Black Ink Crew New York

Black Ink Crew New York follows Ceaser, Harlem's reigning tattoo king, as he manages his expanding tattoo empire and his rambunctious staff.
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Cast

Ceaser

Cast Member

Ceaser is the owner and creator of the Black Ink brand. From its inception in Harlem, New York, Ceaser dreamed of turning his business into an empire, and he's accomplishing his dream one expansion at a time. With seven shops open across the U.S., and two new locations in Houston and Milwaukee, big boss Ceaser doesn't plan on stopping. After the 113th shop permanently closed, Ceaser turned the Brooklyn shop into the flagship. During the pandemic, Ceaser stepped back to focus on his personal life in Atlanta with his new boo Suzette, who has been his rock for over a year and stood by his side at his lowest moments. Although his empire is flourishing, Ceaser remains silent as he watches his personal and business relationships crumble from the allegations made about him in the blogs by his ex-girlfriend Crystal and their daughter. To combat the negative press and clear his name, Ceaser addresses the allegations head-on at a press conference. Although Ceaser hopes telling his side of the story will be the answer to all his problems, it ultimately leads to more problems with his daughter, which he was desperate to avoid. Ceaser begins to feel the pressure of being a business owner and having a broken relationship with his daughter. He breaks up with Suzette so he can put his focus on being the best person he can be for himself, his community, businesses and family. Ceaser does his best to show up for each Black Ink shop and gives them all the unique attention they need -- only asking for their loyalty in return. When the entire Atlanta shop attends his nemesis's tattoo convention representing the Black Ink brand, Ceaser bosses up and fires them all. With the Atlanta shop empty, Ceaser asks his New York crew to fly to Atlanta and bring more business to the shop because Black Ink is a family, and every shop represents one another. Ceaser brings together the entire Black Ink family to prove they are stronger together. After hosting everyone and giving back to the community, Ceaser challenges Brooklyn, Chicago and Compton, California, to a battle of the "Tattoo Titans." Will Ceaser be able to pull off his biggest plan to date? When needle touches skin, who will ink the crown for their city? Or will their homegrown egos tear down everything Ceaser has worked so hard to build?

Sky

Cast Member

Sky is Black Ink's quick-witted and fiery manager. Born and raised in Harlem, Sky brings the real to the shop. She isn't afraid to speak the truth, and though it sometimes causes her trouble, what Sky brings to the table is always genuine. Though she's spent time working on improving her family, Sky continues to challenge herself to become a better woman, a better mother and an entrepreneur. With half of her focus in Miami growing her brand and Her Little Secret Boutique, Sky continues to run Black Ink's HR. With all that's on her plate, Sky worries that all she's done to bring the family together will fall apart when her sons start spending more time together, and Des moves in with his older brother.

Donna

Cast Member

Donna's dream was to work at Black Ink, so this Cleveland-born girl packed her bags and said goodbye to the Midwest. After many ups and downs with Ceaser, the two finally came to a mutual respect and understanding. She's in a long-term relationship with fellow tattoo artist Alex, but her anger and conflict at the shop threaten everything she's worked for.

Teddy

Cast Member

Teddy, born and raised in the Bronx, New York, first came to Black Ink after distancing himself from life on the streets. Since then, he's always kept an eye out for his cousin Ceaser. Teddy's role at Black Ink has changed over the years, from shop manager to VP of operations and now president, with financial investments in multiple Black Ink shops. With the street life far behind him, Teddy is on a new level! He spent much of the pandemic growing his flourishing relationship with his wife and investing in music, his second love. Teddy started his music label and management company RGLR LVNG, and invested in a studio space. Things get weird between Teddy and Ceaser after Teddy is a no-show at Ceaser's press conference. Teddy doesn't agree with how Ceasar is handling the situation with Cheyenne, but can he keep it a buck with his cousin without causing strain between them? Teddy becomes a dog dad to Instagram famous puppy Kimchi and delights in spoiling her rotten. When he asks the shop to babysit her while he runs some errands, Kimchi disappears, and they scramble to find her before Teddy returns. With a successful movie premiere under his belt, Teddy decides he likes the way he looks on the big screen. To everyone's surprise, he announces to Ceaser and the crew he is moving to Atlanta to pursue acting full-time. As his personal goals fall into place, will his loyalty to Black Ink and Ceaser ruin the life that Teddy is building?

Melody

Cast Member

Born and raised in Florida, Melody moved to New York to fulfill her dream of being a successful artist in the big city. Melody's eclectic personality draws in all sorts of clients, from drag queens to the girl next door. While her artistic style is realistic, her tattoos often express spiritual themes that serve as sources of strength for her clients. She brings a fresh perspective to the crew, and she isn't afraid to say what everyone else is thinking.

Walt

Cast Member

Walt was a mainstay at Black Ink from the very beginning. Though often caught in the middle of shop feuds, he attempted to keep the peace between his friends. Walt finally had his own place and a good relationship with his kids, and things seemed to be taking a turn for the better, but allegations at the 125th shop led to a major rift with Ceaser and the rest of the crew.

