFans?
- Can you do this for me. The the light, right?
- Of course, I got you. - Appreciate you.
- She's good, you're good.
[laughter]
- I seen Bux will be an AP for certain people.
- I'm just doing a favor. - You know what I'm saying?
- She just asked me to connect the light.
- I see you, Bux has a girlfriend
[laughter] who cooks his meals
every day. - First off, she's lying.
- Thank you for letting me know that.
[Tatti] Don't worry, girl, we're gonna keep you safe.
[Nychelle] I appreciate it.
- ♪♪ You know you want some of this ♪♪
♪♪ Sweet, sweet stuff ♪♪
♪♪ Gave you a little taste that you can't get enough ♪♪
- [Rok] I'm out here looking for an engagement ring.
- Something like this? - Yes.
- That right there is exactly what I'm talking about.
- ♪♪ You gon' get it You gon' get it ♪♪
[Shop clerk] That's a beautiful piece.
- I saw this in my dreams! - I think so too.
- ♪♪ Gon' get it, gon' get it ♪♪ - ♪♪ You gon' get it ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- Matches the chain.
I see you. - That's kinda cute.
- After that confrontation with Ceaser,
Krystal has been in a bad place.
So I decided on taking her ring shopping
so she could think about positive things in life.
- He did give me a promise ring.
We were thinking about changing out...
- Yeah. - ...the top piece and seeing
if you could put a diamond in the middle?
- That's what I do, so I got you, yeah.
If I can get you guys some stones to look at.
- Yeah, that'd be perfect. - Yeah.
- So give me a second, I'll leave this here
in front of you guys, and I'll be right back.
- How you feeling? - I feel amazing.
Ring shopping. - Okay.
- It's a girl's dream.
- Yeah, I know. I was just thinking
because, you know, after that bull[bleep]
that happened at the shop. - Oh, you talking about that.
- This is a conflict of interest, you feel me?
It's either you gonna be with me
or you're gonna be my competition.
- I feel like we walked right into a trap.
- Yeah, and I felt like that was a conversation
that me and Ceas coulda had one-on-one.
- You know, try and get a percentage out of the shop.
It's like, bro, how do ask a percentage
when you didn't even put nothing in?
My position as a business owner and as Krystal's man,
I feel like it was [bleep] up that Ceaser came at us
like that, especially 'cause at the end of the day, I feel like
we went above and beyond just to prove our loyalty.
- Kinda like threw me for a loop.
He said that we're eating off his plate,
like, we're taking Black Ink clients.
If anything, I'm bringing Gods of Ink clients to 125th.
I'm tired with Ceaser's games. When we opened
the business in the beginning, we tried to give Ceaser respect,
and we told him what was happening.
So for you to turn on it now just shows you a little
flip-floppy, and I don't like that.
He think he our pimp.
But, um... here we are.
- Right now my head is messed up.
I'm just feeling like I'm being pulled in two different
directions by my girl and my boy that gave me a shot.
- Rok, I feel like you're still learning how to be a boss.
- What are you talking about? - You run around
like you an artist, and you leave a lot up to me.
I feel like Rok coulda did a little more.
He over there not defending the business
when we put all this energy and work into it.
Now it's time that Rok mans up and he makes
the decision for himself. Whether he goes
to Ceaser and sets things straight
or just as [bleep] and quits, he gotta do something
'cause right now, he not doing nothing.
- Listen, I'm just getting into this.
- But I'm not gonna keep giving if I'm not getting nothing.
- Look, baby, don't worry, I got this.
Don't forget, I'm a boss, too, baby.
Let me take care of this.
Talking to Krystal right now, it's clear
that there's a lot of unfinished business.
So, I think we should just take Puma's advice
and reconnect with Ceaser.
- I've been doing this for so long,
and it's very important to me that I'm appreciated
and I get respect. - You are appreciated.
- All right. Let's not dampen the moment.
You know? - I got a two karat here.
♪♪♪♪
- Oh, got the little-- - What?!
- I never seen no thing like that before.
- Take a look at it. Get a feel for it.
You tell me what you think of that?
- It's a big diamond, right?
- That's nice.
That's pretty.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪I stay fresh like the first day of school ♪♪
♪♪Watch where you walk and don't step on my suede shoes ♪♪
♪♪ I stay fresh like the first day of school ♪♪
♪♪ Fresh like a Ziploc I walk this go TikTok ♪♪
♪♪ Stay on my grind ♪♪
♪♪ Like I'm twisting my... ♪♪
- Hi. - Hello.
- Hi, Kimchi!
