- Compton is a city of dreams that never die.
And I'm ready to start a new era for Ink Art Music.
- Vudu, it is disrespectful if you're posting
you're in another shop, working.
- Are you (bleep) serious?
I haven't heard from you guys in months.
- Nessie, you work better when you're quiet.
- I was disrespected over and over and over again.
I'm defending myself as a woman.
- 'Cause you don't know how to shut up!
- I was pregnant. - (gasps) Aww...
- And I got really sick. - What did happen?
- (sobbing) - I wanna work back for you.
- Before COVID shut everything down,
Armani introduced me to Polo.
I was bringing him on as an apprentice.
Been stayin' out of trouble? - Yes, sir.
I'm just trying to not fall victim
to going back to that mass incarceration
that they locking all our Black people up with.
I just need action again at the apprenticeship.
- Barbie wanted to come speak with you today.
- What? I'm not doing this again.
I said my piece.
- I'm gonna try to talk to KP.
I get here, he's too good to talk to me.
- Let's go for it. Green light.
- At this point, I'm dropping anyone
who don't believe in my vision of the future.
It's a day of reckoning.
- ♪♪ I be fishin' with you bish ♪♪ - ♪♪ I do what I wanna ♪♪ - ♪♪ Hey ♪♪
♪♪ Tryin' to hear ♪♪ - ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ Hey, tell her use her lips ♪♪
- ♪♪I do what I wanna ♪♪ - ♪♪ Ooh ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do me and you are you ♪♪
♪♪ And you can't tell me who to screw ♪♪
♪♪ Who be gettin' money? ♪♪ - ♪♪ I do ♪♪
- ♪♪ You can't tell me -- because ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I wanna do ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I wanna ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ Say I'm messing up the game 'cause I wanna rearrange ♪♪
♪♪ Everything since I came in the game never change anything ♪♪
♪♪ Wanna talk about my reign like ♪♪
♪♪ Who gonna stop me? ♪♪
(clock ticking)
- So today is the day.
While the shop is not officially reopened yet,
we gettin' close to the finish line.
Clock is ticking.
Anybody who ain't here by 10:00 a. m.
said what they had to say.
And whoever do come,
they better check they ego at the door.
(door opens) - What up, man?
- What's happening? - What's happening with you?
- Tryin' to create the vibe.
Man, hopefully this the start to something good.
- Today is the day.
(door opens) - Hey, y'all.
- Starry-arry. - How y'all doin'?
- Judgment day. - Judgment day?
- Yes, ma'am. - Ooh-wee.
KP and Tim have a lot to learn about managing,
but these artists could be amazing together
if they just give each other another chance.
I fought hard for this meeting
because I believe in these ladies.
And if they don't show up today, I don't think KP
will ever give them another chance.
(door opens)
- Hey, Polo. - What it do, pimp juice?
- What's the deal? - Hello.
- That's Cory. - He a new tattoo artist in the shop.
- I'm ready to learn, man. What's up with it, man?
- I thought it over and I think I wanna bring Polo back
as a shop apprentice.
Before COVID hit, he was a cool addition to the team.
- When I was in prison, I actually learned how to tattoo.
- You did your own? - Yeah, I did my whole arm.
- Man, he got the drive, the ambition, he listen,
and he wanna learn, and we need that energy around.
(door opens)
- Yo. Yeah.
Almost didn't wanna step on the floor.
- Yeah, don't step on the floor, man.
- Whole place looking lit. I love it.
What's up with you, bro? - Nothin'.
- This is my first time being back in the shop
since the lockdown.
And after that conversation with Tim,
my headspace is in a little bit better place,
and everybody else feels like they in a little bit better place.
- I'm here for you. KP here for you.
If this where you wanna be, the doors is open.
- Tattooing brings me a sense of calm like nothing else,
and I'm just glad to be back a part of this mission.
- You met Cory? - Nah, this the first time I seen bro, honestly.
Yo, nice to meet you, bro. - Nice to meet you, my guy.
- Cory is a pro and he's here to mentor everybody.
- Whenever I pull you to the side or give you some pointers,
it's all out of just growth.
It's about how we gonna grow together.
- So this Cory guy is supposed to be
the new Lemeir replacement, I guess.
He seems pretty chill and nobody's yelling,
so I'ma hope for the best.
- Where the rest of these people?
We do not have all day. Time is money.
- Hi! - Hey, girl.
- Yo. - There she go.
- Sit in here, get in here. - Aw, thanks.
I wasn't sure if I was gonna make it to the meeting today,
especially after everything that's happened with KP and Tim,
but Star convinced me to come back
and I feel like the shop has a huge potential.
Being part of IAM, to me, is a huge honor.
