MURKADO

What motivated you to get tattooed in the first place?

• Having a good friend that was starting out and learning is what motivated me. And also finally having money to afford getting tattooed helped haha.

Do you remember what your first tattoo was?

• Ya, it was my old tag symbols for “I Luv Peace” - so an eye, a heart, and a peace sign. It was a stick and poke tattoo. My first 20-25 tattoos were stick and poke actually. 

How many tattoos do you currently have? Which one was the most recent?

• I lost count a while ago, but I wanna say probably like 65-70. Sometimes when I can’t sleep, I try to count my tattoos from memory. Works every time haha!

• I actually just got 1 the day after we shot. I got a Naruto Sage of the 6 Paths, with a Chanel belt for a lil flair.

What have been some of the inspirations behind the tattoos that you have? Do you typically have an idea in mind before reaching out to a tattoo artist?

• Everything honestly - from anime, to my favourite movies, lyrics from a favourite song, from my random philosophies about life, my artist homies, and probably the biggest one of them all: my life experiences. 

 Do you typically have an idea in mind before reaching out to a tattoo artist?

• Most of the time I either already have a concept down to every detail or I have like a blueprint and I let the artist do whatever with their style and let them interpret my idea how they see fit. 

What type of tattoo styles have you gotten done? What do you like about tattoos in general?

• I have a portrait in honour of my big bro that we lost a year and a bit ago. And then I have this dual style tattoo that’s a mix of realism and like cartoon. Everything else is like little patch style tattoos, from stick and poke, to like neo-traditional if that’s even a thing.

• The fucking pain if I’m being brutality honest and just how it’s a way of self expression.

Do any of your tattoos hold any personal meaning to you that you’d like to share?

• Oh ya for sure! I’d say I have like 50/50 of meaningful tattoos and ones that are just simply because I like the art.

• The big piece on my ribs has a deep meaning to me. It has 8 dead roses and 1 rose blooming from the crack in the concrete. The inspiration is from 2pac’s poem “The Rose That Grew From The Concrete.”

• I chose to have 9 roses because it’s one of my favourite numbers and also it’s my life’s path number if you believe in that. It’s like how cats have nine lives, I always thought that was an interesting concept. So I wanted it to symbolize that I’m on my last chance type thing. And the rain clouds above it just represent the city I’m from and how it nurtured me in who I am today. 

What were some of the most painful spots to get tattooed for you?

• The ribs and stomach, but I was so twisted for both that I barely remember the pain.

• Hands for sure were a weird and strange feeling, especially near my fingernail beds. 

Has having tattoos had any impact in your personal life?

• My mom doesn’t vibe with them, but she also knows she can’t do much about it. Other than that not really. I guess most of my friends think I’m tougher than I look now because of them. 

Do you have any favourite tattoos?

• Fuk ya I have a few ahaha! It’s so hard to choose, but as of right now I’d say my fish and shark tattoo on my stomach for sure is one of my favourites. It’s my take on a Pisces symbol.

• I’d also say I really like my nimbusssoul tattoo that arcs above my stomach. Nimbussoul is just a word I created back in high school and the meaning of the word has grown with me.

• My third favourite piece would have to be the “Paid In Full” artwork done by my homie Rhek.

Who are some of the artists that you've gotten tattooed by?

• My home girl Emily (@urlocalhugdealer), Mendoza the owner of Grapevine Tattoo (@mxndoza), my fellow pare Peter from funhouse Tattoos (@trillnye_thescienceguy), my homie Eric (@darque_), and my home for Kyra who did all my stick and poke tattoos.