- My baby Kimchi is turning one years old.
And to celebrate, we're throwing our daughter
a surprise birthday party.
[woman] So this is the back yard.
- [Ted] Happy birthday, baby. - Enjoy!
- You got a beef patty, I think that is.
Yeah, baby, run around. This is crazy, though.
She got so big so fast. - I know.
- That day when I gave her to you in the shop,
she fit right here in a little box.
- Oh my God!
♪♪♪♪
- You like her? - I love her!
- Happy birthday, baby. - Ohh...
[laughing]
- Babe, I swear, if you'd have told me two years ago that
we'd be having a year birthday celebration for a puppy,
I wouldn't have believed it. - Why?
- 'Cause I just wasn't into, like...
- Look at you, a whole dog dad. - For real.
- How do you like being a family man?
- I love it. She made me
a lot more responsible.
I've never been this guy, but Yuni and Kimchi
brings peace and some sort of family vibe.
And I needed this in my life.
But, yeah, babe, like,
I've been thinking about a lot.
Especially, like, you know...
the unfortunate circumstances with my dad.
My dad recently passed away, and it was totally unexpected.
And it happened at a time where I was just thinking about
reaching out to get to know him a little bit better.
I don't got the best relationship with our dad.
- We both have resentment towards him when we was
growing up, but he's, he's getting his self together.
- Hearing you, this is why we need to have this bond.
- Right. Mm-hmm. - I need to know these things.
And now I'll never have that chance.
- How are you feeling?
- I don't know, it's just like a weird feeling.
It definitely made me realize
how much more important family is.
When we do have children regardless of my relationship
with my dad, I will want them to know they granddad and like...
Now that that's never gonna happen, it's, like...
kinda sucks to me.
- Family doesn't end
because someone isn't physically present there.
They can still know him through you and through your brother.
- I'm just learning all these things about my dad.
And everybody say he was like a great person.
Which a lot of people say about me.
So I guess I took on a lot of his characteristics besides
the fact of being in our children's life.
'Cause when I have a real child
I'm definitely gonna be there one thousand percent
to support the child and do whatever I need to do.
I really wish things could have been different
between my dad and I. I can't stop thinking about
what if I had time to reconnect with my dad.
How much that would've changed things.
But I need to focus on the future
and also making sure my older brother Wayne is good
and be grateful for everything that I do have.
Glad to have somebody like you in my corner
to do the rest of my life with.
- Forever. [laughing]
- Let's get the birthday girl.
- If I fail at this, everyone is gonna see me fail.
I doubt myself so much-- so much.
- It's just an automatic response,
but we have to fight that.
- Yo, this the best pizza you're ever gonna have in your life.
- New York ain't easy when you brand-new,
so we decided to take the homie Nychelle out
and teach her some survival tactics.
- A'ight, y'all, this better be amazing.
- Ahh!
[Spyder] This is gonna be an experience.
- I still don't understand sickle cell too much myself.
- I remember when I was younger, the doctor had told my mom
that I wasn't gonna live to 18 years old.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Unh batter up, take a swing ♪♪
♪♪ Bow in the presence of a queen ♪♪
♪♪ Stop, step, see ♪♪
- So what's your tattoo style?
- My specialty is black and gray.
- What's your favorite thing to tattoo?
- Um...
I really like doing flowers.
- Me too, I like flowers. - I'm a flower child.
- Yo, chill, I'm talking. - Flowers and roses...
[laughing]
- You just got here as a tattoo artist.
[laughing]
- How you doing, mama? Come on in.
- [Bae] All right, let her work, let her work.
Man, child, but you already got clients lined up.
You haven't even been here for a second.
I love that. Go ahead, girl.
I'm here for it.
- So what we doing today?
- So we doing my birth flower. - Okay, I love that.
- Yes, we're doing my birth flower.
And I want it here incorporated with some other flowers
going up and like right here to the tip of my ear because
I feel like flowers means growth, it means evolve,
it means beautiful. - Okay.
- So they represent... - Like us.
- Yes. - Okay, yes.
- You know what we saying so. - Okay.
- Gotta be summertime ready. - Okay, you 'bout to be sexy.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Grew up to be myself ♪♪
♪♪ And never being anybody else ♪♪
♪♪ This woman believes in who she is ♪♪
- I've been tattooing for about nine years.
I own a shop in Dallas, Texas.
We've been around for about four years.
And I own part of a shop in Atlanta as well.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪Growing up and know I'm taught ♪♪
♪♪ Always being true to myself... ♪♪
[Nychelle] But that's not all I do.
