April 24, 2024 • 55 mins
Could you ever imagine the grind and grit it takes to become a masterful tattoo artist without a single day of formal training? This week, we sit across from Ronnie B., whose story reads like an adventure novel, filled with passion, self-discipline, and a relentless chase for artistic excellence. Starting with childhood sketches and navigating the murky waters of online forums, Ronnie's obsession with art led him on an epic quest from inking in solitude to earning his stripes under the guidance of industry veterans like Matt Driscoll.
Picture a world where your fists do the talking, both on human canvases and in the Muay Thai ring. Ronnie's tale weaves through the alleys of personal transformation, where the punches of physical training meet the strokes of a tattoo gun. Our conversation traverses the arenas of volunteering and youth ministry, unfolding how Ronnie's eclectic life experiences shape his ability to mentor and make meaningful connections. His candid reflections on storytelling, whether grappling with the brevity of modern attention spans or the potency of life-earned wisdom, will challenge your perceptions of influence and inspiration.
As Ronnie brings his narrative to a close, we're left pondering the profound impact of spirituality in both art and life's battles. His pursuit of truth and readiness for life's unpredictability resonates through his ministries and martial arts. With an election on the horizon, Ronnie speaks to the heart of community resilience, underscoring the urgency of support networks in the face of potential relapse triggers. If you're seeking a blend of passion, art, and soulful insight, join us for an episode that promises to leave an indelible mark.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, all right, all right.
Good morning listeners.
Good morning.
Everyone's having a great day.
This is Zach on B2C Podcast andI'm here with Brandon May.
Hello everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And a very special guest, Ronnie B.
What's up?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, I do want to hear it, because you said
everybody messes up your lastname.
I do, yeah, please tell us yourlast name.
So I don't messes up your yourlast name like you.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
yeah, please tell us your last name, so I'll mess it
up.
Yeah, it's borosik.
It's uh czechoslovakian.
You know white boy name?
Yeah, nobody can pronounce.
It's like a step of ronnie b.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah ronnie's one of my homeboys.
Uh, we tattoo together.
Uh, at events, I've beentattooing with ronnie and known
him for about what?
Six years maybe, or somethinglike that now I feel like
Brandon Heat man.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It feels like six years bro.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think it's been like two, like realistically, I
don't know we'll go with six.
He tattoos.
He's always got somethinginteresting to say, so that's
why we brought him on today.
He's not somebody who reallydoes the small talk, but he does
save his words for, uh, to usethem with a purpose.
(01:12):
Um, ronnie's been tattooing forhow many years?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
12, now, 12 years.
Yeah, I just kind of like whenI start coming over here and
tattooing a little bit.
I mean, he was talking abouthow long we've been in the game
and I started counting the yearsand I was like, yeah, it's 12
now.
Yeah, it's like man.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
One of the things about Ronnie that's a cool thing
and which is really hard to dois he's self-taught.
Ronnie is self-taught tattooingand he actually made it.
There's very far and few inbetween tattoo artists that have
been self-taught who reallystill continue to do the craft
and uphold high standards thathe holds.
(01:52):
That's a cool thing.
Thank you, man.
I appreciate that.
I guess my first question wouldbe do you feel like not
apprenticing or teachingyourself has hurt you in any way
in tattooing, and how did youget your start if nobody gave
you a torch?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
that's a great question, man.
I uh, yeah, being self-taughtit, it hindered me and I think
it took me twice as long tolearn the same thing, you know,
as it would with, like a mentor.
Yeah, so it really slowed medown.
It made me be.
(02:33):
I had to be twice as driven togo get information, you know
because because back then I was,like I said, about 12 years ago
, you know they had forums andstuff, so I would go search the
forums and I have my notepad youknow what I'm saying and I
would have to decipher all thebs info because, remember, they
try to mislead you, you'd belike, hey, how?
how far do I hang my needle out?
(02:54):
Yeah, and do it be like twoinches right and put it right in
your nut set you know what I'msaying.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
They just give you a jacked up answer like trying to,
so I had to keep theinformation away, yeah, yeah, so
I had to be.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I had to have tunnel vision to to make it happen.
I did a lot of things wrong,you know.
