Before the Devin the Dude show....

Tuki had to walk his dog before the show so we drove over to his house, his brother Chris Carter filmed this video...Tuki has A.D.D. so he got side tracked...lol

New Hollyweerd song leaked......AUTOMATIC CLASSIC!

http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/05/08/hollyweerd-automatic-classic/

Here goes the next leak off the upcoming Hollyweerd mixtape, Candy for Kleptos, which is presented by your favorite dopeboyz on the internet! Look for the full tape to drop May 22nd. hit the jump for the incredibly dope artwork…

FREE DOWNLOAD (copy & paste)

http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/05/08/hollyweerd-automatic-classic/

Last Friday @ City of Ink

Last Friday was a beautiful day in City of Ink history. Corey Davis had his first solo art show. I have uploaded a lot of the photos on my facebook page. I'm very proud of Corey, I have watched this kid grow into a young man and a marketing genius. His art show was filled with people of all ages, races, and scenes...it was a very balances show. He had these japanese beers, so I was feeling GOOD...congratz Corey Davis, I hope you inspired Samba, Chris, Melvin, and Sophie to also do solo art show...lets see.

and Tuki Carters FIRST SOLO art show will be on Sat. Sept.19 (his bday)

Miya Bailey's VIMBY.COM Interview....

After that bullshit story on FreddyO.com I had to post something positive..props to AJ and Vimby for this interview....props yall! and thanks A LOT!

VIMBY - Miya Bailey

Bullshit Rick Ross & City of Ink story..........

Man, some niggaz kill me with bullshit stories tryin' to make a name for themselves. As some of yall know the police came over and started fucking with Rick Ross because his tour bus was making too much noise over at City of Ink...FreddyO.com posted FAKE BULLSHIT story about what happened that night...Rick Ross was NOT handcuffed..in fact the police never even talked to Rick Ross....they handcuffed, Tuki's brother (Chris Carter) for no reason at all...no charges happened and no one was arrested...it was funny because some dude jumped out the shadows with a camera tryin' to a story to make a career for himself...he even lied and said "She sister was in the shop" no female was at the shop period...here is the video..LOL

City of Ink's Mel-Man featured in "URBAN INK" this month (page 88)

City of Ink's very own MEL-MAN aka Melvin Todd is featured in this months Urban Ink magazine. Tuki found Mel, on myspace and after seeing his tattoo talents and artwork we decided to hire him as a tattoo artist for City of Ink. He's been professionally tattooing for 5 years now. Melvin was trained in the art of tattooing down in Alabama, and has always worked in a professional tattoo shop. He's one of the coolest laidback tattoo artists I know...so congratz on your Urban Ink feature bruh.

Me, Tuki Carter, and Melvin Todd are now all featured artists in Urban Ink Magazine...Sophie's article in Urban Ink will be featured next...and we are working on Corey Davis story also....how things are moving all 6 tattoo artists from COI will ALL be featured in the pages of Urban Ink...City of Ink the "Motown" of tattooing...we promote our artists!

PS....make sure you go to your local bookstore and pick up BOTH INKED magazine and URBAN INK magazine and support the City of Ink Movement! To book Melvin Todd for a tattoo appointment please call: 404-525-4465 (1pm-10pm) I will upload the photos of Mel's article once I go pick up my copy from Borders books....blessings yall!

2009 April issue of INKED Magazine (on sale now!)

http://www.inkedmag.com/inked_spots/37/city-of-ink/

By: by Adam Bernard, photos by Michael Blackwell
Date: 03-20-09

City of Ink
323 Walker Street
Atlanta, GA
404-525-4465
http://www.thecityofink.com

Established: 2000
Artists: Miya Bailey, Tuki Carter, Corey Davis, Chris McAdoo, Melvin Todd, Ant, Sophie


When City of Ink cofounders Miya Bailey and Tuki Carter moved their tattoo shop Prophet Art from Asheville, NC, to Atlanta in 2000, they wanted a new start, both for the shop and their art. According to Bailey, the plan was "to break that boundary of what black people and Hispanic people should be getting as tattoos and reflect more of the lifestyle of the people we were doing." The simple rule: no more "gangster-type stuff."

They christened the new shop City of Ink and designed the interior to feel more like an art gallery than a tattoo parlor. "You won't walk into City of Ink and think it's a tattoo shop," explains Bailey. "The layout is an art gallery, and it's built like a loft, so the tattoo studios are upstairs." According to Carter, there's a reason they set up their shop this way. "It shows people that we're not just tattoo artists, that we can actually come up with something that's not quote-unquote tattoo-oriented."