You know, ink, art, and music
helped me heal from my childhood,
so of course I wanna be a part of it.
- Is anybody else coming? - Nessie!
- Alana. I don't know where she at.
- Alana is the only person that has reached out consistently.
So Alana, we could deal with her later.
- Barbie?
- She just got let go. - KP fired her.
- Okay, I knew that the guys had issues with Lemeir, but Barbie?
She was their day one.
Like the shop will never be the same without Barbie.
- I just wanted to say I'm thankful that y'all did show up though.
And the fact that y'all here is saying that y'all do wanna at least get it started.
And it's a new day, new time, we trying to put out
some new vibes and energy.
(door opens) - Hey!
(bell dings)
- Yo, yo. - What's up?
Meeting time? (laughing)
I was reluctant to come back to the shop,
because so many times Tim and KP have, like,
disrespected me to my face,
so I don't want to be around people like that.
Then Lemeir tells me that he's not coming back.
But I feel like, at least if I can show up and make peace,
then I'm okay with that no matter which way it goes.
- I wanted to see what artists that I did have already here
before I start over and bring in new people.
- Actually, KP, can I talk to you real quick?
- Step in my office.
Tim, come here.
Everybody else just chill.
- Glad to see you here. (laughing)
- Are you?
(laughter)
- I'm a little worried about what's gonna happen with Nessie.
But outside of that, I put all this (bleep) together.
I'm the shop manager, so I definitely feel
some type of way that they don't have me inside that meeting right now.
- We done had our differences. I really think
you didn't like me, you know what I'm saying, like even from the jump.
- All I know is, you came in with this,
"I'm better than everybody," and it was like, uh, okay.
- Yeah, if I feel like proud of myself,
I wanna be able to say that and I don't want nobody
to be offended by it. - I couldn't gauge
what your agenda was, you know what I'm sayin'?
- That is the most important one-on-one.
They need that, for sure. - Breathe, Nessie, breathe.
- And because we never had no conversations,
when I hear things out of anger, it's like, damn.
I don't think people understood what it took for me to--
to even be here to do this.
Of course Nessie has always been Team Lemeir.
They from Philly, so, yeah, I get it.
But she here now. That gotta mean something.
- I feel like we can just put the differences aside.
I am here to be a team player, you know what I'm saying?
Like but I'm big on respect too, and I feel like
that was a lot of the animosity that came.
- Rule number one is respect. - Is respect, I know.
But it wasn't demonstrated, though, on all of our parts.
- I know. - You know what I'm sayin'?
- You need a little bit more respect?
It's done. Long as you feel
family orientated here, it should be all good.
- That's the main thing, you know what I'm sayin'?
I want it to be a family, and it's just conversation.
- Yeah.
- I really do feel like today worked out well.
I had some talented people walk in here.
And it feels like they wanna commit to the vision.
I don't know what happened to Alana.
I hope she good.
But right now, this look like it could be the squad.
- Oh, my God!
(overlapping chatter)
We was worried, girl.
- ♪♪ Hey ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
♪♪ Yuh ♪♪
♪♪ Uh-huh ♪♪
♪♪ Yuh, I been working late night, late night ♪♪
♪♪ Cup of coffee right before I take flight, take flight ♪♪
♪♪ Me and you we ain't the same type ♪♪
- Hey, boo. - How are you?
- Good, how are you? You looking all tan.
- Thank you. This is really cute.
- You been working your ass off. - I've probably worked harder
than I ever worked in my (bleep) life,
and I didn't even think that was possible.
I'm really looking forward to the shop reopening.
Especially since the conversation with Tim and KP actually went well.
But while the shop's still closed,
I'm booking murals, still doing tattoos on the side,
anything I can possibly do to keep the hustle going.
- What's been going on?
- I went to the shop the other day just to see,
you know, what the deal was,
and we actually all had a conversation,
and it was like an actual respectful meeting.
- So are you back working in the shop?
- As of right now, yes.
- But how do you feel actually goin' back into the shop?
- It is a weird dynamic just because
I know Lemeir's not coming back.
- Hmm. I love Nessie,
and I know she's been speaking good about the IAM shop,
but if she knew Lemeir was opening his own shop,
she would jump ship.
But that's not my business to tell.
That's crazy that he would sit down and talk to you, Nessie.
- What do you mean? - He won't even talk to Barbie
and they actually been friends for years.
- As you see, I'm not working there anymore, and I'm so fine.
- 'Cause you weren't there that day and I was just like, okay.
- I'm 100% okay with it. I ended up going up there too.
KP was too good to even come outside and talk.
So that's when I was like, I'm done.
I know I did my part.
I really tried to be the bigger person and salvage
what was left of our friendship.
