You have a pretty impressive list of clients! How did you get introduced to Jonny Craig and Craig Owens so what role did music play in your decision to pursue tattooing? RL: When I first got into tattooing I was seventeen, I didn’t get my apprenticeship till eighteen but i was very active in the music scene with going to shows often and stuff like that. During that time, I was listening to a lot of Underoath, As I Lay Dying, The Used and Story of The Year. I met a few smaller bands at shows and started tattooing them then they introduced me to their friends and so forth. After a year or two, I was tattooing bigger bands and my name was going out to the scene. I’ve tattooed twice on Vans Warped Tour and with other amazing bands like We Came as Romans and Pierce The Veil. I’ve heard that the first tattoo you ever did was on yourself, what made you decide to be your own guinea pig and who was the first big client you worked with? RL: I mean it’s pretty common for tattoo artists to do their first tattoo on themselves. I definitely don’t recommend getting a kit and trying to tattoo but that’s what I did before my apprenticeship and did one on myself one night, then was like “Okay, I got this” and did my friends. As far as first big client, I would say tattooing We Came As Romans was the first big band I tattooed. You’ve mentioned previously that if you could tattoo any person in the entire world, it would be Justin Bieber looking at you’re relatively hardcore list of musical clients, it strikes me as a strange choice. Could you elaborate on this desire? RL: I actually tattooed Justin Bieber before, it’s funny you ask that, I’m friends and tattoo a couple of his friends. I was hanging out at the house watching the new episode of Best Ink and my boy hit me up, my phone was dead. He was blowing up my phone I turned it on and he’s like “Yo, justin wants to get tattooed, get here now!” so I went to his recording studio. He was working on new music and I did a lil’ background on his sleeve. I got in contact with That’s So Raven star, Kyle Massey so I’ll be working with them soon. You’re featured on Best Ink, how did you feel about showcasing your work on television? RL: Best Ink plays on Oxygen every Wednesday and I’m a part of season three! i really just tried out and they contacted me. I love having all my friends to come over and watch it every week on my projector in the living room. + words: jake mazon + photos: alex ljubinovic
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