I'm also a rapper.
♪♪ Heartbreak kid but he wanna kick it ♪♪
♪♪ Not a plain bitch but he paid a ticket ♪♪
♪♪ Same 24 but we live it different ♪♪
♪♪ For instance I fly in your city like pigeon ♪♪
- ♪♪ I don't, I don't need ♪♪
♪♪ I don't, I don't need ♪♪
♪♪ I don't need anybody but me ♪♪
- I always wanted to establish myself outside
the little bubble of Dallas, but life happens.
So I had to take care of my baby boy first.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I don't need anybody ♪♪
♪♪ I don't need anybody ♪♪
- I feel like I have what it takes to be a Black Ink artist.
And hopefully, Ceaser will too.
While I feel a little bad taking this Krystal girl's place,
I'm looking forward to becoming
Black Ink's newest, nicest artist.
- ♪♪ I don't need anybody but me ♪♪♪♪
- All right, mama, we are done.
- It looks so good. - That's gangsta.
- I like that, it fire.
- [Spyder] That's smooth. - [Nychelle] Appreciate it.
- Bux, you should be nervous.
- [Alex] [bleep] oh [bleep]!
Bux, Bux, Bux!
- ♪♪ I be right around and win ride around and winning ♪♪
♪♪ You'll see I'm getting it, you'll see I'm getting it ♪♪
[chimes]
- Hello.
- Hey, Quani, how are you?
- I'm good, thank you, how are you today?
- I'm good, I'm good. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you as well.
- So I hear you're having some struggles, some challenges.
And would like some support.
- I've been struggling really hard trying
to get out of this rut, and I tried the Reiki.
♪♪♪♪
- This time is about you.
And what you want.
It was really peaceful, but it didn't work.
So now I'm looking for something that's gonna
give me a little bit more direction.
So today I'm meeting with a life coach.
And hopefully, I can get some progress.
- So talk to me a little bit
about what's been going on with you.
- I don't really have a path right now
as to where I'm going.
So it's like I'll start something.
I'm always a self-starter.
But when it comes to finishing it,
I don't always finish.
And then I get upset because I feel like
if I fail at this, everyone is gonna see my fail.
So why even try if I'm gonna fail?
- So really you're inhibiting yourself
through fear? - Right.
I just put all these red flags in my head,
like, "Oh, you can't do that."
I just feel like I'm always stuck in an endless loop
of trying to figure myself out and what I wanna do with
my life, and I will literally sabotage myself.
And that really sucks, I hate it.
I know what I can do. I know what I'm capable of.
I just haven't fulfilled any of that and...
There's always stuff in the back of my mind,
and I don't know what it is, and I wanna be able to
just take steps, just start working.
- It's time for you to, to get back to sort
of square one, right? To get back to that root,
to that center.
How does that sound to you?
- It sounds fine.
♪♪♪♪
- What's making you emotional right now?
- I guess it's the way that I perceive myself now versus
before I started a family and everything.
Like, before, I could take over the world, you know?
Now I just... I doubt
myself so much-- so much.
- It is, it's an automatic response,
but we have to fight that. - Right.
- Especially if we want to move past
and make progress and get unstuck, right?
So now it's time to move forward.
Are you willing to do what it takes to make
this happen for yourself? - Yeah, I'm stuck, yeah.
- You know, you're not unlike so many
other women who get caught up
in marriage and children. - Yeah, I know.
- You know, like I was that woman too
many years ago, you know. I lost a lot of myself.
- Taking to Tanya is making me feel
really seen and understood and not judged.
And I really need this.
- So this is the homework that
I'm assigning you for this week.
Every morning when you wake up,
the new thoughts that you need to replace
the limiting thoughts with, you're gonna say them
to yourself in the mirror. - Okay.
- And it's that we're gonna build on as we move forward.
But that's gonna start to inform your brain
every time you make any type of decision.
- I got you.
I'm feeling more positive than I have in a long time.
And I feel like Tanya is really understanding me and my goals,
and she's gonna help me achieve them.
- We're gonna focus on Quani's journey.
What does Quani want? Why does she want it?
And then we're gonna build some goals around the things
that comfort us. How does that sound?
- Great.
- I'm excited for you, Quani, I'm excited for you.
- Thank you so much.
[Bux] My sickle cell awareness event is today.
I'm so glad that y'all are a part of it.
Y'all make me wanna cry.
- Yo, listen, man, we here for you, bro, let's do this [bleep]!
- [Tatti] Uh-oh. - Aw, man, Rok.