But yeah, slowly but surely,you know, you research it enough
, you're you're obsessed with it.
That's what it was.
It was an obsession.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Mm, hmm, like, have you always been an artist?
Like, did you, did you grow upas an artist and or did?
Were you influenced?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
then you got into it to be a tattooer yeah, man, I've
always been an artist like Istarted off as a kid drawing
cartoons and stuff.
Man, like bart simpson, youknow all that stuff.
Now I got into superheroes, youknow Batman, spider-man, uh,
you know drawing all thevillains and stuff like that.
So, yeah, like I've been indrawing uh, my whole life.
(03:55):
My neighbors did it when I wasgrowing up in my neighborhood.
Uh, the neighbors drew and theywere, they were good man, they
drew comic book characters there.
They're amazing.
And and, uh, chris and Adrian,man, they used to bring me over.
I was younger, they didn't haveto kick it with me, but they
let me come in anyway.
And they, they saw, I saw.
I had a little bit artistictalent, I guess.
So they let me kick it withthem and they showed me how to
(04:17):
do stuff and it just took offfrom there.
I started getting obsessed withit and, you know, people start
complimenting you.
You know, uh, your friends andpeople at school.
So, yeah, uh, I think, yeah,people start speaking it into my
life after a while.
You know they're like you'regonna be an artist or you're
gonna do something with art.
Right, I think it stuck too.
And then it works in mypersonality too.
(04:39):
You know, I'm saying like I wasmeant to be an artist, bro,
yeah do you have a favoritetattoo artist?
now um cory miller, cory miller.
Yeah, I just dude the reason Isay that is because of uh, like
not only his style, but likejust the man he is.
Uh, you know, you go toconventions and stuff and like
anyone who knows him or doesn'tknow him, I mean, I walked right
(05:02):
up to him and was sitting thereby himself it was uh in the
beginning of a convention anddude talked to me like he knew
me for 10 years, man, like, justjust cool, you know, and he's
like he always gets back topeople on his uh, on his post,
you know, on instagram, you knowhe tells people thank you, you
know, uh, he's just just ahumble guy and I remember
(05:23):
watching him on la ain't dude.
Remember that show yeah yeah.
So like, yeah, I'd be watchinghim and I'd just be like
mesmerized by this dude's liketones and like how soft he would
get stuff.
And then he was just alaid-back dude, he wasn't a diva
, you know.
He didn't try to get all thatattention and like, yeah, we got
cory miller, man, that's forsure, I like cory mill lot too.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Um, I like how he draws everything on.
He draws most of his tattoos onand they are solid.
Um, he's got a very uh cultured, uh tattoo, rich culture style
as well, like um kind of likelowbrow style culture.
Yeah, um, the Tiki era, therockabilly era.
(06:04):
Yeah, the Tiki era, therockabilly era.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah, he was a band.
Too right, he was a drummer.
Yeah, is he Some band?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
yeah, I know he's tattooing a dude from Metallica.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, he just like running around with him I
saw that post.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
yeah, which is tight, you know have you ever tattooed
anybody famous or anything likethat.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
No man, yeah, not that I could think of.
No, I mean not that everybodywould know.
You know what I'm saying.
Right, right, right people thatare locally famous.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
You probably offended somebody right, yeah, for sure,
what the one dude I forgot I'mfamous the one dude I forgot and
the one girl I forgot.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah right, sorry about that, it's like I just
dropped out of the last week,what you mean?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
hey, I kind of circle back what made you want to do
everything the hard way and notthe traditional way, if you
don't mind me asking oh, man,you know, like, back then, like
it people, it wasn't that easyif you didn't have a friend or a
family member that was in it.
Uh, you had no way in and I hadno way in so I would go around
to, to tattoo shops.
(06:57):
Um, like, I remember went overto a zombie tattoo over in norco
, uh, with my portfolio.
Man, I was nervous, bro, Idon't know these cats.
They're a bunch ofcholo-looking dudes at the time,
you know, and I was like andthey were all family, yeah, like
, literally they were related toeach other.
So I walk in there in myportfolio and I show homie, the
(07:17):
main dude who owned it you knowhe's flipping through my stuff
and he's like you're not thatgood fool and I was like, I know
, I was like I know that's whyI'm coming Like to to try to
pursue, you know, like, a careerin art, like, you know, to be a
tattoo artist.
