"Black Ink Crew" expands franchise west with "Black Ink Crew: Compton"

New series premieres Tuesday, July 30th at 9PM

NEW YORK, NY (JUNE 22, 2019) - "Black Ink Crew" makes its mark on California as VH1 expands the popular franchise with, "Black Ink Crew: Compton," on Tuesday, July 30th with a two-hour premiere at 9PM ET/PT. "Black Ink Crew: Compton" follows Danny "KP" Kirkpatrick and his crew at 'IAMCompton,' the first-ever tattoo shop in Compton. Compton, known for its musical influence and iconic street art, is an artistic melting-pot ready for the newest tat crew to share their talent.

KP, famed tattoo artist and visionary, is bringing his team of artists into the community and are using their creative energy to make a change while creating a "safe zone" in the city he calls home.

At 'IAMCompton,' KP has assembled a dream team of tattoo artists, friends and new additions to build a trusted family at the shop that has become known as "a crew among gangs." Their mission is to create a movement in Compton through their creative collective by celebrating the talent, passion and rich culture of the community. The crew is here to represent the city in a way that rises above the stereotypes and embraces the rich culture of Compton. The IAMCompton artists confront identity crisis and social conflicts by channeling their imagination into body art and comradery. But with the pressure to succeed and represent their home, will they reinvent their community or fall under pressure?

Meet the crew:

KP, is the self-proclaimed "Prince of Compton" whose passion for tattooing led to founding IAMCompton - inking those exact words on his own skin. He is known as an elite tattoo artist, having inked some of the biggest names in entertainment. With a new shop opening and television series on the way, KP and his long-time partner, Kyla Pratt, careers are at an all time high.

Lemeir hails from Philadelphia and knows what it takes to make it in a tough neighborhood, turning street knowledge into serious business acumen. His early ambitions led to the creation of "Happy Ice," a successful food truck with a popular following. With a bright future ahead and his first child on the way, Lemeir is even more dedicated to accomplishing his goals with his high school sweetheart, Danielle, by his side.

Nessie is a tattooist, lyricist and muralist who's friends with Lemeir from Philly. She's moving to Compton to join the crew with big dreams of making a name for herself in the industry and shaking things up in the tattoo world's male-dominated culture.

Ink Drippin was raised in Compton as a talented, free-spirited lothario who is very popular with the ladies. But behind his playboy image, he is a good guy at heart- coming back to Compton to help his sick mother. As a half Black and half Mexican man, Ink is discovering his heritage and looking to reconnect with his father who left the family when he was very young, while sharing his artistic talents with the crew.

Vudu Dahl is an apprentice and prodigy in the tattoo world. Raised outside of Seattle within a religious commune, Vudu was extremely sheltered from the outside world. After leaving her 13 siblings and parents, Vudu experimented with drugs and alcohol, but used tattooing to overcome her addiction. She is unlike any other artist in the shop and is bringing her unique vibe to Compton.

Tim is the I AM shop manager, KP's cousin and right-hand man to the operation. Having protected KP on the football field in high school, he left his sports dreams behind to protect his cousin both in the streets and in business. He stays true to his Compton roots by maintaining relationships with friends who are involved in gang culture, while being devoted to taking the shop to the next level.

Barbie is the shop receptionist and a long-time friend of KP's who sprinkles a whole lot of style, class and sass to the I AM team. Being a survivor of gun violence and domestic abuse, Barbie doesn't let anything bring her down and always manages to come out on top.

Be sure to 'like' "Black Ink Crew" on Facebook, follow @BlackInkCrew on Twitter and Instagram and #BlackInkCompton to join the conversation.

"Black Ink Crew: Compton" is produced by VH1 and Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company.

About VH1

VH1 is the dominant pop culture brand for adults 18-34. The network is available in 86 million U.S. households and has an array of digital channels and services including the VH1 App, VH1.com and @VH1. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB). For more information, please visit www.VH1press.com,VH1.com, or the VH1 Facebook page. Follow us on Twitter @VH1Comms.

ABOUT BIG FISH ENTERTAINMENT

Big Fish Entertainment, an MGM Company, is a full-service production company that creates multi-platform, visually driven content that compels and entertains audiences with the "unexpected." Founded in 2006 by President Dan Cesareo, Big Fish has since produced more than 1000 hours of award-winning and top-rated programming in the live, unscripted reality, lifestyle and documentary space. Current Big Fish series include mega-hit franchise Black Ink Crew (New York, Chicago and the upcoming Compton), mental health special In Session Live With Dr. Jess and Girls Cruise for VH1; Live Rescue, #1 unscripted crime series Live PD, Live PD: Police Patrol, Live PD Presents: PD Cam and Top Dog for A&E; Live PD Presents: Women on Patrol for Lifetime; culinary docu-series Hustle & Soul for WE tv; Chris Paul's Chapter 3 for ESPN; Tattoo Girls for TLC; How Far Is Tattoo Far? for MTV; Animal ER Live for Nat Geo WILD and Truth Behind the Moon Landing for Science Channel. With other credits including Bomb Patrol: Afghanistan and the Gates Foundation Reality PD public schools project, Big Fish captures and relates extraordinary worlds, characters and stories for such networks as Lifetime, A&E, VH1, WE tv, Discovery, TLC, MTV, E!, National Geographic, Oxygen, Travel Channel and Paramount Network. For more information, visit bigfishusa.com.