- I've tried and tried and tried
to get KP to come and speak to you.
- He don't gotta come out. I'm out.
Honestly, I'm kind of relieved right now.
Feels good to not to have to go back to that toxic environment.
- So what else is going on?
- We're having a gender reveal
for the new addition to the family.
- I need details, please. - Barbie's been planning everything.
- Okay. - She don't know too much of the details.
I just told her, come. - Oh, I'm so excited.
- Barbie and I have become real close over the past few months.
- If it wasn't for birth control,
we both be sittin' here pregnant.
Sure it ain't twins in there?
- I don't have many friends out here in California,
and now she's like family.
- Well, Barbie, when was you gon' tell me to come?
- That's what we're here for. - Okay, I'm just making sure.
- I got you. - But I gotta let you know,
your ex Ken is gonna be there.
You know that's Lemeir's bro.
Y'all both are family, so y'all both have to be there.
- He did me dirty, yo. He did me wrong.
Like he did me wrong, yeah.
Ken is my ex who I met through Lemeir,
and I really like loved him.
Like...
- I'm a real-life matchmaker.
This is probably like the third relationship
I done started, huh?
- Damn.
March 1st, I'll be here. - What?
You're gonna live here? I'm excited.
- You're excited? - So you don't have to leave now.
But he just kinda like hit a light switch on me, you know.
It was like one day I was everything, and then...
the next day I was nothing.
- You really think it's gonna be a problem?
- We're not gonna be a problem to nobody else,
you know what I'm sayin', but emotionally,
like on the inside, bro, like I don't know,
and I don't want to feel like that again.
- It's unfortunate that y'all didn't work out,
but we all gotta still be friends.
I really don't want her to feel as though we're pushing her away
because we're still friends with Ken.
But at the end of the day, she has to move on.
Like she knew him and Lemeir were close friends.
Like they're damn near brothers.
- It took me a lot to get over that (bleep) in real life.
Like I'm just not really not trying to put myself back
in that like-- eww!
Why am I about to cry? I'm a thug.
- It happens.
- I just don't have the strength to ignore him.
- But are you gonna come?
- I'm gonna come, but I'm just letting you know
that I might not stay.
- I was kept from my biological father my entire life.
He's coming to L. A., so we're gonna have a conversation,
and it's time that I figure out like what really happened.
- Oh, (bleep). Nessie got into a car accident.
- (all) What? - Is she okay?
- Oh, (bleep).
- So when you gon' come show up to work?
- I do show up the (bleep) to work. What?
- Ahh... - Please don't play with me.
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ No pity, I'm sittin' on a row ♪♪
♪♪ And I'm feeling no control and I'm taking on my goal so ♪♪
(singing bowl tones resonating)
- Relax your fingers, your hands.
Relax your arms.
Completely surrender into this moment right here
and right now.
- Meditation and sound baths
are something that have really changed my life honestly.
Helped me find my clarity, sense of balance, peace.
And after this big meeting,
I just wanted to share that with Nessie and Vudu,
because I know it was hard for them to make their decision
when it comes to working in this shop or not.
I hope the sound baths can get us all on the same frequency.
♪♪♪♪
(chimes jingling)
(soft drums beating)
♪♪♪♪
- Slowly and carefully push yourself up.
Thank you guys so much for allowing me
to guide you through today's sound bath.
(both) Thank you.
- How you feeling? - That was intense.
- You good? Intense, huh?
- I really needed this because there's been so much going on,
and I think that really just centering myself,
grounding myself will help me kinda get my mind off
the idea that I have to see Ken at this gender reveal party.
- I had invited Alana.
She been good?
- At the moment like she's kinda goin' through a lot.
So I don't really know.
I haven't heard from Alana in a few days, and honestly,
we're kinda worried about her since she didn't show up for the shop meeting.
I know she's goin' through a lot of (bleep) right now.
- I was about six month's pregnant.
And it was a stillbirth.
- She probably needs some space, but I'm just gonna pray for her
and hope that everything is okay.
- We all need to do a lot more inner work
before we start trying to put all these plans in motion.
- When we first started being at the shop,
I was hoping that we would have like this family dynamic,
because that's something that I've wanted.
After the pandemic, I realized I had a family
that I'd never met and it was my biological father,
because I was kept from him my entire life.
I didn't know that my stepfather wasn't my real father
until I was around ten.
They had done everything in their power
to keep me away from him.
I thought my real father didn't care.
I talked to him on the phone for the first time in eight years.
He's coming to L. A. so we're gonna have
a conversation face-to-face. - Damn.
- You know, I've been lied to my entire life,
and it's time that I like take charge
and figure out like what really happened.
- Takes a lot of courage to do all that.
