Explain the stories and history behind your tattoos.
On my left arm, I have different pieces of Guadalupe/Fatima (one of which is a memorial for
my mom with an archway made of guns shooting feathers out of it), a Japanese geisha girl,
the Planet of the Drums symbol, and a Portuguese and pirate inspired firearm. On my right
arm, I have King Hammurabi, a Ghanian mask, African temple flowers, the Egyptian god,
Aker (the double lion god), King Tutankhamen, and a memorial to the Egyptians that helped
build the pyramids. On my chest and stomach, I have a Japanese warrior doing a full action
kick with a drawn sword ready to connect into the eye of a dragon. This is pretty much the
most extreme visual on how I’m inspired to live my life. A reminder to mys elf to charge into
any given circumstance with everything I've got and live life to the fullest. On my back, there
is a phoenix being killed by the ghost of a lion. This was from an intense dream I had where
a phoenix came down from the sky with a massive spear to hunt a lion... He was jealous that
the lion was king and wanted to show the dominance he held over animals and mankind.
When the phoenix approached the lion, he threw the spear at the lion and the lion's body
turned into a ghost. The spear floated right through him. The lion turned back into his living
form and then leaped toward the sky and bit the head off the phoenix in one bite and then
devoured his body. I don't know what the fuck this dream means, but I woke up, sketched it,
and then gave to my homie, Christian Barcelos in Portugal to put his own creative influence
into and tattoo on my back. Maybe I did too many drugs as a kid....it definitely felt like a dream
inspired by DMT. I have a tattoo I gave myself when I was twelve or thirteen with India ink,
some thread, and a sewing needle. I was drunk at my friend, Steve's house and lost a bet so I
had to tattoo a goldfish cracker into my ankle. Some stupid kid shit, but I knew at an early age
I would be in love with tattoos. I actually had fun giving it to myself. It's funny - I have a degree
in animation and I came out of college and just started touring the world. One day, I would
love to focus on my hand art after music and learn the trade of tattooing.
What’s your favorite tattoo?
My favorite tattoo is the only color tattoo I have on my body. It’s an unfinished Ghanian mask
that my good friend Marla tattooed me with. Sadly, she died of a heroin overdose. I always
left it unfinished and swore it would be my only color tattoo that I ever put on my body after
she was gone. The mask represents a story I was told in Johannesburg, South Africa by
an old man that sold me the mask that inspired the tattoo to begin with. He told me a story
of a village long ago that was suffering from a severe famine. A god came down and told
the suffering villagers that if they gave up all of their worldly physical possessions that they
would be lifted to a utopia with endless food and water where they would thrive for many
years to come. Everyone that threw their possessions into the sea were lifted and transported
to somewhere beautiful and the villagers that couldn't find the strength to part with their
physical possessions became emaciated from famine and died. I related to the story because
I always have felt that things are just things. Objects are just objects. Life is about health,
happiness, and the strength of the human spirit and how we all connect. Sure, a Rolex and a
Lamborghini is nice, but you aren't taking any of that shit with you when you die. If anything,
the only thing we are capable of taking is our soul.
Have any famous tattoo artists tattooed you?
Bill Funk. He did the dragon on my chest freehand and did it in a little over an hour. That guy
is a beast.
Do you have any plans to get more tattoos? If so, what else do you plan on getting?
I’d like to get a memoriam of my brother and mother who passed away. That's definitely the
next tattoo I am getting.
Why is body art important to you?
It's communication. It’s telling your history, personality, and character through a visual art to
others around you. Your body is your temple. Decorate that motherfucker and pay homage to
where you come from. Let the world know.
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