Biggie’s golden anniversary is this upcoming Saturday. The Notorious B.I.G., who would have turned 50-years-old on May 21, is receiving a number of tributes in New York City.
On Friday, there will be a ceremony in partnership with Bad Boy/Atlantic and Rhino Records at the Empire State Building with family members, friends and collaborators of the legendary rapper, Christopher Wallace.
While Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will feature a video montage of him on the mega oculus display above the venue’s entrance.
New York City is going B.I.G. for Biggies 50th birthday.
On Saturday, the landmark skyscraper will be changing its lights to red and white, with a crown spinning on its mast.
In addition, the MTA is releasing a special MetroCard edition featuring the Brooklyn-born Hip-Hop icon and there will be a free orchestral tribute at the Lincoln Center on June 10.
Biggie’s golden anniversary is this upcoming Saturday. The Notorious B.I.G., who would have turned 50-years-old on May 21, is receiving a number of tributes in New York City.
On Friday, there will be a ceremony in partnership with Bad Boy/Atlantic and Rhino Records at the Empire State Building with family members, friends and collaborators of the legendary rapper, Christopher Wallace.
While Brooklyn’s Barclays Center will feature a video montage of him on the mega oculus display above the venue’s entrance.
New York City is going B.I.G. for Biggies 50th birthday.
On Saturday, the landmark skyscraper will be changing its lights to red and white, with a crown spinning on its mast.
In addition, the MTA is releasing a special MetroCard edition featuring the Brooklyn-born Hip-Hop icon and there will be a free orchestral tribute at the Lincoln Center on June 10.
The original album cover art painting from Tupac Shakur’s The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory, recorded under the pseudonym Makaveli, will be auctioned by Riskie Forever in collaboration with Zelus, a company that aims to revolutionize the way people interact with art and finance, and Heritage Auctions.
Makaveli front cover
Working with Heritage, Zelus will auction the original record cover painting from now until June 18 together with a one-of-a-kind NFT that includes a never-before-heard tale from Riskie about the piece’s beginnings. On a 29″ × 47″ canvas seen via a 35″ x 53″ frame, the original painting was produced using airbrush and mixed media. The NFT will deliver a one-of-a-kind collectible experience related to a piece of hip-hop history to the buyer.
On his podcast “Hotboxin’ w/ Mike Tyson,” longtime friend of Tupac Shakur and boxing legend Mike Tyson will discuss the original painting while showcasing the artwork. He’ll talk about his memories of Tupac, as well as the significance of the album cover in music history. On May 19, the show will appear on YouTube with special guests Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
“This episode was cool to shoot,” said Tyson. “Having the opportunity to honor Pac and have this painting here with us was awesome. It’s by far the most iconic hip hop album artwork of all time.”
On May 19, Heritage Auctions, located at 445 Park Avenue, will host the “HeritageNow” event. The auction will feature items like Frank Miller’s original cover art for The Dark Knight Returns Book One, which has never been auctioned before; Enola Gay Captain Robert Lewis’ contemporaneous first-hand account of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945; a manuscript in Mozart’s hand from The Marriage of Figaro; and other iconic, major moments in American and world history. As part of the exhibition, Heritage has included the Riskie Forever cover art painting.
“The Don Killuminati is, of course, now regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time, and its cover art by Riskie is no less a masterwork – a true collaboration between two geniuses that resulted in one of music and popular culture’s most indelible images,” said Heritage Auctions’ Executive Vice President, Joe Maddalena. “It’s one of the few album covers ever created that merited critical discussion – there are so many theories behind its meaning – and it’s an honor and thrill to offer this not just as a piece of music history, but as a true work of American art.”
Riskie sold the original physical artwork he made in 1996 for The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory’s album cover to a long-time fan in 2015. However, in 2021, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the posthumous album’s publication, Zelus assisted Riskie Forever in reclaiming the artwork. Tupac was introduced to Riskie by Suge Knight, and after seeing Riskie’s portfolio, Tupac insisted that his label pay him to create a picture depicting Tupac crucified on a cross, just like Jesus, complete with a crown of thorns. Tupac was seen the artwork just days before his sad demise.