Not tonight, bro, no drama.
- Ceas, can we have a talk away from everybody else?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Said if you came to party like we came to party ♪♪
♪♪ Say hell yeah ♪♪ - ♪♪ Hell, yeah ♪♪
- Yo, this the best pizza you ever gonna have.
- Okay.
- [Spyder] This a real experience.
Listen, man, New York ain't easy when you brand-new.
So we decided to take the homie Nychelle out
and teach her some survival tactics to keep her sharp
and [bleep] in these New York streets, you dig?
- That's me, that's me. That's the one...
- Aye! - That's the one I like.
- A'ight, y'all, this better be amazing.
- Thank you. - Damn! Okay.
- Look, you gotta do like this!
- How do I eat this? - Fold this [bleep] in half.
- Fold it? - Yes.
- Fold it. - Ah!
- This is-- it's decent. - What?
- It's decent.
So this is that famous New York pizza
y'all been telling me about? Really?
I'm from Texas, okay? We got season on everything.
We got seasoning for our seasoning.
- Are you staying, are you going, are you guest spot...
- We gon' have to see. - Nychelle...
- What up? - If you do end up staying,
you gotta learn the Black Ink commandments.
♪♪♪♪
- So one, uh... A winter coat
is just not fashionable, it's an investment.
- Yeah, yeah. - I've noticed that.
- Number two. When you get this
fashionable coat, make sure you keep it open.
- So they can see the fit! - Beautiful.
- Okay. - Okay.
Number three, beware of quagmires, um...
[laughing]
[chatter]
- Y'all are scaring me.
I don't know what's going on. Did I miss something? Like...
- Yeah, you definitely missed something.
- Yeah, you missed a lot. - Okay, well, what did I miss?
- To make a long story short. Ceaser's petty.
Krystal's emotional. Things got misconstrued.
And now Ceaser is making a point.
- So I am the point. They done put me
in some drama, but look.
I don't know that girl.
I don't really care.
I'm gonna do a job, okay?
All I know is I'm gonna make the best out of this awkward
and unfortunate situation.
- If I could just give you any advice
it would be to just work hard...
- Yes, mind your business. - Make money.
- And have fun. - That's me already.
Everybody is a little crazy, but I think I like it.
- ♪♪ ...We leaving 'em hurt ♪♪
♪♪ They always trying to fight ♪♪
♪♪ They ain't even got the clips ♪♪
♪♪ We independent, we doing the work ♪♪
♪♪ We go outside and we leavin' 'em hurt ♪♪
♪♪ You know we got the firework ♪♪
♪♪ You know that we got the firework ♪♪
♪♪Putting it out and we sparking it ♪♪
♪♪ Putting it out and we sparking it ♪♪
♪♪ You know we got the fireworks... ♪♪
- [Spyder] I ain't played this [bleep] forever.
- Me neither. - I know I could
beat you though.
Which game, where we going? - Uh, let's play to ten.
- Ten? - Yeah.
♪♪♪♪
- You ready? All right, now look.
What? - Okay, okay.
♪♪♪♪
- Oh-ho-ho-ho!
Bux knows that I am
the grandmaster champion ping pong
player of Black Ink.
- A'ight, man, time out.
- Word, so what's good, though, Bro?
- So I wanted to run something by you.
- Mm-hmm. - I was thinking about
doing something for the shop. - Something for the shop.
- So, you know, I have sickle cell anemia, bro.
- Right. - You know, I was born
with that, so... I don't feel
a lot of people have enough education on it.
- Right. - So I just wanna
bring awareness to people. So sickle cell
is a blood disorder.
You guys have normal blood cells.
Shape of a oval.
My blood cells unfortunately
are in the shape of a crescent moon.
So as the blood is flowing through the bloodstream,
the blood cells are going through each other like this.
So just imagine putting like a golf ball
through like a really, really small straw.
The pain from this is so extreme that sometimes
I have to be hospitalized, and this is something
that I've been dealing with through my entire life.
I go through that every day.
- I could dig it. I knew you for
the longest, forever. And I still don't understand
about sickle cell too much myself.
I know it's a terrible disease, you know what I mean?
- I remember when I was younger,
the doctor had told my mom...
- Word, nah, it's cool, bro.
- That I wasn't gonna live to 18 years old.
- But look at you now.
- They way God has just blessed me now, bro,
'cause like, it's just under control, like...
I just wanna bring awareness, bro, 'cause I feel like
this is something people need. - Word.
- And I think Black Ink Cares.
This could be the voice for that.