I'm so proud of Vudu. I know how hard it was
when we went to Seattle and she had to confront her stepdad and her mom.
- It's time to heal. - I'm sorry, I can't.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. - It's okay.
- I think it shows so much growth,
meeting up with her biological father.
I really hope they have a connection.
- That's big, obviously. I'm glad to hear that.
You know, that makes me happy. - It's been a lot.
It has not been easy. - You didn't cause it.
You didn't create it. You're just experiencing it.
♪♪♪♪
- What we teaching today, man? What we teaching?
- We teaching the-- - Today--
if you get past slapping it.
- One more time. - I wanna get everybody set up
so I can kind of see where everybody's at,
and if and where I can help.
- We still waiting on our paperwork
to officially reopen the shop.
So today is all about skill building and team bonding.
Now Nessie already told me she had a mural that she booked,
but I'm more concerned about Alana.
She used to hit me up all the time,
but now it's been crickets.
I don't know if she on the fence about the shop or not
or if it's really something serious.
What everybody up to this weekend?
- Not much. - Ink knows this already,
but my biological father is coming to visit.
- Oh, yeah? - So it'll be interesting, yeah.
I haven't seen him in, um, eight years.
- I don't know my father at all. Like he can walk through this door and I would not know.
- Not know what he look like? - I always had the idea
of like my son meeting his granddad.
And that's-- that's structure. That's something that,
a lot of Black people, we don't have.
I respect Vudu so much, but I don't think I could ever
give my father a second chance.
I mean, I went to prison and prison became my father.
That's where I learned how to become a man.
I did 12 years, 4 months, and 21 days,
and I still found a way to be there for my son.
- You know, with my pops, he been in L. A. this whole time,
but he just ain't been in my life.
Maybe back then it wasn't much he could do for me at the time,
and it was probably better that he separated, because now,
we starting to build a better relationship.
- I know people who didn't have they dad, but they lose 'em,
and then they're like, damn, I wish I would've talked to him,
and you might pull some gems from that.
You never know. - I don't have any like expectations,
but I am curious. - No, that's dope.
And that's why like my son out here in town, so...
Now I have them conversations with him that it's like--
that I wanted my pops to have with me
that I didn't know I needed. We gon' go hit the gym.
Go run up a little mountain. If he ain't too busy.
- Being a dad, you know what you'd do for your kid.
Me being a dad and a granddad, I love my grandkid.
I teach him about animals, and hand-feeding the deers
at the park 'cause we have this big park that we go to and--
- Where you from? - Virginia.
- (bleep). - In the woods.
- It ain't no deer in Compton. (laughter)
You finna be feeding the dogs and the ducks.
All we got!
- ♪♪ Praise be to the true creator ♪♪
♪♪ Women is the one who made y'all ♪♪
- Yeah, there you go.
- What do you think? - I think it looks amazing.
- Help! This is heavy!
Help! - Hey! Finally!
It's finally here, y'all. Today is the day
of Danielle and Lemeir's gender reveal day.
I personally have been planning for weeks.
♪♪♪♪
Did you really bite the doughnut?
That was not-- - Oh, my God!
- You cannot eat the doughnut cake.
If Lemeir's tattoo shop doesn't pan out,
I think I'd be a kick-ass party planner.
Bashes by Barbie.
Whew! Perfect.
Hi, guys. - Where I can sit?
- Anywhere over here is perfectly fine.
- Hey, what it is? - Ink, so glad you made it.
Guys, if you want, we can all start eating now.
There's barbecue, everything. - Hey, how's it going?
- Hello.
So I told everyone that's coming from the shop
that I used to work at that I don't want to discuss
anything about the shop or the people that are still there.
It's just negative energy
that Danielle and Lemeir do not need today.
- Hey! - Yo!
What up? - Hi, bro!
- What's up? - What's up, my guy?
- Hey, everybody.
- Oh, my guy, hey. - My guy.
- Hey. - Hi.
- Everything looks so nice.
- Oh, yeah. - Oh, my God.
This is so cute.
I wasn't expecting Barbie to go all out,
but I am so happy that we have her as a friend.
Like honestly I couldn't be more grateful.
- Hi, everybody. How y'all doin'?
- I said we was wearing white. Why you got on black?
- 'Cause the... "What will it bee?"
- Oh, she a bumblebee. - What, you forgot?
- You the bumblebee? - Yes.
- Lemeir's mom came to stay with us after the pandemic died down.
And although we love her help, she can be a bit much.
- She team girl, team boy. What was you again?
- I can't say 'cause I already know.
- Oh, you know? - I put everything together.
I gotta know. - Ah, duh, Lemeir.
- Congratulations. I'm so happy for you.
- Thank you. - We miss you at the shop.