You know, and he didn't reallygive me the time of day, I
didn't.
(07:41):
And I think that was my firstexperience with what the
industry really was and howprotected it was.
It wasn't like you could justwalk up in there, and you know
what I'm saying.
Like that, looking back at thatman, like I can't help but
smile thinking about thatsituation.
You know, just just ignorant,just not knowing.
And so, uh, I went around to acouple of other shops, you know,
I got some better feedback.
But, uh, to be honest with you,like I didn't have the time in
(08:02):
my mind it was, it was time togo, you know what I mean.
Like I had already I knew, Ialready knew more than they
thought I knew at that point.
Like I had already beenresearching, I already been
looking into it.
I would, I would have hit it,hit the ground running if I
would have been in one of thoseshops.
But I just didn't get offered.
So I was like you know, we'regonna do this right.
Like here we go, yeah, I got, Igot a lot of.
(08:24):
I got a lot of, you know, atthe time, stupid friends you
know what I'm saying that wereall about it.
Hey, ronnie's been drawing hiswhole life he got a tattoo kit.
Let's do this, you know, andit's like, oh my god, god bless
those guys for giving me theirskin.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Let me practice what, what would you tell the artist
today that's uh, pursuingtattooing his job or career,
that is struggling to get anapprenticeship?
What, what kind of what wouldyou give them?
Would you tell them the samething?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
that you did.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I would direct nobody to do that and, to be
honest with you, I I knew betterlike I was told nobody to do
that and, to be honest with you,I knew better Like I was told
not to do that also.
But now I know why, because Ilive through it.
Now you know, and if I got todo it again I absolutely would
have taken the time to.
You really have to just hangaround in a shop, like go get
(09:20):
tattooed there, you know.
Go get tattooed there, talkwith the dudes, you know what
I'm saying there.
You know.
Go get tattooed there, um, talkwith the talk with the dudes.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, uh, you have to kind oflike ease your way in.
They have to like you, and thattakes time because it gotta be
around your house for eighthours a day or, however, 10
hours a day.
Uh, you know.
So, yeah, I, I would have, Iwould have went that route.
(09:40):
I would have just taken my timemore, I think you know.
But so how did?
How did?
Speaker 1 (09:45):
that, that ronnie, yeah, turn into, turn into
today's ronnie.
What, what was, what was thein-between part of all that?
Um, uh, did you?
I mean you, you consideryourself a pretty good artist
now, right, pretty successfulartist like?
You're on the right track.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, I, yeah, yeah.
What does the journey look like?
Yeah, I would say that.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, so was it struggle the whole way through?
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, did you have some, youknow some bright spots.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, I guess.
So All right.
So, yeah, so about two years, Iwas tattooing on my house,
right, and doing all the nostuff, brandon, all the you know
what I mean.
All this stuff you shouldn't bedoing.
Tattooing the designs likelearning the hard way.
Why did this?
Why did this ink fall out?
Why does it send me pictures?
You know what I'm saying, like,why didn't this stick?
(10:34):
Why didn't I?
And I'm learning like different, you know, like my hand
pressure.
I'm learning like the needledepth.
I'm like I'm just learning.
You know what I'm saying, whichis wild.
So, yeah, two years, right, Iknew I had to get my portfolio
to a certain point if I was evergoing to get into a shop and
they were just gonna have tohire me because I was good
enough to get in the shop, notbecause I needed an
(10:54):
apprenticeship, because I kindof that ship had sailed.
At that point, like in my mind,I was already too far I was
already almost close enough toget into a shop like my, my
quality of art and the tattoosthat I was putting out.
So, um boom, I went over uh touh ink sanity over in uh in Lake
Elsinore and I had gottentattooed there before uh when I
(11:16):
was younger and uh, so I wentover there.
The guys were cool to me backthen so I figured they'd be cool
now.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Maybe you know so I went over there and go.
Guys were cool to me back thenso I figured they'd be cool now.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Maybe you know what I'm saying.
So I went over there and gotalk to them and they were like
yeah, yeah, you know, let's seeyour portfolio.
