B to Z
Mental health and wellness
B to Z
Now introducing... Brandon May
Ever pondered the secret sauce that gives a podcast its distinct flavor? Or considered the meticulous detail and creative fire that fuels the tattoo artist's needle? Strap in as we strip back the curtain on the podcasting and tattooing realms, granting you VIP access to the nitty-gritty of both art forms. In this episode, alongside my special guest Brandon Bay from bmayink, we dissect the intricacies of our crafts, from customizing podcast setups for that golden audio to maintaining impeccable hygiene during outdoor ink sessions.
Take a seat at our table of candid storytelling where we serve up a hearty helping of 'gumbo' – the unique blend of style, technique, and personal evolution that defines a true artist. Follow my own transformative journey from an eager apprentice to a seasoned tattooist, navigating through waves of critique and guidance under the watchful eye of mentors like Steve García. We celebrate the victories within the black and gray shades of our profession, and admire the vivid challenge that color realism tosses into the mix.
As the ink settles, we peek behind the canvas to reveal the symbiotic relationship between artistry and commerce. I reflect on the aspirations that drive my dual role as an artist and entrepreneur, from crafting an enduring legacy to fostering a family lineage drenched in ink. The episode culminates with a spotlight on Brandon, casting light on how his work intricately weaves into the broader tapestry of our community. We part ways with a nod to the listeners who fortify our endeavors, underscoring our narrative with a heartfelt thank you for the unwavering support.
My check, my check They'll be like a designated mic.
Speaker 2:That we can pass through.
Speaker 1:No, is there like a U-mic? And is there like a protocol for podcasts Like, oh, I get this mic because I sound better Like you think Joe Rogan has a different mic than the other niggas in his shit?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm sure, yeah, I'm sure he buys those. You think so, yeah, yeah, you think, or you think he buys the like premium stuff all the way around. I don't know, but that's the good thing, yeah, right.
Speaker 1:Like do you have the same equipment as all these other? Because I would assume that I bet you they do.
Speaker 2:Oh, because you probably get a better cost if you buy this thing, everybody goes for everybody All right, don't question.
Speaker 1:Well, you figured out the answer. I mean it could be, but we figured out the answer. Good question what do we want it to say at the bottom of the logo? Good morning, motherfuckers, good morning.
Speaker 2:Good morning.
Speaker 1:Right now it looks like it says step four, belzing's. Okay, so step four. Or it could say nothing, it could just say B to Z, or it could say podcast. Podcast podcast radio show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, If we're not looking for something are we all more than are we on more platforms and podcasts? Are we a radio station as well? Can you tune in to fucking I Heart Radio and find us? Not yet, but perhaps you're right. I don't know, though. So, because I definitely feel like this is a radio voice, yeah, oh yeah, smooth, smooth, smooth like butter.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I got a good one. Since we were just talking about it already, talking about tattooing outside, what is something you do If you tattoo outside? How do you ensure top level of hygiene If it's, even if it's- if I'm tattooing outside environment, hmm, yeah, from tattooing outside. And just cause I'm curious because we brought up this morning.
Speaker 1:Well, obviously you got to have all your sanitary stuff, give needles, a set up gloves, but I guess it would be more like. My concern specifically would be like things landing on it, like flies landing on it, the elements, the sun, you know. Obviously you need to have shade. She can't be tattooing in the sun, direct sunlight or you could, but it's just not wise. Sharps, containers, all of that you could do it. All you need is a portable battery. You know what I mean, on one of those dildo machines you filming.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Or you could just use a battery.
Speaker 2:That's your ice breaker for today I want to do it.
Speaker 1:You said jump right in.
Speaker 2:I'm going to easily do it. Yeah, man, yeah. Do you think I'm going to start hitting some harder ones? What do you think the other artists?
Speaker 1:I do. I actually do. I still feel like I got a lot to learn, but I do feel like the industry is in need of a teacher like myself. You feel me, because I keep that shit real about tradition, about why this shit should be sacred and I don't know. A lot of tattooers don't show humility. I have a very high ego. There's a lot of ego in this industry. So I feel like creating artists is not necessarily what you should do.
Speaker 1:I feel like you should harness an artist and then help them develop the skill of tattooing. It's a technique and that's what you should help. That's what an apprentice should be. Portions of it. There's a lot to an apprenticeship. Yes, obviously you should learn how to draw and become a better artist and get more dynamic with your stuff. But right now I feel like the industry needs people who are not afraid to say anything, not necessarily looking to have this super spotlight. I'm not out here for a spotlight. I'm not on this podcast to, you know, to glorify my successes in any way. I'm here just to provide something neutral you know what I mean and persuasive in a way which I think I don't want to shape someone's thought. I want to provide an argument for the thought and develop a new way of thinking. You know, and that's what tattooers need now there's so many people just willing to pull from the trade and that shit is blasphemy.