Sucks you're not there. - Are y'all really open?
- Not yet. - Oh, (bleep).
Nessie got into a car accident.
- (all) What? - Oh, my God.
Is she okay? - Oh, (bleep).
- Oh, my God.
- So you thought about what school you wanna go to?
- Pac-12. - Your GPA's good?
- I just don't want you to get distracted like I did.
- If there is something that you want to ask me...
- My stepfather, he told me something about
you molesting me as a baby.
- (bleep).
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- Nessie got into a car accident.
- (all) What? - Is she okay?
- And she sent me pictures of the car.
- Oh, (bleep). - Oh, my God.
- Oh, yeah, that's totaled out.
- (bleep). - Oh, my God.
- That's bad.
- Call her, see if she hurt.
(phone line trilling) - Whoa.
- Hello? - Hey, boo, you okay?
- You good, yo? - Yeah, I'm okay.
- Did anybody get hurt? - No, thank God.
- Well, look, I'm just happy to hear that you're okay, yo.
- I wish I could be there. - All right, yeah,
we gon' check in on you later. - All right, sis.
- Okay. - All right, bye.
- See ya.
- I'm just glad my girl Nessie is okay.
Even though Nessie didn't wanna see her ex,
I'm pretty sure she would've rather seen him than wreck her car.
- Yo, gang. - My guy.
- What's up, yo? - What up?
- What's up, sis? - What's up?
- What's poppin'? - Nothin'.
- My guy. - Finally made it.
- What's up, bro?
Ken-- that's one of my real homies
from back in Philly.
He a dope-ass tattoo artist,
and he used to date Nessie.
That didn't work out, but she my sis,
this my real bro, so ain't none of that gonna ever change.
- Are you guys ready to figure out what you're having?
- I'm ready right now, yeah. - Okay, let's go.
I need everybody to come out front.
- Come on, fam. It's the big moment.
(overlapping chatter)
- Finally can stop holding the secret.
All right, so everybody, on the count of three.
One... - Aah!
- Two... - Aah!
- Three!
(cheering and screaming)
♪♪♪♪
(laughter)
- Whoo! Princess number two!
- I swore I was having a boy, like...
But I can't wait to meet my baby girl.
- I wanna thank everybody for being a part of this.
But something else that I wanna announce.
I've been thinking about it, and today,
I wanted to put it out here.
I'm actually thinking about starting my own tattoo shop.
- Yes!
(cheering and applause) Yes! Yes!
- That's my baby!
- Couldn't hold that one in. - That (bleep) gon' be public.
- And also just wanted to let it be known
that Ken will be my partner in doing this.
I'm hype as hell 'cause I'm bringing
my boy Ken in to run things.
We worked together back in Philly,
and I've watched him do some fire-ass tats.
He specializes in black and gray.
And I really believe in him as a tattoo artist.
- It's a no-brainer. Let's get to work.
- I love Lemeir, I support everything that he does,
and I want him to be successful, but at the same time,
I definitely feel for Nessie.
She's gonna (bleep) flip her lid.
- So, bro, you ready to get tatted?
- You 'bout to get tatted right now? - I guess so.
- I'm 'bout to tat the gender on him.
- Get my girl dad hearts on me, man.
- You know he's scared of the needle, man.
Take it easy on him.
You know, I'm happy for Lemeir and all that,
but you didn't wanna tell me this
before I recommitted to IAM?
Is we competition now?
- Appreciate you, man. We gon' be in contact too.
- Take it easy, man. Yeah, we'll tap in.
- All right, bro.
- ♪♪ I ain't never gonna lose to you ♪♪
♪♪ Ain't got nothin' else to prove to you, whoa ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta know, gotta know, gotta know now ♪♪
♪♪ What are the dogs gonna do to you? ♪♪
- Two girls, bro.
My two hearts overseeing the family tree.
- It was a pleasure, my dude.
- ♪♪ Three, two, one, go ♪♪
♪♪ Push it faster, push it stronger ♪♪
♪♪ I'm gonna count you down ♪♪
♪♪ You're gonna take the crown ♪♪
♪♪ Hey, hey, hey, hey ♪♪
♪♪ Here we go ♪♪
- Oh!
I used to like that distraction.
- Make sure your mechanics stay the same at all time.
- My son, Dunna, live in Sac with his mom.
So he don't get to come down and visit as much.
I mean, we done watch him playing Pop Warner football
to now being a rising star in high school.
I played football, and Pops did too, and we coach.
So we take advantage of every opportunity we can
to pass down any knowledge we have to Dunna.
- So you thought about what school you wanna go to?
- PAC-12. - Oregon, SC.
- Your GPA is good?
Let's say you didn't play football.