So I handed it to them, youknow, and they start flipping
through it and I can see them, Ican see their faces, you know,
(11:45):
and the guy goes not bad, youknow, the guy goes not bad, you
know.
He's like I can see, I can seethe talent, like I could see.
It's there, you know.
And uh, they didn't give memuch, though I'll tell you that,
like they were, they weren'tmean to me, but they didn't tell
me a whole lot.
So I'm sitting there and I'mkind of waiting for an answer
and then, uh, they're like allright, man, we'll you know we'll
we's a couple other artiststhat came in, you know.
So we're going to go through youguys and figure out which one
(12:06):
we think is best.
And boom on Tuesday.
I get the call.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I get the call dog.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
On Tuesday they were like hey, man, we'd love to have
you over at the shop, you know.
You know, bring your stuff overon this day.
And yeah, let's roll.
And, bro, I was jumping up anddown dude.
And yeah, let's roll.
And, bro, I was jumping up anddown, dude, I was so pumped.
My tunnel vision, bro, my dreamof what I had been envisioning
(12:33):
in my head just came true.
I'm in a professional tattooshop now.
I made it through the wholeapprenticeship, the whole
thought of maybe I'll never beable to get in there, maybe I'll
never have a path in.
Boom, it was there.
(12:54):
And not only that.
Um, the dude who looked at myportfolio, um, I found out real
quick once I got there that, uh,he, he's got one of the dopest
styles in the world, like evento this day.
Uh, his name is matt driscoll.
Um, his hand was like raptorlaser on, uh, on ig.
And uh, dude, dude was supercool.
Man, he let me, he let me sitwith them.
Like, I was so mesmerized by adude in his style, yeah, I
(13:16):
didn't even want to tattoo yet Iwas like hey, can I just come?
sit in your booth and he's like,bro, yes, please come sit in my
booth.
You know like I'd love to showyou some stuff.
You know he was like I'mleaving in like six months.
He's like so we're trying tohire.
You know, like other artists tolike come in here and keep the
place going and busy, and thatyou know.
And, uh, so he's like I'll,I'll share everything.
(13:37):
I know, any question you have,bro, like I'll answer it.
And I was like you know I'vealready been geeking right for
like two years on this and now Iget somebody at this high level
dude that I've never even had.
Back then, at 12 years ago,dude, it was still like a new,
uh, kind of a new style.
You know what I'm saying and so, um, it was mesmerizing to
(13:58):
watch, dude, like you'd have tosee the art to like understand
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
What kind style is it , dude?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
it's like, it's like a new school style uh he calls
it real school.
Okay, so it's, it's realismmixed with new school.
Nice, you know what I'm saying.
So they, they use all thesecrazy cool tricks, you know, and
like textures, and likehighlights, and like the way he
lays it out and it's everythingit was, and he free-handed
everything.
Bro, this dude had a box ofSharpies and every client would
(14:24):
come in, bro, he didn't evenknow.
I would hear this fool go allright.
So what do you want?
And they'd be like, oh, I want azombie on my forearm, you know
this, and that You'd be like allright, man, you know, go ahead
and have a seat, you know, andshave his arm.
Shave the arm, you know, gethis markers up.
This fool would freehand damnnear every design, and it was
(14:44):
the dopest it wasn't even likekind of cool, like dude would
knock it out the park.
And then, not only that, youcome back and tattoo this thing
like crispy, clean color, supersaturated, super high contrast
and depth, and like superanimated, you know, like
characters, what was in thisdude's head like blew my mind.
So I got to sit with this dudeand just watch and ask questions
(15:08):
, you know, and, dude, like Istarted jumping up levels within
that six months of being withthat dude, um, to the point to
where um, in the shop like I wasprobably one of the best dudes
in the shop, uh, or equal tojust from learning from him,
just from learning from him justfrom that six months of being
with him.
But the drive that I had is whatfueled that, you know what I'm
(15:31):
saying like when I got there Ialready had that fire lit under
my ass and so, yeah, it wasalready a passion of mine.
That was just like a gift fromgod to me like so.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So the shop owner taking a chance on you, yeah,
and then him kind of bringingyou under, yeah, that was.