“I remember giving Pac the painting officially, I knew then this was something special,” said Riskie Forever. “Now to be able to celebrate that legacy while creating something truly new and unique – that’s something I’m incredibly proud to be a part of.”
Who could see the Black Ink brand becoming this large? Ceasar Emanuel could. Shops across the country, one of the most popular franchises on reality TV, and now, a tattoo battle pitting the Black elite from across the country in a competitive arena are just a few of the achievements that have come from the grind of his hard work.
The aforementioned tattoo competition is a part of the current seasons of Black Ink Crew and Black Ink Crew Compton. Both casts, and the Chicago crew, convened in Atlanta for the battle. Iron sharpening iron.
During his visit to Atlanta for the battle, Ceasar spoke with The Source on just how massive this battle is, reflecting on the success of Black Ink, and more.
What led to the creation of this battle?
Ceasar: Short version is as a Black man coming up in this industry. Y’all seen me on TV basically for 10 seasons. But a lot of people don’t know the backstory and what we have to deal with outside of just being on TV in this tattoo industry. A lot of people don’t understand as a Black tattoo artist, how difficult it is to be industry. A lot of times you see these competition shows and it doesn’t represent us. They’ll put us on there with crazy talent, but we won’t even be able to get out the second round. So this right here is to set a certain tone. People know us for what goes on in the shop. Our ratchetness, but nobody knows that we really artists. We really feed our family off what we do before we got on TV. We are artists. This competition is not just a competition to do it, but this is a competition to really show the world that we’re very skillful people.
You mentioned 10 seasons. A lot of people don’t get that, especially Black people. Being the focal point of this series, how do you manage to keep it a must-watch?
I can’t say necessarily humble, but me not getting a big head. And that’s because of people around me. Ted is around to keep me humble. When I start on too much, people are there to bring me down. But then when I start being on my low, there are people to tell me to pick up your chin. A lot of people need that. Ted’s been around 10 years on TV, been sitting on the couch where he’s been the most important person to me.
Even 10 seasons going, people can sit here and be like, “I could really relate with Caesar.” I was in a shop across the street from the projects and that’s where we made it from. So I think a lot of people mess with the show because they seen the struggle. They been day ones. They seen how we couldn’t even afford to have lights on. And then we got to hit. It’s almost like, one of those American dream stories.
Before this, I was barely able to afford Chinese food, so it is a whole different thing. It’s also a responsibility. I remember going to LA Fitness and a lady asked me, “does anyone ever tell you that you look like Ceasar from Black Ink?” and I respond all the time. She then just started talking about me and I really don’t really look at myself like how this lady who blending my juices does. She’s calling me an inspiration and stuff like that. So I really just try to stay humble and out of trouble to set an example in this situation.
New York, Chicago, AND Compton are all in the same building?! Ceaser’s GOTTA be up to something.
In this competition, it’s you, Ryan, iamCompton, and all of your shops. It’s a bond but you can tell everybody feels they are the best. When it comes to getting ready for this competition, how did you prep your team? What strategy did you have? What words did you give them? Because you Ceasar, you can’t come in here and host the joint and lose
Can’t lose. But at the end of the day, everybody gonna understand this is family, right? So I don’t want anybody to sit there and get into a fistfight over this. But like I told my people, “yo, y’all better turn up.” This is your time to shine. We got this big stage, this big platform we want to show out for, not just us, but for the culture. This ain’t about your individual glory. This is about glory as a community. We all understand the bigger picture in this. But a lot of us want to battle anyway.
How often would you want to replicate this? You got a handful of artists here but around the nation, it’s so many more.
That’s when, we just started something that basically can keep going, almost like a battle rap thing. I could go to every city and I could put people up against each other. And that’s what the showcase is to show other people’s skill. I feel like this next level is really a showcase in talent. Not just people who work in Black Ink, but minority tattoo artists everywhere.
You’re a busy man. You run shops everywhere. How do you keep your actual tattoo skills sharp?