What would you do? 'Cause most people who go
to college and play football, they didn't go to the League.
- I had dreams to play football and, of course,
that didn't happen. I just don't want you
to get distracted like I did.
At Dunna age, I had a whole vision for my future.
Then I threw it all away doing something dumb.
Trying to sell drugs and hitting licks.
And I lost my whole football scholarship.
Now I just wanna show him,
stuff still could work out in your favor
if you keep putting in the work, and you don't give up.
And that's why I'm working so hard
to reopen this shop in Compton.
Regardless of what you wanna do,
I just wanna be here to see you grow, you know what I'm saying?
And become your own man. - I just want you to know
I'm grateful for y'all and y'all coming to all the way
to Sac and all that for the games and traveling.
- That's what family for. That's richness, man.
There's three generations right here.
You are the best version of us.
And then you gonna pass that on hopefully one day.
- I support you, Pops support you.
I want you to keep doing what you doing, I'm proud of you.
♪♪♪♪
- I was feeling pretty blessed when I woke up this morning.
Excited to go have some coffee with Vudu.
- How are you feeling? - I'm okay.
- About the accident?
- I'm just glad nobody got hurt.
- Well, something's definitely looking out for you.
- For sure. But then Vudu
just drops this bomb on me.
- Lemeir's starting his own shop.
- That's dope. - And Ken...
is gonna be his business partner.
- (sighs) All right.
I'm really happy to be working from home today because
the shop is still figuring out it's reopening paperwork.
I just got that crazy news, and that hit me kinda hard.
And so having a client here, it's giving me a chance
to just really focus on my art and that's it.
- Hey, bro. - Yo, what's up? How you been?
- Good, how are you? - Good.
- I've known Jeremy for nine years.
And today, it's really special because
I get to tattoo one of his favorite little people
on him, and you already know my portrait game is crazy.
We should do this picture of him.
Because it's just so cute, and I like
the candid look, you know? - Yes.
- Let me get this printed up for you.
I'll be right back, okay? - A'ight, cool.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪I've been blessed up ♪♪
♪♪ I've been broke down ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta catch up ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta shine now ♪♪
- I go hard for my friends.
So it hurts when people don't consider you.
And then I find out Lemeir's opening his own shop.
He hasn't really talked to me much since me and Ken broke up.
And now I find out, like, this huge news from Vudu?
- ♪♪ Now your worth looking real low like on clearance ♪♪
♪♪ Got you giving up, whoa, where the perseverance? ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta stick to it even with the interference ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta stay prayed up, yeah, I'm talkin' 'bout the Spirit ♪♪
♪♪ Ooh yeah, aye ♪♪
♪♪ That's a stunt now, uh (yeah) ♪♪
♪♪ I ain't gotta flex, no stunt now ♪♪
- Look, I know that Ken is your bro and all,
but I consider you more like family to me.
But then again, he picked Ken as his business partner,
knowing we don't get along, so maybe that was just
proof that he wasn't considering me at all.
- ♪♪ Gotta catch up (yeah) ♪♪
♪♪ Gotta shine now (okay) ♪♪
♪♪ 'Cause I've been blessed up ♪♪
♪♪ I've been broke down ♪♪
- But I'ma keep pushing.
I'm Nessie Blaze, bitch, ain't no man gonna hold me down.
- This is perfect.
- I am never the one to play with.
- Tim, don't even... - You're not gonna do nothing.
- I swear to God I will.
- She's not gonna do nothing.
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ I've been blessed up ♪♪
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ I ain't never gonna let 'em see me down ♪♪
♪♪ Promise I won't let 'em bring me down ♪♪
- Today, I am meeting my biological father
for the first time as an adult.
Our first time meeting, I was really scared
because of all the horrible, disgusting things that
my mother and her husband said about him.
And I wanna talk to him and finally
get those answers that I've always wanted.
- Hi, Dad. - Oh, my God.
(both laugh)
- Hi.
♪♪♪♪
Mm, oh, it's been forever. - Yeah.
Are you okay? - Yeah, how are you?
- I'm glad to be here.
- Thank you, me too.
It's so weird talking to my dad face-to-face.
We've connected over the phone. You know, we talked
about his job, his wife, his kids.
He seems like he has a normal life.
First time I ever saw you was probably around eight.
And my mother tells me to go in the house.
I go in the house, and then she comes into me,
she's, like, "Do you know who that was?"
I was, like, "No." She just said,
"That's your dad" and then walked away,
like, there was no conversation about it.
- Your mother kept you away from me.
And I knew eventually I was gon' see you.
I was gon' be a part of your life,
you know, whether it was now or later.
I mean, if there's something that you wanted, ask me.