Speaker 2:We touched on a little bit last time about your how you got your start. Was there anything that any story that sticks out to you, that would your growth or you becoming? I see you smiling.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, there's a lot of stories. That's what tattooing is. Tattooing is is stories you know, stories of you kind of getting your ass kicked in or somebody just shitting on you mentally and then growing and learning from it and understanding later. I mean, there's many stories out. One of the earlier stories is like when I first was a print and seeing and I thought I was the shit and I was. I was a carpenter at the time and I was working my ass off and I came in and working. I was complaining and one of the artists his name is Steve García ink cap from Empire Tattoo Riverside.
Speaker 2:And he didn't yeah, he was.
Speaker 1:He was always tough on me because he didn't. He thought I had it too easy. You know all of that type of shit and respect to him. You know he was one of the ones that provided the pressure for me to have a great apprenticeship. You know it's those motherfuckers who applied the pressure and were kind of assholes are the ones that I remember a little bit. He never like he never. He never slid on his. He wasn't an asshole, you know he never did anything crazy like, but he was an asshole you know what I'm saying but he told me he was like man, you, over here fucking dirty, you know swinging a hammer.
Speaker 1:He's like look at you, you know. He's like, look at you and I'm like what you mean? He's like I'm over here using my God given talent, you know, making money over here, just enjoying myself. And that shit hit hard and I was like fuck, like damn like I do have a God given talent, but I chose to go over here and swing him you know which pretty much anybody could do.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. But that was a story, that was one where I was just like damn, like I really need to use my God given talent to you know, set the path of my living you know what I mean of my existence, to plot my journey or to, yeah, accept who it is that I am. You know what I mean. There's an artist and shit like that, and not trying to stray away from that, so that was dope. You know, I'm using my God given talent.
Speaker 1:I ain't never heard nobody say no shit like that. And it wasn't like, oh, like some prolific quote or whatever. But at the time that shit hit for me because it provided motivation at the time to make me hate him a little bit for saying that shit to me. Like fuck you, you know what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like because I still got to like clean my do the tubes.
Speaker 1:you know all of that shit and he over here talking shit and I'm gonna go get lunch and I really can't say nothing, you know. So it's just like, yeah, like all right, you right, do you know? But salty, like you know. Yeah, how old were you. Oh, what 25. Okay, yeah, like 25.
Speaker 2:Now fast forward to nowadays. How have you kept up with the different industry trends?
Speaker 1:By not being trendy. Fuck that trendy shit. I'm out here doing sometimes what I want to do, sometimes their ideas and what they want to do. A little bit of both. I call it gumbo. You feel me I'm taking the elements from everything, all kinds of different spices. We're throwing it in a pot and it's just going to taste fire. It's got to look fire.
Speaker 2:Now off that. Have you ever had where the gumbo didn't sit right, have you? Ever had a crazy bad client or crazy customer review.
Speaker 1:The reason I even think I'm a little bit decent at tattooing today is because of my imperfections. I ain't had a mistake or my tattoos don't look beat up or rough, and not going wood for that mistake come.
Speaker 2:I haven't had.
Speaker 1:Obviously I'm kind of never satisfied with my designs.
Speaker 2:I'm an artist.
Speaker 1:I have an idea of what I want to look like and I feel like I rarely get it to the level of my eye or expertise or my palette of fucking knowledge, artistic knowledge.
Speaker 2:But I don't think I suck anymore, and that's cool. You feel me. What are your weaknesses right now? If you could pull out any weaknesses you have, what are they?
Speaker 1:My weaknesses right now are color realism. Color realism, that shit is ridiculous. I could put in some color Pretty damn good. I know all my cards that says black and gray and stuff like that. But that was kind of like to niche myself at a time when I needed to provide for my kids and stuff like that. So that wasn't necessarily 100% true to who it is. I was like a little bit of business being at Elizabeth Street and around all those artists. I had to find my own lane and that's what that was about. But I like some color when it comes to realism, color realism and those shades, those light shades on the cheek, with the human tones, with the skin-like skin tones to create skin tones on skin tones. You know, that shit is crazy to me. The stipple whipping and the dot work by what's his name? Rostin or Mr Rostin or some shit like that that shit is crazy. That's black and gray work.