I’ll be honest with you, bro. I’m completely honest with you. I tattoo on the low. When people would sit there and be posting they tattoos, you probably won’t see me posting a lot of my tattoos because I’m sitting there working on my craft. Plus tattooing is almost therapeutic to me. So most of the time I’ll be tattooing in the middle of the night and nobody knows it. I don’t take a lot of clients because I like doing big jobs. So I only take up like probably 15 clients for the year but those are like big pieces. Like bodysuits and whatnot. That’s how I hone my skills. I’m not really showing the picture until I finish the whole bodysuit.
The one thing I’ve learned from an OG, if you the biggest earner in your shop, you doing it wrong. The problem I always used to have, especially in my first three shops, is I was the main earner and I kept putting myself first instead of putting my employees first and I had to learn that. So a lot of times I pull myself back from tattooing and being booked out. Cause at the end of the day, bro, I’m 42 years old. I probably got like probably seven more years of tattoo left than me. Yeah. I got, I’m gonna have to leave it for these young bucks sooner or later you feel me? I’m gonna be in there, but you know, I’m gonna go from a player to a coach.
The different shops. You had to move to Brooklyn and it was kind of like a homecoming store, but people often talk about Brooklyn’s change. It’s gentrifying. Everything is switching up. So you have this Black tattoo shop in the middle of a gentrifying Brooklyn and you are about to be a staple. How does that feel?
It feels different. A lot of people don’t know. I started in Brooklyn. A lot of people don’t know I started in that same neighborhood. For me to basically leave Brooklyn and come back when basically Bedstuy is being stripped of everything that made it Bedstuy. It feels good to come back and show them like, yo, we ain’t gotta leave our hoods to other people. We ain’t gotta leave. We could take over our own neighborhood. We could own these stores. A lot of people just get so they get so uncomfortable on sitting and being an entrepreneur. They rather work a nine to five, knowing that they’re gonna give their money at the end of the week. They don’t really gotta hustle as much as an entrepreneur. Well, they don’t know, they hustle more than entrepreneurs.
When I came back, it was to yo, you don’t necessarily have to leave your hood to be comfortable. You could buy your hood back and stay there. I always felt our biggest problem was always yo, as soon as I get some money, I’m outta here. We never once sat there and say, once I get some money, I’m buying back my block. Most of the time people leave they hood cause they’re not comfortable. I’m more comfortable in my hood. So I always came with that idea one day, there’s going to be a franchise to be a symbol for those who have watched me for 10 years and grew with me and who can walk up on me like I’m their cousin. Cause a lot of these people went through the struggle with me and I didn’t even know it. Even with the kids, some been watching me since second grade. They in high school now and they’ll tell me scenes from like season two. Like wow. It is almost like a cult feeling. We really got into the culture and I’m just blessed because when we came on, it was just so many great reality shows on and we ain’t have the fancy cars. We didn’t have the big names. We got Harlem.
How much do you miss the old shop?
A lot. A lot. A lot. I ain’t gonna lie. When we lost 113, I cried because I always felt like it was my responsibility to keep that shop. We all grew up in it. Our memories is just embedded in that shop. Like we had the most fun, broke in that shop. And we went from broke, basically project kids to who we are now in that shop. But it was nothing I could do. It hurt me the worst cause it was a greedy landlord that wouldn’t let up. You go from rent being $5,000. So you wanna charge us $25,000 a month. Who is doing that for something that’s less than a thousand square feet? And that burnt my soul because even if I just left it just, not even as a working tattoo shot, but basically got a museum for Black Ink to see where we started. I wanted that and it was just taken away from me. If you go past it now it’s not even open. Nobody’s taking it because everybody know what it is. The community won’t let anybody take it. Somebody try to move in that right now. They gonna shut it down. The community misses me. And I did so much for that community. I miss it.
When you first saw this battle arena set up, how did you feel?
I’m be truthful with you. I’m be a man with you. I had to hold back my tears because a lot of people don’t know the struggle to get here. It took us 10 years to get here. For us to go from where we was and how people looked at us like we was the black sheep from day one. People saying we don’t represent our culture, the struggles of trying to open up shops. And they sit here talking about, “oh they’re on TV. All they do is fighting.” And this, that and the third. Now we finally got something for us. Now it’s fair game.