I'll be more than happy to tell you.
- My stepfather, he told me that
you didn't want to be a part of my life and that...
Something about you molesting me when I was a baby.
- (bleep).
That's wrong because I wasn't there.
As soon as you was born,
your stepfather, he was dating your mom.
And when I went to go see you,
they wouldn't gonna let it happen.
And then after that, I didn't see you.
- Wow. - And...
That was it. - Yeah.
Like, I actually really did believe
all these awful things that they said about you.
I've already sort of felt that the things I was told
about my biological father was completely false.
And I can feel that he's very sincere, and he's deeply
hurt by these accusations. And I believe him.
I was pretty angry. There were times
I wondered, like, why didn't you, like, save me, basically?
- I didn't know exactly what was going on.
I probably seen your mom maybe three times if that.
She didn't speak to me. Physically, I wasn't there.
But I was always asking and trying to find out
where's my Daisy? You know, where's Daisy?
Where is Daisy? How is she doing?
- I haven't been called that in forever.
Hearing my dad call me Daisy is like a floodgate
to all the memories I've suppressed as a child.
As horrible as the pandemic was,
it finally pushed me to pursue a relationship with my father.
And, hopefully, have the love that I've always
searched for my entire life.
I'm... sorry.
- The best thing for you to do, really, is to
just forgive it and go.
- In a way, I'm sad because I feel like
there's so much, like, missed time.
- It's okay, sweetheart.
You got family. - Thank you.
- I'm glad that I could be here for you.
- You're not gon' tell me that this is regular.
That's how it was before 'cause it's not.
You picked sides, bro. - It's not my obligation
to take care of you. It's my obligation
to take care of me.
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ Whois that new class? I can't help myself ♪♪
♪♪ I'm my own man ♪♪
♪♪ I want that fresh platinum, that gold chain ♪♪
- Hope they food fire.
I am starving.
I ain't ate breakfast, I ain't ate nothing.
- Yo, yo, yo!
- Yo! Keith Sweat and his boy.
(chatter)
- Goddamn.
- The team been vibing all week.
And I wanna bless 'em with a nice little family meal
to keep the spirit up.
- Hey, yo. - Hey, guys.
- Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.
- We one step closer to reopening.
And I know the team gon' be excited to hear this.
- Hey, hey, hey, all rise, all rise.
(all exclaiming)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, what's up, my family?
My good people? - I knew we was missing somebody.
- It's not a team meal without Armani.
I know she technically don't work at IAM,
but she is one of my biggest supporters.
And our unofficial caterer.
Today, we gonna have one big family dinner.
Got y'all here, hopefully, we could all be a family
and be a part of something
that's never, ever happened before.
You know what I'm saying? - Are you in a good
mother(bleep) mood today!
(laughter)
- Hold up, where the paperwork?
All the paperwork, man.
- It's official fishal.
- Congrats, bro.
(cheering)
- Now it's... (indistinct)
- First and only.
We finally got our business license renewed.
Thank God. Tim and Pops
have been putting in work with the city,
jumping through all kind of hoops.
Now we got one thing left. The health inspection.
If everything go right with that,
then we'll be open in a couple weeks.
When I walked out, they said we are still the first
and only legal tattoo shop in the city of Compton.
- Wait, we the first-ever tattoo shop in Compton?
- Legally. - Okay.
- Somebody need to wake up and smell the coffee.
Being the first has always been an IAM mission.
Star trying to treat this like her secondary job.
- I got some business to handle, but I'm glad
this feels like a family around here, y'all.
Don't look at my ass when I walk away.
- Outside of Star putting these quote/unquote
"team meetings" together, she just hasn't been
as helpful as we would like her to have been
on the management side of things.
That ain't gonna work around here.
You gotta definitely set the bar, and they going
off of what we do. - Fact.
- So whatever y'all doing, they looking at it as that's
the representation of Ink Art Music.
- I don't want y'all coming to work crying and (bleep).
- Yeah, you come to work and cry.
- Nah, wait until your ass is off. - No, it's cool.
Family is first, bro. - No, it ain't
'cause I don't need my customers--
- Wait, so when you gon' come and show up to work?
- I do show up the (bleep) to work.
What? - Nah...
I'm talking about without the show.
- Prior to this meeting, I had no idea
that they got their business license.
They've been excluding me from meetings.
And now you have the audacity to tell me
that I haven't been showing up to work?
If it wasn't for me smoothing things over,
no one would be here today.
- So like I was saying, I'm trying show y'all
how we gon' do this as a team.
- Baby.
♪♪♪♪
Don't play with me.
I'm ready with the bull(bleep), so please don't play with me.
I am never the one to play with.
- Ain't gonna do nothing.
- I am that bitch!