Speaker 1:Anyways, I'm going off on a tangent. That human realism, that color realism, shit. We're doing human tones like pooch poochy style, even like Ben Ochoa style. He's fucking nuts. Nico Hurtado, you know, even though I feel like his stuff ain't as sharp as it used to be, just because he's like more business than he is tattoo, I think at this point, which I don't know. And don't take that shit personal. Let that shit fucking push you. Man, don't get mad at me, but yeah, who else has done that shit? Still not sure.
Speaker 2:What are your strongest points now? Um, still the black and gray, definitely the both.
Speaker 1:I don't know, my color is pretty cold bro. Yeah, it's pretty cold. But it's good in certain circumstances than it's trash and others. You know what I mean. It's good in certain circumstances than it's trash and others.
Speaker 2:It's when the trash man.
Speaker 1:if you're asking me to make it realistic and then put color in it, then that's a little bit weird. I'm like OK, you know, like if you were to say, give me a black woman in a garden of Eden in full color saturation, like I'm going to struggle with that piece, like I'll be able to create a project and I plan to execute it.
Speaker 1:But it is definitely something that I would have to research and spend a lot of time on and try before I do it in the skin. You know what I mean? I'd have to do it on paper. I'd have to do some renderings, I'd have to color in that same tone for a little bit and then I would try at it. And then probably I would do the first one on a homie for free, like straight up, and then I would go from there.
Speaker 2:Which gears a little bit, because not only are you an artist, you're a business owner, I'm a business owner.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, yeah, I guess. So I've always struggled with that one.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah Is it just me.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. I'm not a braggadocious one Kind of someone fucking like. I hope it's my first business. Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me. You know that's not necessarily me. I'm just happy I got a place to provide for my kids and I feel like I'm blessed with the opportunity to tattoo, and I know how quickly life changes. So don't get braggadocious. I feel like if you put your blessings out there like that sometimes, then the world has a way of taking them from you as well.
Speaker 2:I have Now again this is business owner aspect. You have a target customer or just tattoo.
Speaker 1:I try and make sure that anybody can get tattooed by me. If you cool, though, like man, like and that's and that sounds like, oh, you know he thinks he's fucking cool or better than that, it's not on that tattoo type of cool you could be a weirdo and just have like, but embracing your weird on this, you feel me Like, yeah, I'm a weirdo, I fucking stand on that, I do weirdo shit. You maybe you dress funny or you talk funny or you know you could be outcast in some in some way. Man, come get a tattoo, come get a tattoo, I can give it. As long as you cool, you sure, clean, you're respectful, you know in the time that we're sharing, then we good you know, and then when you leave, you can go be a fucking, whatever it is that you are.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So yeah, this shit for everybody, this shit is for everybody.
Speaker 1:As long as you cool though, like you know all of that tough gang bang shit, I try not to fuck with too many of them. My fuck is man, like I know niggas too and they bright harder than you and all of that other shit you know. But I just don't like that energy anymore. I used to own a studio and I just got tired of that brachidotious ego to school mentality. Yeah, even though I do like the style of tattoos of gangsters, I just don't like the persona. I enjoy the OGs rather than these youngsters. You feel me Somebody who's calmed down and turned to rather than fucking, I think, like they had on a swivel all the time they doing burpees in here. You know, don't do burpees in here.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:You know, like that's some goddamn manners.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, I can speak.
Speaker 1:People are famous on the internet for doing burpees everywhere Like so what, so what. We are just so mused by so much dumb shit. Like what the fuck? And this you know. I'm a victim too. I don't know if I'm a victim or I'm a fan, whatever.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I'll find myself watching them do some burpees too, in some random ass park, like feeling like I did a set. What is that? What the fuck is that? Is that one of the things that's entertaining? That's weird to me, man. Anyways, maybe it's because I wish I was fitter, so I'll see that shit.
Speaker 1:but I know, fitmen probably see that shit too and be like, oh, should we do the burpees too? Like it's crazy, Like gang bang culture, prison culture has such an influence upon our lives. Being a bad boy has such an influence upon our lives and that shit like it really is kind of fucking stupid if you think about it. I mean, if you go to that, all right, I'll praise to you like Tony Montana, that shit, be the man, that's cool. Invite me to the parties I want to go. But like, oh, this, like the NFL, you feel me like only a certain amount of motherfuckers is really going to make a difference.
Speaker 1:You can't just step up to my boss level Like motherfuckers, get a pound of weed and then one week later they don't.
Speaker 2:Tony Montana you know You're happy because all he doing the big now.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but yeah, the bucler saber what you talking about.