Looking to attract more of the artistic community, Bailey began tailoring his work to be "a reflection of free-form soul and creativity." They hired artists Corey Davis, Chris McAdoo, Melvin Todd, Ant, and Sophie, and stressed the importance of flow to their new crew. "Everything moves with the contour of the body," Bailey explains. "If you draw a tattoo on paper and stick it on like a stencil, it looks like a tattoo—it looks like it's floating in the air, it doesn't look like it's contoured with the body. Our artists do everything contoured to the body, and it's shaped out, and it flows, and it looks like fine art."

Because of the difficulty of working with skin of color, the City of Ink team also worked on developing their method and fine-tuning their machines. "A lot of the old artists told us to run the machine high and get the ink in," Bailey explains, "but that's how you create scarification. Our style is a relaxed tattooing. There's no traumatizing the skin and barely any blood."

With everything they do, it should come as no surprise that City of Ink has become, in Sophie's words, "a creative oasis for all genres of artists." Bailey is extremely proud of this fact. "We're in a situation right now where we are the central point of the arts scene in Atlanta," he beams. "Not just the tattoo scene, but the whole art and music scene. This is like the mecca. Everybody who is an artist or a musician, they come to City of Ink just for inspiration because it's open for everybody. You don't have to get a tattoo just to be here."

The inspiration generated at the shop has attracted plenty of prominent musicians, including everyone from R&B superstar Usher, who was in Carter's chair earlier this year, to legendary battle rapper Canibus, whose iconic "4,3,2,1" microphone on his arm was done by Carter. Skateboarders, such as Stevie Williams, who was inked by Sophie, are also known to frequent the shop.

Fame, however, isn't limited to the clientele. Carter and McAdoo are musicians in the group Holly Weerd, and Davis is a part of the group Mark 5. Many of the artists have art hanging on the walls of the gallery. In addition, Bailey has two books planned for 2009: City of Ink, which will be a photographic trip through the scene they've created, and The Art of Miya Bailey, which will cover Bailey's entire artistic career. The City of Ink crew is also readying a reality television show based on the shop.

But no matter what they're busy doing, there's always one overarching goal behind it all. It's in the City of Ink motto, "Inspire your City," and their logo, a dripping star. "It represents that we believe everybody's a star," Bailey says. "but only a few drip down on other stars and inspire them." —Adam Bernard

http://www.inkedmag.com/inked_spots/37/city-of-ink/

http://thecityofink.com

INKED Magazine page 100-101....it's our turn!

Go to Borders books or Barnes & Nobles and pick up the lastest April issue of INKED Magazine. The City of Ink is featured on page 100-101. Props to Adam for writing a dope 2 page spread about our movement in ATL...we are honored, and thankful for this moment. Mr. Soul got a call from Goldi Gold and said that Borders on Ponce has the new INKED magazine on sale right now. We are the first all black artist staff (and first Atlanta tattoo shop) to be featured in the pages of INKED magazine.

PS..Mel-Man aka Melvin Todd from The City of Ink is also featured in the new issue of URBAN INK magazine. I haven't seen his article yet, but I'm excited for the young man. I can't wait to see his plaque hanging up on the walls of C.O.I. Sophie just did your interview with Urban Ink a few days ago..so be on the look out for your feature in that magazine next month (I think)...but for now go support us and pick up the new INKED issue (page 100-101) and the lastest Urban Ink magazine featuring Melvin Todd.

Tattooing the female body....a lesson

You know what I don't like? I don't like when a tattoo looks like a "tattoo" on the female body. For example if you use a STENCIL on a woman it looks just like a "tattoo" no flow, it don't follow her curves, its just a plain stencil tattoo with no movement. When you tattoo a woman, just follow her natural curves, so this means no stencils, just use a marker and follow her body...no matter her size (big or small) a tattoo that flows with her curves will look sexy on anyone..I will posting some sample drawings this week before the art show showing you examples on how to use this effect...just flow her body and art will be born...Lesson ONE

MiyaBailey.com...coming SOON!

Mr.Soul has uploaded my splash page for my website. I want the site to be basic and CLEAN. I want the art, paintings, tattoo, and the ONLINE STORE to be the focus point. I hope all of you support me the same way yall supported me with, Prophet Art. Mr. Soul is a busy man, he is still working on thecityofink.com and other side projects so I want to thank my brother, for making the time for me...love you bruh!

miyabailey.com....COMING SOON!