I know it’s in your head. What’s the next step for the takeover?
The tour. Yeah, the tour. I’m going straight to conventions. After that, it’s going to be like a music festival. I’m going to make it almost like a Black Woodstock. It’s so much more to the Black Ink culture than just tattooing.
The pandemic hit at an unfortunate time for the Compton leg of the Black Ink Crew franchise. As viewers were able to get introduced to the cast of Compcon artists, a halt in production, and the entire world, delayed more of the stories the shop led by iamCompton.
Now, Black Ink Crew: Compton is back in season two, allowing us to learn more about the hottest Black artists on the nation’s west coast. iamCompton led that group to Atlanta to take on their counterparts from the Chicago and New York Shops.
While on hand in Atlanta, iamCompton spoke with The SOURCE about owning the first tattoo shop in Compton, gearing up for the “Battle of the Tattoo Titans,” and more.
As a fan of Black Ink, I feel like the pandemic screwed me over. Just as we got introduced to you all, the story got cut short. How was it being a shop owner and continuing business right after the initial stages of opening the shop and then the pandemic?
Honestly, it was a struggle as a first-time shop owner. Trying to do something in Compton, being the first tattoo shop ever in Compton. It was a lot of pressure on me. And then when the pandemic hit, it was like, oh man, I got this far and now I got to somehow keep it above water. I just took it one day at a time and thank God that I’m here now.
Do you feel there is a never-ending set of roadblocks and challenges?
Oh for sure. Obstacles come left and right through life it’s it is a rollercoaster, but I’ll never stop. Might ease out for a while but that’s, that’s part of life going through those hurdles.
What have you learned about yourself as a person, but also a business owner, and then a tattoo artist?
Don’t take nothing personal. It’s just business. Don’t mix emotions with business.
When you got here to Atlanta and saw the setup for the competition. How did you feel?
That was exciting. I was like, oh, hold up. We important [laughs]. Y’all took the time out to do something for us. You get kind of numb when you been working for a long time and tattooing a lot of people or to see somebody spend $1,500 on a pair of shoes or $5,000 on a bag, but they didn’t want to pay for $500 tattoo at the most. It throws you off and you feel like you are not doing enough and it’s a difficult job. Now, everything changed and now people appreciate it a little more for art. And even the things like the NFTs and stuff, the artists being more appreciated, more valuable. And that’s what I felt walking out like, oh, y’all value us. So it was excitement, a good feeling.
When you first heard about this battle and everything coming together for it, placing you in the same arena with the other two shops and on this grand stage, what was your initial thoughts?
I thought it was dope. I thought it was a great idea. I’ve been waiting to be a part of something cool like that. I didn’t know what it was, but that was it. You can take this all over the world and have fun with it. It’s the culture and it’s a part of my brand. I done dreamed about this environment, not knowing it, you know what I’m saying? I can do what I love.
This is a family environment, but at the same time, there’s a level of competitiveness that comes into it. How did you prepare yourself and your team for this?
I think they got a lot of competitive nature. I wasn’t concerned about them competing, but as far as coming and being prepared and having everything you need on a spot and then like do this right now and figure it out. You got this amount of time with the pressure for cameras and, and stuff like that. It’s difficult. But we deal with that anyway. So I think it’s dope. It’s all fun. It’s all up. At the same time, you can display your talent. They get to show their skills under pressure and see what obstacles they overcome at the end of the day. We all get a chance to use the platform to show people what we do.
Reflecting back on season one, was there a big lesson you would take a way from it?
I think I would have did the tattoo shop thing a couple of years before the show. It’s still cool that I did it the way I did it. Cause I showed the process of starting and building it from scratch. You got to see the struggles and then there you gonna be at two years from now.
You’re competing against Ryan and Ceasar. You are a boss in your own right. How do you feel coming into it? Do you look at yourself as the underdog or the upstart that is taking on the guys who have had more TV time?
