Black Ink Crew Compton

Renowned tattoo artist Danny "KP" Kirkpatrick and his crew aren't just running a business -- they're changing the way the world thinks about their city.
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Cast

KP

Cast Member

From the streets of Compton, Danny "KP" Kirkpatrick rose up to become a famed tattoo artist and rapper, and he returned home to build IAM Compton, the city's first tattoo shop. After a rocky start with his team during the first season, followed by the pandemic shutdown and social unrest caused by systemic racism, the other cast members let him know at the reunion that there is no IAM team right now. No one seems to be on his side at the moment, not even his own city, but KP is determined to build on the opportunity given to him regardless of who believes he deserves it.

Lemeir

Cast Member

Lemeir left his crime-infested Philadelphia neighborhood for the sunny streets of L.A. a few years ago and has made a name for himself as a popular tattoo artist and entrepreneur. He and his high school sweetheart Danielle opened Happy Ice, a successful food truck business turned storefront on L.A.'s famed Melrose Avenue. Their daughter Summer is two, they're expecting another member of the growing family, and Lemeir is bringing his mom to L.A. to start another food truck. After a rocky start at IAM, Lemeir isn't sure how he fits into KP's vision. With an unexpected guest making some appearances to try and salvage the brotherhood, can he and KP fix what is broken?

Nessie

Cast Member

Another L.A. transplant, Nessie is good friends with Lemeir and decided to join the IAM team alongside her Philly bro two years ago. Nessie is very vocal about women's empowerment and sexism within the tattoo world, and she works hard to prove she's just as good as, if not better than, the men. Nessie still has ill feelings from all the drama right before the pandemic shutdown. She wasn't sure if her truce with Barbie was genuine, and she felt villainized by KP and Tim. These last couple of years, she has made a name for herself with a growing list of clients, so the thought of going back to a shop where she didn't feel respected is a tough one to swallow. Will history repeat itself if she decides to come back to Compton?

Vudu Dahl

Cast Member

Raised in a religious cult near Seattle, Vudu was sheltered from the outside world until she left to become a tattoo artist and model. Obsessed with art that highlights the female body, sexuality and Asian culture, Vudu is unlike any other artist on the IAM team, and she refuses to be dismissed. After facing her past demons and her upbringing during the first season, Vudu has been on a healing journey. Since the IAM shop was put on hold and she never heard from KP during that time, Vudu took a job at another shop in Venice. But will she find her way back to Compton after time away from the issues the shop brought into her life?

Ink Drippin'

Cast Member

Ink Drippin' has been on a new path in life since he was last inside of IAM. The pandemic and a near-death experience with a fire refocused his energy on his family, and he has been putting the pieces of his life back together and pursuing holistic healing. His playboy days are on hold as he is using his recent experiences to better serve the community that raised him. With his fresh attitude, he hopes to learn from the more experienced artists at IAM. But an issue with an old friend could halt those plans. Will the shop's drama get in the way of his future?

Alana

Cast Member

The baby of the crew, viewers met Alana during the first season as the newest hire who beefed with just about every woman at the shop. This half-Mexican, half-Chinese L.A. native was kicked out of her house at 18 for following her dreams of being a tattoo artist. She hustled her way to the IAM shop, where KP saw her potential and hired her on the spot. During the pandemic shutdown, Alana moved to Arizona to live with her new boyfriend, but a health scare caused her to move back home. Alana is now in a long-distance relationship and hopes to get back in the IAM shop.

Tim

Cast Member

Shop manager Tim is KP's cousin, right-hand man and loyal to the end. They grew up playing football together in Compton, and Tim went on to earn a degree and build a promising career on the gridiron, but after hanging up his jersey, Tim returned home to help build IAM Compton, where his affiliations with local gangs helped KP navigate the tangled world of hood politics. He lives and breathes the IAM Compton brand and will do anything to protect it.

Barbie

Cast Member

A beauty on a Harley, Barbie is a long-time friend of KP who sprinkles a whole lot of style, class and sass onto the IAM team. During Season 1, Barbie's loyalty shifted to some of the newer additions within the crew. While she hopes to salvage her relationship with the guys she started the shop with, her time is very limited since getting engaged and having her first child during the pandemic. She hopes her engagement can lead to a happily ever after if she and her fiancé can get on the same page. With new priorities in her life and new hires at IAM, does Barbie see herself back in the shop?

Danielle

Cast Member

Lemeir's high school sweetheart Danielle is the definition of a ride-or-die chick, coming with him to L.A. and starting the Happy Ice business with him. Danielle has taken a step back from the business to run an online boutique and focus on being a mom. Although Summer is now two, Danielle still battles with postpartum depression and finds it hard to balance being a mom, a fiancée, and her own boss. Plus, she's pregnant again. Although Danielle is happy about the new baby, she is feeling overwhelmed with everything on her plate. With her mother-in-law coming to live with them for a while and Lemeir nurturing his new businesses, will Danielle be able to balance it all and keep her mental health in check?

Star

Cast Member

Since the shop was in desperate need of help, KP brought in Star, who has all the goods to deal with temperamental artists, plus connections in L.A. and the tattoo industry. Dubbed the West Coast Barbie, Star brings the color, the flare, the attitude and the truth! Star is here to put the shop on the map and to bring KP's IAM vision to life, and she is not afraid to step on toes to get there. She has big dreams of being a self-made woman who can take care of her loved ones and be more than what the blogs make of her. How will KP manage this big personality?

Polo

Cast Member

Polo is the newest member of the IAM family and a prime example of how the shop wants to help the community through art. After serving a long and unjust prison sentence, Polo is on a new path in life and wants to expand on the passion for tattooing he found in prison, where he became one of the best artists and even learned how to make his own tattoo gun from raw materials. His main focus is not going back to prison, and he hopes to surround himself with people who inspire him.

Armani

Cast Member

Armani is a self-made woman who carved her own way when she left the street life behind. The single mom started her own food truck alongside the famed Trap Kitchen. A long-time friend of Kyla Pratt, she met KP when they were teens and has always supported his endeavors. Armani is the buffer between KP and all the drama with the employees at the shop, and her tough, no-nonsense attitude covers a kind heart. Quick to fire off her thoughts and often going toe-to-toe with the other employees, her loyalty to KP and IAM is clear.

Kyla Pratt

Cast Member

More than just an actress and KP's girlfriend, Kyla is a crucial partner at IAM Compton. As a Compton native herself, she was eager to help KP achieve his dream of opening the city's first tattoo shop, and while many remember Kayla as a precocious Disney Channel star, this spitfire with a sharp tongue has grown up and is all about the boss game now.