Come find me outside this show! - Star, it's okay, stop, Star.
- I swear to God I will.
- Tim, don't even... - She's not gonna do nothing.
She's not gonna do nothing.
(shouting)
- Yes, the (bleep) I will!
(shouting)
- Star! Star!
- She's staff manager. If she thinks she gon' act like
this in front of our people, that's unprofessional.
She better check herself 'fore she (bleep) wreck herself.
- What is she mad at, though? I'm so confused right now.
- Dude, she got all this zero to hundred really quick.
♪♪♪♪
- What happened? - Yo, that was crazy.
- The moment ruined.
- What the (bleep)?
- ♪♪ I do what I want ♪♪
- ♪♪ Oh, oh, please ♪♪
- ♪♪ I am the realist what else would you call it?
♪♪ And be in these feelings is from being honest ♪♪
♪♪ I've been no chillin' just weighing these options ♪♪
♪♪ You know that I finish whatever I started ♪♪
- ...cricket, cuz. - I made it.
- You know what I'm saying?
Get you a little car wash after this.
- I don't want to talk about none of that right now.
I finally get a text from Lemeir.
When I needed you to be there for me,
you didn't check on me at all. And now you're just reaching out
after I get this heavy news that you're opening up
a shop with Ken? I've been holding back
all these emotions and how I really feel
because he hasn't reached out to me for so long.
- Well, I called you to check in.
But I also wanted to let you know
I'm thinking about going for the shop now.
Ken partnered up with me to get that thing going
and, like, starting it up.
- I just feel like you coulda reached out
and told me about the shop, like, even...
- I do kinda like wish we coulda been in more
communication along the way.
- Since me and Ken got together, bro,
our whole friendship been, like, on not what it was on before.
- I hear what you saying.
When y'all was going through that,
Ken actually was coming to me for, like, advice.
Because I'm really his only outlet out here.
- Oh, my God!
Bro, don't stand in front of me and tell me you wish
we coulda communicated more. That's bull(bleep).
I reached out plenty of times, but now it all makes sense.
Because you were too busy... dealing with Ken.
- The thing is I didn't wanna get in the middle of y'all (bleep).
- But as a friend, if you gon' call me family, like, even not
wanting to be involved and being, like,
yo, but are you okay? Like, concern at all?
- I didn't wanna get involved with y'all (bleep).
- But you was involved on his end, though.
- No, he reached out to me.
- You're not gonna tell me that this is regular.
That's how it was before 'cause it's not, like don't--
At least give me that. - I'm telling you.
I didn't pick a side. And to be honest with you, Nessie,
if I didn't (bleep) with you, I wouldn't
be here talking to you right now.
Oh, wow! I definitely wasn't expecting
all this from Nessie right now.
I didn't want y'all to get together in the first place.
But they decided they wanted to be together.
If your heart got hurt, that's because
you put yourself in that position.
- You picked sides, bro.
That (bleep) hurt especially when I bring it to you,
and then you still invalidate me.
I already been invalidated over and over and over again
by a man I love, you know what I'm saying?
I had a hard time unloving him, you know what I'm saying?
Like...
I'm just so sick of standing in front of people
and them telling me, like, that blue is black
and black is blue, and it's not, bro.
- I hear what you saying.
But hear what I'm saying too.
It's not my obligation to take care of you.
It's my obligation to take care of me.
- Come on, bro, don't do that, yo.
Don't do that, like... I just feel like
we was in my head, you know what I'm saying?
That might have been my bad. Like, I created like a,
you know what I'm saying? He was like my bro,
for real, for real, you know? Um...
♪♪♪♪
Realistically, it seems like me and Lemeir's
friendship is coming to an end. You're not checking on me.
You're not including me in, like, future business plans.
And now you're just gonna leave me hanging, and you're only
worried about yourself and whatever you can do for Ken?
Like, I just don't see where it can go from here.
I just can't do this right now. I need to process all this.
'Cause I feel like I'm just, like, talking in circles.
We not getting nowhere. And nothing's being
reciprocated right now. I'm just gonna go.
♪♪♪♪
- I remember when the doctor first walked in and told us he didn't make it.
- You're not fine, and it scares me.
- I'm happy, I'm good, I'm not in jail.
Be happy I'm not in jail. - Okay, that's it, I'm done.
(cheering)
- Since your man can't be here tonight.
- (shrieking)
(knocking on door)
(loud scream)
- What the hell? - We need to hold for a second.
The assistant city manager said
there is a no tattoo shop ordinance
in the city of Compton.
- What? That is crazy.
- You talking to us now, but it's, like,
damn, this (bleep) might be too late.
♪♪♪♪
- ♪♪ MTV ♪♪