Honestly, when I played football I learned to focus on your assignment and what you are supposed to do. Now me, one on one, I play receiver I’m on that island. It’s a DB trying to stop me. I’m not even worried about you. I’m calm. I know my assignment. I know what I need to do. As long as I can get to the zone, I’m good. Take your time. Be patient, keep calm. Do the assignment, get in the zone. Once you in that zone, your talent going to speak. Your art is going to speak. And this is what we do.
You art ranges from tattooing to music. Where do you draw the inspiration for your music?
I’m speaking on situations that I’m been through. I seen my life flash before my eyes and I’ve been robbed and woke up to some gun in my face. I done seen life from a different perspective. So all of this is fun. I just take it one day at a time.
The Museum of Graffiti is pleased to announce Bits and Pieces, a solo exhibition of new works by GHOST, the New York graffiti artist. The exhibition opens on May 19, 2022 and will be on view through mid-July 2022.
Bits and Pieces is Ghost’s first solo show at the Museum of Graffiti. The new works are an explosion of colors and imagery that melt into his rounded his unique graffiti letterforms. Ghost’s work contains hundreds of elements from his fantastic imagination where viewers are transported into a psychedelic world where letters come to life. “One of the highest compliments I get is that people say they feel like they took acid without taking acid. I like to take people on a trip. The more they look into the art, the more they discover my world,” states Ghost. His paintings are like eye candy to the artist who unlike many of the graffiti artists working in the streets wants his work to be accessible to the public. He adds, “I want people to get drawn in. Layers and depth are important for me to create a situation where people can spend time with my pieces. People want to walk into them and get into the art. To me that’s what makes my painting successful – when people want to walk into it. I don’t intend to do this but it just happens that way. For the most part it has been accidental discoveries during the process of painting and challenging myself.”
The new paintings include works that are reminiscent of the 1980s when he was adorning New York City’s subway trains with his original and improvised style of graffiti lettering and characters. Ghost was one of the last kings of the New York City train graffiti era. Today, he approaches his paintings with the same zest and casual grace as he does his train work, with bold explosions of colors and wild cartoons.
Katrina “Kat Tat” Jackson, a tattoo artist, television personality, and entrepreneur, has signed a First-Look, Development, and Executive Producer agreement with Paramount, it was announced today. As part of the deal, Jackson will collaborate with her production firm, Enigma Entertainment Group, to develop and executive produce unique content for Paramount.
“I couldn’t feel more blessed and I’m excited to partner with Paramount as they continue to bolster a new generation of BIPOC and women creators,” said Jackson. “I’m thrilled to not only return to TV, but to also create and produce new, fun, fresh, compelling and impactful content across all platforms.”
She will also provide on-camera services, including her long-awaited return to the Black Ink Crew franchise on VH1’s Black Ink Crew: Compton, which will run Monday nights. Jackson dazzled the globe as the star of VH1’s Black Ink Crew: Chicago for three seasons, creating a stunning tattoo on her own thigh during an outstanding episode of the show. She left the show in 2017 to focus on her own business and became the first Black woman to own a tattoo studio in Beverly Hills, California. Since then, Jackson has tattooed a slew of celebrities and athletes, including Idris Elba, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, and Von Miller.
Jackson’s artwork has been featured on ESPN, Rolling Stone, Inked, Refinery 29, VH1, BET, and a slew of other platforms and newspapers throughout the world. Jackson’s work has been shown at galleries across the country, including Art Basel in Miami, where she sold unique pieces to Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson and comedian Deon Cole. She’s also partnered with a number of well-known firms in the beauty and fashion industries, including Shoe Dazzle, Fashion Nova, Pretty Little Thing, Cantù Beauty, ORS Hair Care, and True Religion.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit featuring a celebration of Basquiat’s life will open this April,The NYC Landmark Starrett-Lehigh Building will be featuring over 200 never before and rarely seen paintings, drawing, ephemera and artifacts.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure is a deeply personal exhibition created by the Basquiat family, with the exhibition designed by acclaimed architect Sir David Adjaye OBE ~ the architect for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History in Washington, D.C. and the Studio Museum in Harlem to name just a few.