That was like like two gifts,boom boom.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yeah, yeah, and and and it was cool man Like he, you
know.
He went to a lot of differenttattoo conventions and people
were starting to get to know.
Anyways, I started guestspotting and doing some stuff
and I went over to CoreyMiller's shop six feet under
over there in Upland and I go inthere and I got my little
(16:13):
portfolio and I'm like, oh man,I'm going to start hitting some
of these spots, maybe I couldtattoo and meet some of these
guys and kind of move around.
And I got to meet Corey bro.
He was in the back doing atattoo, doing his old back piece
.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
I was like I feel like I was hallucinating dude,
like what a fanboy you know, Isee him and I'm like no way I
watched him on la ink.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
This is surreal, you know what I mean.
And he's doing a big old blackand gray back piece, like the
style that he does andeverything, and he like waves me
back in he just waves me on inhey, come on in, you know.
And he's like hey, can I?
Uh, can I see your portfolio?
Like can you flip through itwhile I'm tattooing this guy?
And I'm like already blown awaylike yeah of course, dude.
(16:56):
Yeah, and he's like I get to sitthere and kick it with him, um,
but yeah, like around that timeis really when stuff started
like taking off for me, becauseI got to introduce to different
people different styles.
I started meeting people in theindustry.
You know, we went back to aconvention in New York and we
(17:17):
got to meet at the time Rememberwhen this, when Ink Master came
out, brandon, I do.
Ok, so like the first threeseasons, I remember after that
it's all a blur right.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
It was like 50 seasons or something.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I don't know no one's name no more, but season three
man, we flew back there and wewent to Westchester tattoo
convention.
Man and I got to meet like ahandful of them, you know, and
the shop I was with dude, likehe knew him, so he took us all
out to dinner.
Afterwards, you know, after theconvention, we got to sit and
talk and like, yeah, I justreally started meeting people,
(17:49):
you know, at that point, butyeah it it started to take off
once I got into that first shop,like you were asking me, like
how did I get from my house tohere?
Yeah, like that that's what Iwas doing.
You know what I mean.
Like that's how it happened.
I, uh, jesus like said it's 12years ago now.
So, yeah, I mean I know, um, nobreaks, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
You fight as well.
You're a Muay Thai fighter.
Is that something that you doto kind of for work?
Is that for a hobby?
What are you doing?
What are you doing with thefight world?
Yeah, so I take a fight.
So, yeah, so I train.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Muay.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Thai right.
Like I call myself a fighter.
You know, I'm more of a lover,I'm more of a lover.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I like the, you know, yeah.
So the reason I do it for meinitially was I really
appreciated the art style.
We're artists, right, so it'slike when you watch a fighter
and you watch a martial artsstyle, that is art dude.
It just captured me, you know,just watching, watching these
(19:00):
dudes and and their techniqueand how it flowed together and
and I was just like man, this istight and I was thinking also
health wise, right, like at thetime being a tattoo artist, you
can get real used to doingnothing, right.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Like sitting in your chair getting a getting uh
scoliosis or I don't know whatyou know.
That's me right now.
So I'm packing it on right now.
I'll tell you, I'm trying, I'mgonna eat, I'm gonna eat you
happy, bro, you're happy uh.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
But yeah, dude, I um, uh, I do it, yeah, to blow off
steam.
You know, um, and uh, like Isaid, it started because of
physical health.
I had to find something thatwas exciting to me and was uh, I
have to trick myself.
I don't know how you guys are,but, like you, tell me to go in
(19:49):
the gym and like hey, we'regonna go lift weights or hey,
we're gonna go run, I'm it, justdoesn't get it.
don't do it for me, yeah, it'snot me.
So I was like I know myself, soI need to find something that
will get me in the gym, right,so I had to.
So when I found Muay Thai inthat art style, you know, I was
like I'll do this.
People do it just to stay inshape, right?
(20:10):
So that's really I would saywhy I got going in it, you know.
And then it just took on awhole deep meaning for me.
After that, once you get beat up, right, and you're sweating, uh
, you're, you're with your boys,you know, they're sweating,
they're getting hit, they'regetting beat up.