I talked to Ceas, and he's down to do the event.
A lot of people don't know what sickle cell is.
I just wanna bring education to sickle cell.
- It's a dope ass action. - I know.
I wanna use Black Ink Cares also.
Try to give out, like, sickle cell symbol tattoos.
- You know what, Bux? Listen.
You're family now. You down with us.
Man, I gotta stick behind you.
- Thank you, bro.
I just wanna do this for the people, man.
- Right, right. - Because this is an African
American disease that people need to know about.
I'm gonna give everybody like the educational part.
But I also wanna give them like the experience part.
Like, living with it. Like, I wanna explain that.
- I think this is a great event.
- So I've known Spyder for 15 years.
So his support for my sickle cell event
means the world to me, so I'm really happy
that he's jumping aboard to help me with this.
So a couple of things I wanna do at this event.
Number one, I wanna do some free tattoos.
But above all, I wanna give awareness to sickle cell anemia.
- It's super important for us to use these platforms that
we got for, you know what I mean? As much good as we do
for other bull[bleep]. - That's a fact.
- Yo, man, I'm so proud of this [bleep] Bux, man.
Me and him have been brothers for like the longest,
for years and years, like, our bond is just
like unbreakable, you dig what I'm saying?
So when he is having an event especially at Black Ink,
with me bringing him into the fold,
and this is how you gonna kick things off?
I'm with it. I wanna be first in line.
Whatever you need, whatever thing, I got you.
- Thank you, bro. - You know I'm here for you.
One thousand percent. - I appreciate you, bro.
- A'ight? - Thank you, man.
I love you, bro. - I love you more, bro.
Let's finish this game so I can say I beat you fair and square.
You know you [bleep]...
- I know we gon' play our way. - I know I'm winning though.
♪♪♪♪
- Oh, ho-ho-ho! - Okay!
- You just keep taking L's on the turn, bro.
- A tear almost-- but it just hasn't come out yet.
'Cause I really don't know how to feel about it.
And I wish I was able to hear his side.
- We all have our shortcomings, but he was a good man.
- Do you think he at peace right now?
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ ...You got it 'cause I am the best I am the one huh ♪♪
♪♪ All of them think they can humble me huh ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- So what's been going on?
- Oh, trying to get some me time.
- Ohh... - Some quiet time.
I don't get that often.
- I wanna say not with the baby, and not with Puma and everybody.
- I invited my friend Jackie over.
She used to work at Art2Ink a few years ago.
And she just became like
the auntie of the crew so me and Puma call her Auntie Jackie.
We can joke, and we can be serious at the same time.
And she always keeps it real with me,
and that's what I love about her.
I've been seeing a life coach.
- Mmm... Interesting, tell me more.
We've had a virtual meeting. - Mm-hmm.
- Really nice, really like to the point.
Really honest. - Okay.
- Very actionable and that was the main thing I wanted.
- Do you feel like you getting more help with her
then with anything else you've tried so far?
- Yes. So she has me
doing affirmations. - Okay.
And have you been saying them?
- I read them, but I haven't... - No, but have you been saying?
- I haven't, uh-- I don't think I've said them out loud.
I may have, like, read them out loud to myself, but, like...
- You must speak it.
It has power, and it has truth.
I need you to get up and get in the mirror.
[laughing] And make that happen
and stop procrastinating.
- I just feel like I should do it when no one's around.
But I feel like if I sit here and say that,
I'm not gonna do it. You're gonna be, like,
"Quani, get your ass up and go in the bathroom..."
- Exactly, so go do what you need to do, ma'am.
Don't nobody gotta hear you but them four walls.
- All right, I'll do it.
I haven't accomplished anything compared
to what I am going to do. - Are you smiling?
- I smiled. - Okay.
- So at the meeting with Tanya and her talking to me
about affirmations, I went home and I wrote a few down
that really resonated with me, and I felt like they
really help me in my insecurities.
My feelings are legitimate, but they are not me.
- Mm-hmm. - My worth
is not tied to how productive I am.
I see someone who's scared.
I'm very scared about my journey.
I'm scared about, you know, where I'm gonna go.
What I'm gonna do and how it's gonna affect my family.
So me doing my affirmations in the mirror,
I guess it's letting me look at myself and see, you know,
you are a little scared, but you have to believe
in yourself at the same time.
My wants and needs are important.
I love myself unconditionally.
- Say that one one more time.
- I love myself unconditionally.
I think those are good affirmations.
- I think those are very good affirmations.
- Can I drink my Migos now?
- To positivity. - Thank you, boo.