Young Bae

Cast Member

Young Bae moved to New York City in 2007, leaving behind an abusive father and a difficult home life in Seoul, South Korea. With only $73 to her name, she made ends meet by taking any job that came her way and using her street smarts and charm to land a job as a tattoo artist, despite never having tattooed in her life. After opening a shop in New York City, Bae balances being a single mother and running her business. Bae must also deal with racist comments, and she stands with the Asian American and Pacific Island community to #StopAsianHate. Bae decides to make a positive impact by organizing a Stop Asian Hate and Black Lives Matter march across the Brooklyn Bridge. During the second Black Ink Battle of the season, things take a wrong turn for Bae when she is accused of making a colorist remark to a client. Feeling ostracized by her crew, Bae takes some time alone but eventually returns to the shop once she accepts that it was a learning experience for everyone involved. Love hits Bae hard from someone she would never expect! After her divorce from Rob, Bae finds herself happy in another relationship with a new boo. Will her unexpected love interest cause a rift with the rest of the cast?

Puma

Cast Member

With the closing of the 113th shop and the demands placed on the crew at the new Brooklyn flagship store, Ceaser expects Puma to show up in person and be the boss. But leaving the safety of his family quarantine bubble in a pandemic puts a strain on Puma's mental health. Hesitant to step back into the real world, Puma must figure out a way to juggle his wife Quani, their two kids, being a boss at Black Ink, running his own empire and keeping his family safe. After their three-month stay in Atlanta, Quani got a taste of Southern hospitality and wants to move her family there as soon as possible! With Puma, the head of the household, feeling the pressure, he struggles to decide between uprooting his family from everything they know or making his wife happy. Puma develops a rewarding partnership with Chace Village owner Tyree in Atlanta. As a thank you for Puma's dedication to Chace Village and to support the organization's vision to become a Silicon Valley for Black creatives, Tyree gifts Puma an acre of land, making Puma the first person to own land in his family. With the rest of the bosses handling business out of town, Puma tries to boost the morale in the shop with another Black Ink Battle: Boys vs. Girls. Unfortunately, the competition takes a left turn, and Puma is left to address the issues with colorism and the lack of customer service in the shop. Will Puma put his family plans on hold to continue to build up Black Ink?

Miss Kitty

Cast Member

Miss Kitty served as Black Ink's brand ambassador. The D.C. native is as blunt as they come -- and when things don't go her way, she's not one to back down. As Miss Kitty focused on bringing celebrity clientele to the shop, rumors about a relationship with Ceaser's enemy Ryan from Black Ink Crew Chicago led to her being fired and fractured several of her friendships among the crew. She then went to work at 2nd City Ink in Chicago while Charmaine was on maternity leave.

Tatti

Cast Member

After struggling with coworker relationships, Tatti has adopted a new Zen personality. Her relationships in the shop have grown, and she is no longer looked at as the bad guy. The pandemic has served as a time of focus, responsibility and hard work for her, and she became a first-time homeowner and grew several of her side businesses, including becoming a personal trainer. Tatti hopes to gain more responsibility at the shop, all while playing surrogate mother to her younger cousins living under her roof. Overwhelmed with trying to juggle it all, Tatti admits to Puma that she is facing serious federal charges in a drug case that threatens her freedom and everything she has worked hard to accomplish. Tatti questions her future at Black Ink after Ceaser tells her she can't own her franchise until her case is closed. Refusing to let her legal situation dictate her life, Tatti moves forward with her career at Black Ink and hopes Ceaser will ultimately see her potential. Will Tatti be found guilty or innocent? Will she continue with Black Ink or have to say goodbye to her franchise dreams?

Alex

Cast Member

Alex is one of the best tattoo artists in Brooklyn, but when Donna works her way back into the Black Ink family, Alex struggles with his future in the industry. Fresh from rehab for his bad back, Alex works to recover from his injury. Though he finally makes amends with Ceaser, Alex still has trust issues with his former coworkers. After a rocky trip to Atlanta, Alex returns to the Brooklyn shop without Donna and must navigate his relationship with the crew. When Ceaser makes it clear that Donna is not welcome inside the Black Ink shops, Alex is forced to choose between his relationship and the crew. Alex, determined to protect his peace this season and find calm in chaos, introduces the crew to equanimity. He turns the back of the shop into a green space dubbed the "Dead Ass Garden" with the help of Spyder and Bux, so everyone has somewhere to turn when they need a break from the drama. Will practicing equanimity keep Alex sane or will balancing his relationship with Donna and the Black Ink crew lead him down a dark path?

O'S**t/Richard

Cast Member

One thing's for sure: Wherever the artist formerly known as O' S**t goes, trouble is sure to follow. Whether breaking up fights with his baby mamas or being in the wrong place at the wrong time, O'S**t's life is always interesting. Born in the Bronx and raised in New York and South Carolina, O' S**t is a former college athlete, who tore his ACL early in his sports career. His injury ended his football career, and he turned to his love of art. For O' S**t, tattooing is all about the art. O' S**t's struggle with substance use has been a tough one for him, but after getting sober in California and meeting the love of his life there, O'S**t has a new outlook on life and a new name: Richard.

Krystal

Cast Member

The artistic bombshell of Black Ink is back! After a rocky start at Black Ink, Krystal has made amends with the ladies of the shop. Hailing from the Bronx, New York, Krystal is seriously skilled at tattooing. Now that the 113th shop is closed, Krystal is tattooing at the 125th shop and leading in sales and tattoos. In Atlanta, she beat out Spyder in a tattoo competition, protecting her title as the lead tattoo artist! Tattooing isn't Krystal's only creative outlet -- rapping is a passion of hers that she explores as well. If she proves to Ted that she's serious about music, she might have a shot at being signed to his label! While she ascends the creative world, her relationship with Rok has also reaches new heights. Blending her personal and professional lives can't be easy, especially since she's also been secretly working on pursuing her music dreams. Can this Black Ink newbie have it all?