Um, I started like discoveringsomething about myself that I
(20:35):
didn't know, like I had neverreally I played, played sports,
you know, I was in high schoollike football and stuff like
that.
But combat sports it'sdifferent, you know, when you're
like purposely trying toinflict pain on somebody and
learn a new skill and a newmartial arts and anyways yeah it
took on a whole nother meaningfor me, like I after I had no
(20:56):
idea that I had fight in me.
To the extent that it's in me, Ifeel like everyone kind of
knows.
You can kind of guess, but youdon't really know until you have
been to a your your limitmentally and physically.
You know what I'm saying.
All of a sudden it hits a newdepth.
Bro, you know what I'm saying.
And then the guys you'retraining with you're seeing the
(21:19):
real them Like you're trainingwith you're seeing the real them
like you're seeing you're,you're learning more about them
in those moments than like wecould just talk about.
We don't gotta talk, but wetrain together and we're
brothers, bro, right, right, ithappens real easy.
You know I'm saying you getclose with people and it was.
It was transforming me insidetoo.
It was like making me a monsterinside in a good way, like it
(21:39):
was making me.
I was more confident in myself.
I was uh, yeah, I walked alittle more sure-footed.
I guess you could say you know,uh, and I don't know where I
lost it along the line.
But I feel like in life, dude,like you do need to reintroduce
yourself to like that fight orflight mode.
You know I'm saying like thatthat is something we don't get
(21:59):
to experience a lot.
And uh, nowadays we're so mode.
You know I'm saying like thatthat is something we don't get
to experience a lot in.
Uh, nowadays we're so safe.
You know, in our like climatecontrol cars, in our, our ac
units.
You know I mean it's illegal tofight.
You know I'm saying you go tojail like no, we don't do that
in our society.
There's not a lot of struggle inthat sense.
So when you go putting yourselfthere purposely, uh, it's crazy
(22:20):
.
The strength that comes from itand and how it transforms you
is mind-blowing to me.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
I'll start to unlock things.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
It sounds like yeah, man, yeah, and then all the all
this stuff that used to piss meoff, man, when people in shape
people would come tell me likehey, man, you know it.
Uh, it's a lifestyle, you knowwhat I mean?
Like uh, uh, and I'll be likeman, shut up, bro, like it's
easy for you.
You know what I mean, like, andI'll be, like man shut up, bro
Like it's easy for you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I'm the chubby kid, you know what I'm saying.
I like to eat.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know, like don't judge me, I just felt.
I just felt like they were sofar from me.
You know what I mean.
And now, like, all of a sudden,like, I'm there, you know what
I'm healthy and all of a suddenI'm making you know comments
that probably piss people offhere and there.
you know but it's a true thing,man, like the positivity, like
(23:05):
that comes from working out andyour your muscles repairing,
like your body being broken downand going through the healing
process.
You know it's like, um, you'regetting like shots of dopamine
the whole time you're healing,the whole time you're building
up, and I didn't realize howmuch that affected my mood.
You know, like, all of a sudden, I was happier without the
(23:28):
training and stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Who do you?
What's your mood like?
Are you grumpy or uh, dude, Iwould be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I would say like less energetic okay and, like I
would say, less positive, likeyou can hear a lot more
pessimism from me, man, like ifI'm not doing good, like if I'm
not healthy, if I'm not like you, kind of always got to look
like man, I don't know, like hedon't believe you.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Ronnie always looks at you like he don't believe you
.
Yeah, real shit, he's like.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I don't know.
Yeah, yeah, he kind of belooking like, hmm, I don't know.
Yeah, we'll put a picture up.
Y'all be the judges.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
He'd kind of be looking like hmm, I don't know
if I can trust that shitsometimes.
Hey man, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
You know, what's funny, bro.
I thought, man, this is.
I sound Conceited for makingthis comparison, but I don't
mean to make this comparison.
But, bro, One time I wassitting, I was listening to Elon
Musk right, and they asked hima question.
This fool would look and takeso many seconds to process the
question before he opens hismouth and I thought someone's
(24:29):
wrong with the dude.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
But it's Elon Musk.
You know what I mean and Inoticed, bro, the deeper I get
like that.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Like that, I'm a deep human.
Now, right, Like myconversation, the more I notice
like me being slower to speak.