- You already know.
♪♪♪♪
[rapid hip hop]
♪♪ Got plenty I'm doing this for so I'm choosing the score ♪♪
♪♪ And the demons that challenge us ♪♪♪♪
- [Tatti] The man of the hour?! Are you excited?
♪♪♪♪
- My sickle cell awareness event is today.
And I'm thrilled to be able to do something
positive for the community.
I'm so glad that y'all a part of it.
Y'all make me wanna cry.
[laughter/chatter]
I love y'all, though, for real, from the bottom of my heart.
- Yo, listen, man, we here for you, bro.
Let's do this [bleep]. - I'm about to take
something from Tatti, but you beat me to it.
- Nah, nah, nah, you got that.
- Can I get a hands in? - Yes, baby.
- Can I get a hands in?
[laughing/chatter]
- Black Ink Cares on three. One, two, three.
Black Ink Cares!
Yes, my family, thank you guys.
With all the drama that's been going on in Black Ink,
the Rok and Krystal situation.
New artist coming in.
Right now it feels real good for us
to give back and do what we do,
showing that Black Ink cares.
'Cause, man, we need it right now.
[Tatti] Hey, ladies, how you doing?
Welcome, welcome. Are you here
for the sickle cell event? - Yes.
Thank you for coming. We love the support.
These are gonna be your flash choices
so you can take a look at that.
- As if this day wasn't already special enough,
one of the clients coming in is my childhood friend.
It's been so long.
You haven't been getting sick, right?
- No, I haven't. - You look--
Last time I seen you, you know, we wasn't we doing too good.
I actually met her in the emergency room
when I was 12 years old.
And we kept in contact all this time.
- We've been through the trenches.
- I know, that's a fact. Warriors, we really are.
So today we're offering some flash tattoos.
One of the tattoos that we're giving out
is actually the Sickle Cell Warrior logo
which is like a heart with a yin-yang.
It just represents us warriors
because we go through a lot of stuff.
- So do you have sickle cell or are you supporting
somebody that has it? Okay. - I have sickle cell SS.
- So you have sickle cell? - Yeah, I have sickle cell.
- Wow. - I was born with it.
- Well, I appreciate you coming in, man.
I'm honored to be a part of Bux's event.
He's been so sweet to me since I've been here.
I'm just excited to be a part of something
that's so personal to him.
- What connects you to this? Do you know about sickle cell?
- I know about sickle cell.
But I'm also a cancer survivor.
And when I found out about the event,
it just kind of made me feel like I wanted
to do something and tattoo it on my body
to constantly remember there's still
other people that we're fighting for.
- I wanna get a inspirational piece, um...
in honor of my mother.
She did pass away from sickle cell in 2014.
- When people see this... - Mm-hmm.
- They be, like, oh, that's a warrior, they've been
through some [bleep]. - Yeah.
- Sickle cell is something that you're born with
and that causes pain throughout your entire life.
It could be a burden on your body.
It could be a burden mentally.
It's a burden on a community.
We need to figure out a way to overcome this disease.
Or just to get it under control because not for nothing,
this [bleep] is kinda out of control.
Black Ink! We ready to cook?
- Chef Spyder was born ready, Bux.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ Do it for my team Do it for myself ♪♪
♪♪ Couldn't do this alone Had to use a little help ♪♪
♪♪ So with the physical and mental of my health ♪♪
♪♪ That's what I call rich That's what I call wealth ♪♪
- Taking part in this sickle cell event
with Bux, it definitely means a lot to me.
I have a lot of friends and family that,
you know, they battle with the same disease.
- ♪♪ The time's right now We the best ♪♪
♪♪ Give it everything that we have nothing less ♪♪
- I feel for everybody that deals with it.
And I'm here to support and show love.
- ♪♪ I got the heart of a lion ♪♪
♪♪ Iron is sharpening iron ♪♪
♪♪ The more that we do when we show and improving ♪♪
♪♪ It's time to take off We are flying ♪♪♪♪
- Bow! Just like that!
- Okay, you're done.
From what I learned today,
having sickle cell is hard every day.
And I had no idea, and I'm pretty sure there's
a lot of people who have no idea what sickle cell is.
And I'm so glad that I was here to support Bux
and bring awareness to him.
♪♪♪♪
- I know she's proud of me. I know she's proud of me.
Mommy, life is so hard out there.
- This makes my day even more spectacular than
what I thought it was gonna be, 'cause I get to actually
tattoo someone that I was in pain with.
Someone that I laid next to in a hospital bed.