“We wanted to bring his work and personality forward, in a way only his family can, for people to immerse themselves in. We want this to be an experiential and multi-dimensional celebration of Jean-Michel’s life.”…. – Lisane Basquiat
The exhibition will be divided into seven themes ~ An Introduction (1960) ~ Kings County ~ World Famous ~ Ideal ~ 57 Great Jones Street Studio ~ Art Gallery ~ Place Jean-Michel Basquiat.
“Jean-Michel stands at the forefront of a legacy of really strong people who are committed to showing up in the world in a specific way. And that runs through our bloodline. Now our children know what can happen when you live your truth, when you stand up for what’s right for you and exert work ethic, passion & commitment to why you believe you’re here. Partly because of this blueprint, every one of our children lives in authenticity of who they are, in their own different ways,” Lisane says.
“It was important to have a show that all people want to experience. We want them to see Jean-Michel in themselves, an artist that looks like them. We want it to be completely accessible for those who have felt intimidated in the past by going to a museum,” Jeanine explains. Lisane adds: “I want people to walk away with inspiration, hope & confidence in themselves to do the same thing with whatever it is for them – whether it’s painting, music or being an accountant. To live their lives with that same commitment, dedication and grit.”
According to several confirmed reports from within the graffiti community, graffiti icon Alfredo “PerOne” Oyague has passed away. He was 55 years old.
PER ONE FX, one of NYC’s most revered innovators of style from the 80s, was a member of the world renowned Bronx-based TATS CRU before forming the FX Crew, which include prominent graff artists such as KING BEE UW, COPE2 KD, NOMAD and T-KID just to name a few.
Oyague was a pillar of graffiti culture and around the world and will be greatly missed, yet supremely remembered. RIP PER ONE FX
The music documentary captures the hugely kinetic Hyphy movement and brings the sights and sounds of the San Francisco Bay Area’s most influential musical movement of the past 30 years to life on the screen.
This music documentary feature traces Hyphy’s genesis on Bay Area streets and examines its influence with interviews from legendary figures such as Keak da Sneak and Mistah FAB to modern-day artists such as Kamaiyah, Rafael Casal, P-Lo, and G-Eazy who grew up during the movement and were deeply influenced by it.Historical context is provided by columnists and academics such as Pendarvis Harshaw and Dr. Andrea L.S. Moore.
“Hyphy had a massive influence on me as a teenager,” says Laurence Madrigal, director of WE WERE HYPHY. “I grew up in Antioch and Hyphy was everywhere. It was on the streets, in our cars, in the clothes we wore, and in the way we spoke. I’ve always wanted to share my love of Hyphy with the world and this film is a love song to the era!”
The film is a beautifully shot, heartbreakingly sweet story detailing the highs and lows of the Hyphy movement from its inauspicious start which saw a plethora of Bay Area artists crafting and selling CDs from the trunk of their cars to an unwaveringly loyal fanbase who supported the artists and partied with a hedonistic abandon at side shows. It is a love song to all those who were brought together by the sounds of the Hyphy era. The goal of the documentary is to give the audience a look into Hyphy and experience it from two perspectives – through the eyes of the artists who created the iconic sound – and through the Bay Areans who grew up listening to the music, speaking the language, rocking the fashion, swangin’ the cars, and most importantly of all, getting hyphy.
“While Hyphy had a massively formative influence on the kids growing up during the era,” says Laurence, “I think there’s a wonderful universality to the film. Everyone feels that the music they listened to as teenagers was uniquely special. And it really is. It doesn’t matter if you grew up listening to punk, or hip-hop, or classical music, the love you had for the music and the love you had for the friends you shared it with stays with you forever. And it’s this beautiful, almost lonesome nostalgia, that we tried to capture with the film. It’s a deeply personal film for me and my sincere hope is that the film captures the essence of Hyphy and does justice to the artists of the time and, most importantly of all, to the fans who shared in the experience!”
Ceaser’s GOTTA be up to something. 
