By Valder Beebe
Columnist
Interviewing millennial reality show stars is always revealing. In conjunction with talking about their upcoming season 6, Black Ink Crew’s Charmaine responded to an audience member’s questions about gun violence in Chicago. Ryan Henry’s success and hustle with his tattoo business has broken down barriers and established 9MAG into one of the most sought after tattoo shops in Chicago. This season, the stakes are high for Ryan as he enters therapy after realizing he’s been using his shop to avoid dealing with the death of his sister.
With the help of his brothers Don and Phor, Ryan is determined to keep his circle tight and continue to develop his relationship with his son while co-parenting with Rachel. Charmaine Walker is celebrating entrepreneurship in a male-dominated industry by opening one of Chicago’s first female-owned and operated tattoo shops. With the help of a renowned British tattoo artist, they plan to employ true Chicago natives, who have struggled through the system and know how to work a tattoo gun. This massive shake-up in the Windy City tattoo industry threatens to take 9MAG’s spot at the top. –Text provided by Black Ink Crew publicists.
VBS: Ryan & Charmaine, you are here to represent VH1’s Black Ink Crew. Charmaine, you are representing women entrepreneurs in a non-traditional female business.
CW: It’s really an honor being in the position that I am in, yet being male or female being an entrepreneur is challenging. I’m the owner of the first owned and operated female tattoo shop in Chicago. The audience will see a female owner who is not a tattoo artist owning and managing a tattoo shop which has been a male-dominated business field.
RH: This is going into our sixth season. You see me become an adult and being a man.
VBS: Becoming an adult, let’s expound on that. You have made the decision to seek therapy which is a non-traditional choice for African Americans, especially males. Tell my audience a little about that choice.
RH: ABSOLUTELY! Being accountable for my actions. Moving forth and growing in what I am doing. Looking back on five-ten years ago, I felt I could solve my problems. Now being mature looking forward and getting a different view is what going to therapy provided me in solving business and personal challenges.
Black Ink Crew full interview YouTube.com/valderbeebeshow.
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