Speaker 2:All right, so that's a cute little interruption.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was the manager of the location that we ran at. I had a little fucking. Yeah, that's all the dental right off of Indiana and Tyler. They they work on my teeth. The doctors are pretty cool. Shout out to them. Not pretty cool. They are cool, you know. They let me be up in here, which I really appreciate and it's really nice. It's really nice. They do a good job. They're diligent with the work. I know pretty much everybody up in here.
Speaker 2:They're like family at this point from my experience with your Studio, it's it's so price on the second floor. It's towards the back of the building.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:It's private and you get a nice shot of the 91 freeway and it's it's fun to stare at. I get, I get lost staring at the traffic sometimes. So I, I like, I like a response that right now.
Speaker 1:Everybody loves the traffic. Everybody loves the traffic, watching it, not beating it. Watch, watch, exactly, you know, watch it all day real shit, real yeah.
Speaker 2:What do you? What's the? What future do you see as a as a business owner and artist?
Speaker 1:As a business owner, as as an artist, I have things I need to check off Some personal, some business Personal. I just really want to develop heavier hand and I really get my artistry down to where everything I do is fucking dope come from my hand. That would be a personal thing. I would like to tattoo some individuals that spending more time with clients and individuals that can like Teach me cool, cool things and have good conversation. That would be dope if I could have that in my future, like Stars, you know, I would like for some of my homies that I used to work with, like in the film industry, to get some tattoos. Now it comes to check me out hey, motherfuckers, come check me out. God damn it, but I'm in Riverside so they don't want to come out here, which is that's that bullshit, yeah for me come out here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what else do I want to do business wise. I want to open up doors, you know. I want to have a few artists. I want my son to be able to tattoo. I would like all my kids to be able to pick up the craft and learn how to tattoos, in case they ever need employment. Like you know, this is our fallback within my family. Our fallback is for tattooing, you know, and I hope all of them will Harness the craft of tattooing. You know you don't necessarily have to be a tattoo artist, but you do have to. You know. No, the family business, yeah.
Speaker 2:Feel about this. I ask you enough questions yet.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I mean, I feel good.
Speaker 2:You good, good, you're not sick of talking about yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, I don't necessarily enjoy it.
Speaker 2:No, I know, I see.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:I think we're both. This is first step is first real episode. I think we're both getting the jitters out.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't necessarily enjoy it.
Speaker 2:I would like to start um, we're gonna, we're gonna do a roundup. That we talked about and I thought of a few things, but, based off what you've touched on, you think today's roundup focus on leadership and and today's roundup yeah, I'd be successful, or or just I'd be successful in general.
Speaker 1:I get to choose it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, what are you? What are you thinking?
Speaker 1:Roundup. My roundup for this first podcast interview of myself would be man, I'm sure love, show love to people out there. You know, get your little protege and put, put somebody on. You know, put somebody on to something that you're doing. Develop a little mini, you something. Help somebody. That's me, that's my advice from my little roundup. Help somebody today, put somebody on, and that doesn't mean give a fucking bum, a dollar, you feel me, I'm talking about somebody who's actually doing something. Call him, help him out of some way. That's my roundup. Um, is that qualifiers a?
Speaker 2:roundup. I think so Like, and I stemed Behind that 100%. You know, you know, uh, I can name off the top of my head People I get different services from. Would I be at two? Artist work, massage therapy work? Um, I try to treat Everyone how, how I would want to be treated in that same position, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, that you also want to throw a quote out there? Ah, quotes, yeah, so I I found a quote, so I think it kind of fits. It's by Ralph Waldo Emerson and says I woke this morning with devout Thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new. Do you think that kind of plays into our roundup?
Speaker 1:I gotta hit one more time.
Speaker 2:I woke this morning with devout Thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new. Is that go along with showing that? Yeah, man, I felt like that Straight up.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you should wake up and appreciate the people around you, because they're the ones that control the narrative how people feel about you, how you were perceived. You know, like everybody's, oh, I don't worry about what people think, but you still want to be seen as a good person. But that's in the eyes of man, you know, in the eyes of the Lord or whatever it is. But we kind of do define whether you're a piece of shit or not. So respect that, respect that.
Speaker 2:I feel that Right, yeah, that's right. That's all I got for you. Thanks for coming on the show man. Anytime I'll be back. That's my co-host and interviewee today, Brandon Bay. This is Zach TC.
Speaker 1:Sign it off. One more thing I want to shout them out Check me out at bmaiink. At bmaiink, you can book a tattoo appointment at wwwbmaiinkstudioscom. Just click the appointment tab and set something up, and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I appreciate you guys. It's time yeah.
Speaker 2:I appreciate you All. Right, everybody have a good day, thank you.
Speaker 1:Have a good day.
Speaker 2:Bye.