To see how far we came and that she's at my sickle cell event
representing and holding it down, it means a lot because
I've seen what she been through. She seen what I've been through.
And just to see us here, how far we came is just a blessing.
We are done.
- ♪♪ We are, we are the greatest ♪♪
♪♪ Now here we are We made it ♪♪
- How you feeling like that?
- I love this, thank you.
- They told you you wasn't gonna [bleep] be here.
I was told I wasn't gonna make it to 18 years old.
I'm about to be 40. You know that [bleep] hurts.
My mother took care of me. My mother strived
for me to get to where I'm at right now.
And I'm doing this for sickle cell.
I'm doing this for my mother. I'm doing this
to let everybody know that, yes.
Jason, yes, happy-go-lucky Jason, yes.
He has an illness that kills him every day.
But he fights through that [bleep] no matter what.
And you have my fight. He has my fight.
Everybody knows, I just want the world to know that.
[Bae] Yay!
- When you say that you want like a piece of Gods of Ink.
You know, that [bleep], it really hurt.
- Now, listen, I'm a bigger shark and I just open up
right next to you and then just whup you.
- ♪♪ I'm doing it now, I'm doing it now ♪♪
♪♪ To do it big, do it big ♪♪
♪♪ Living life They wish they did ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta go for yours ♪♪
♪♪ No hesitations ♪♪
♪♪ Make the haters say congratulations ♪♪♪♪
- This sickle cell event was a huge success.
And not too long ago, I was an apprentice.
Now I'm a tattoo artist, and it looks like
I have the respect of these guys, and...
for them to participate and help me with this event,
it means so much to me, like...
I'm beyond grateful.
I'm gonna get you wrapped up now, okay?
- Thank you.
- I know we're always giving each other a hard time
about being an AP or an artist.
But when it comes down to it, a person's health is no joke.
And I am honored to be here with Bux
on something so personal and important to him.
Oh [bleep]. - What's up, bro?
- Hello, hello, everybody, hello.
- I'm really happy that Ceaser pulled up at Bux's event today.
I know how important this event was for Bux.
'Cause, you know, he's living with sickle cell,
but he's also trying to make an impact on the brand
to show everybody that he's here to stay.
- You look good, boy. - Thank you, bro.
- As one of the newest members, you really getting what
we trying to do, you feel me? I'm proud of you.
- Thank you.
- Yo, man, I'm super proud of Bux.
I brought him into Black Ink because I knew he had
what it took to succeed. And honestly,
I'm impressed at the pace that he's moving
and things that he's accomplishing.
And for him to put his own stamp on the shop with this event,
I'm prouder than a peacock, baby.
- When you first brought the idea in [bleep] talking about,
you know what I mean? A little like
it's so common, just, I need to get knowledge of it.
- Yeah. - It's been an honor
to be a part of this event.
But now I gotta to back home to Dallas sooner than I'd hoped
to handle some family commitments.
But hopefully, everybody will put in a good word
to Ceaser so I can come back soon and claim my spot.
- I'm glad I was able to educate.
[excited greetings]
- Aw, man, Rok, not tonight, bro.
No drama. - [Tatti] Uh-oh.
- I definitely told Rok to make sure he made
the right choice with Ceaser, but I ain't know tonight
was the night he was gonna choose to do it.
- Ceas, can we have a talk away from everybody else?
- Yeah.
- I already knew about Bux's event.
So I figured Ceaser would be here.
And after talking to Krystal, it's obvious I'm the one
that's gonna have to figure this thing out.
- So I haven't been around sooner.
Been juggling the shop and engagement and [bleep].
But... [clears throat]
I know exactly how you feel, Ceas, you know,
you got your whole business [bleep] and...
And I'm happy for you to grow and make all these businesses.
But, like, when you say that you want
like a piece of Gods of Ink.
You know, that [bleep], it really hurt.
- Now, listen.
I didn't mean to break up, you know what I mean,
your happy situation, you feel me?
At the end of the day,
that [bleep] rub me the wrong way because
if we built together in two years, there's no reason
why I can't get a piece, you feel me?
And I'm willing to put up some bread.
- But I remember when I brought up the idea to you,
I really wanted to try to make it into a Black Ink.
But then, you're like, nah, but congrats.
I remember that.
But now it's like a year later and we already
put too much time in it, and it's like, it would
be a shame to see the Gods of Ink name go to nothing
after me and Krystal came so hard for it.
I really hate being caught between Ceaser and Krystal.
I feel loyal to both of them.
And right now, I just hope that we come to a compromise.
- Maybe I'm seeing it wrong. Maybe I'm going by wrong.
I don't know, but I just know this [bleep] ain't right, bro.
And I could easily be a...
if y'all don't wanna play with me.
I'm a bigger shark, and I just open up in a bigger city
right next to you and then just whup you.
[clears throat] That's what I'm saying, Ceas.
For me, I woulda probably hopped on it.
But now since like me and Krystal 50/50.
I really gotta talk to her.
I really don't even know if there's an answer here.
This might just be the end of Black Ink for us.
- Listen, talk to her, figure out what y'all wanna do.
'Cause at the end of the day, I just keep it moving, bro.
Two/three years you see Black Ink Jersey somewhere.
Be like, damn, I coulda did that with this [bleep].
♪♪ Ooh... ♪♪
- [Ted] It's [bleep] windy under this tunnel.
This is my first time meeting up with my brother
since my dad passed.
- I have something for you, bro.
- Oh, this for me? - Yeah, bro.
♪♪♪♪
- Little framed picture.
- I'm so back and forth with my feelings right now.
I just don't know how to process.
I'm taking it day-by-day and hopefully
my brother Wayne can help me with this.
- This is crazy. That look
just like him, you know?
This is my first time seeing this photo of my dad and [bleep]
a little mind-blowing to see how much I look like my dad.
Like, looking at this picture really feels
like I'm looking at myself in the mirror.
This [bleep] is crazy from the way he sitting
and the way his hands is folded, everything.
I could be the same exact [bleep] for real.
I don't know, man, it's like,
I've been thinking about it a lot.
Like, even just now when you passed me the picture.
A tear almost-- but it just hasn't come out yet.
'Cause I really don't know
how to feel about it. - Right.
- It's been a few months ago, we wasn't trying
to build our relation. If I had spoken to you,
it probably would've been like, damn, but after all,
you said he struggled with addiction.
- We all had our addictions. - Right.
- I had addiction to the streets.
He had addiction to drugs.
- That [bleep] change everything, bro.
Like, I heard other people saying he cares so much
about his kids, he wanted his kids, he wanted the best
for his kids, but it's like, I don't know that side.
- Absolutely. - I understand now
being an adult, willing to go into family and wanting to have
a child, being in a marriage is like damn, [bleep] difficult.
It's not easy. Hearing about him now
is like, damn, he really wasn't a bad person at all.
He was just... got caught up. - That's right.
- He got caught up, and I wish
I was able to hear his side.
- Yeah, we all have our shortcomings,
but he was a good man.
- That's what I'm realizing.
♪♪♪♪
Do you think he at peace right now?
Knowing we doing this and we trying to...
- Absolutely, absolutely.
- I really don't know how to feel.
Sometimes I'm sad. Sometimes I'm angry.
To be honest, sometimes it's like I don't care
'cause I have so much things going on in my life.
But with this person I'm trying to become,
this is something I'ma have to sit with and process.
I can't just move through this one.
- This like [bleep] it's all up, so that's why I want you
to not mourn his death but celebrate his life.
- It sucks that our children are not
gonna be able to meet their granddad.
They can meet their uncles. You know what I'm saying?
So I'm, like, not at peace, but I'm comfortable with knowing
that we building a relationship. - Absolutely.
- I can't change the past but I can make sure
I don't make the same mistakes again.
And moving forward, I'm gonna keep building my relationship
with my brother and the rest of my family.
Oh, it's starting to rain. This might be him
telling us get the [bleep] out of here.
- Exactly. - Give me a hug.
I love you, bro. - Love you, brother.
- I'm here, man. - Likewise, brother,
you know that. - Appreciate you.
- Likewise. - A'ight, we listening.
man, we got it. [laughing]
- I'ma tell you something I ain't tell nobody. 125th? - Mm-hmm.
- I'm about to close it.
- [Puma] Never in my life would I ever think
a Black Ink would not be in Harlem.
- So let me tell you how your boy tried to play me.
- Get this girl outta here, bro.
- Oh and this [bleep] you talked about Spyder's wife.
- [bleep] what? - Sorry.
- Easy! Easy!
- Hello.
- Me and Safaree are holding auditions
to find a freaky girl to collaborate
with me on my OnlyFan.
- It's a little skinny but it's a lot longer
than a lot of people I've seen.
- There's no [bleep] way.
- I wanna know why I ain't hear from you yet?
- I been through enough, and I can't let myself down.
- You can't let yourself down, but you gotta tell me
what you wanna do.
It's either you here, you Black Ink or you not.
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ MTV ♪♪