Bro, yeah, I hear you, but likeI got to process before it
comes out of my mouth.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Because if I just say , it.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Sometimes it don't come out, man, I don't give a
fuck if you Elon Musk or not.
If you pausing Got to be quick.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Yeah bro, we're not going to talk long, we're not
going to talk long even if it'sElon, I'm like all right, yeah
he's cool bro, but thatmotherfucker, he talks slow.
Like you don't hurry the fuckup, You're also well, I was kind
of interested in you're alsoinvolved.
I hate that shit.
Hold on, Let me keep going.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
I hate that shit when you a story and they just yeah,
and then it's like man, if youdon't tell the story already?
You told me you was going totell a story and you just went
over here dancing around andshit you know.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You know why, bro?
Because that attention spanslike this.
So as soon as I'm talking toyou, it's like get to that point
or my mind and my eyes aredrifting.
Yeah, bro, I did that with this.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I need cliff notes.
I ain't trying to hear thewhole motherfucking story,
unless you can tell a story likean old head if you can't tell
me a story like an old head, youknow, yeah, describe everything
.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You gotta be a good storyteller 100% and that's not
towards you as far as not beingthe fuck up but like that's
towards everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, it is towards you too, that's towards
everybody.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Shit.
Yeah, it is towards you too,that's towards everybody.
You know you're doing goodtoday.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Bro, I do that shit to myself.
Like you ever thought thatyou've been talking.
You know, maybe you smoked orsomething Like maybe you drank
something.
You're sitting there and it'slike you're like damn bro, I
haven't even got to my own pointyet.
I'm still talking.
You know what I'm saying.
Like I can't imagine whateveryone else feels, you know?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Yeah, I don't know.
I think that's what you know.
Intelligent people do just tryand give shitty answers.
You feel me?
Just shoot from the hip man.
Be natural.
You know I'm over here pausing.
Let me give you a response.
You feel me Like, get the fuckout of here, bro.
Like you know exactly what'sgoing on.
You pay people to know what thefuck is going on and you,
(26:45):
acting like you don't knowwhat's going on.
Specifically, elon Musk.
Elon Musk, shout out to him,though I don't got no problem
with him, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So let's keep going.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Shoot from the hip, bro, go for it.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Let's talk about what His volunteering yeah, the
industry and the volunteering.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Right, so he runs Glory Hole out of Elsinore.
No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He's volunteering oh my.
God, oh man Brandon.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Brandon.
Brandon opened it.
Brandon opened it, 10 yearsopened it and 10 years ago with
the tattoo shop.
Yeah, yeah, he took my place.
It's called.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
B-Man Glory Hole.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
He's standing in for me.
Now I'm done.
Oh man, oh man, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, what a segue.
Yeah, what a segue.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So he does services and you know all types of
services.
He's a big humanitarian.
Let's get serious for a minute.
Horrible segue, that's my fault, but it's cool shooting from
the hip sometimes you hit,sometimes you don't it's a super
(27:56):
important thing that he's doingout there.
He's helping out the youth allover the place and he's choosing
to do so.
Go ahead and tell us a littlebit about the things that you're
involved in.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, man, so, like I started volunteering, maybe
like six years ago now, sevenyears ago it's been a minute now
.
You know I started volunteering, uh, just locally, like whether
it was at like a food bank oruh, or like local churches or um
, really anywhere that justneeded help, like free help.
(28:29):
You know what I'm saying.
And uh, yeah, I I got into itand I would just do simple stuff
, you know, I mean like theylittle setup stuff, this and
that, but I was doing it becauseI thought I was going to help
them.
You know what I'm saying.
And then shortly into it, maybelike a month in, I started
(28:50):
finding out I'm like I want togo, I'm waking up and I'm like
man, I want to go there, I wantto be there and it was a trip.
Man, like how it really takesmy selfishness away.
My self-centered.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm always thinking about me.
It's, it's, it's it's normal,right, it's like it's human
nature to to just be soself-absorbed, you know.
(29:14):
And so volunteering, like justtaught me it, it did something
for me, it let me not be selfishfor the day, like I figured, if
I did that once a week, therest of the days is for me.
You know what I mean.
Like that works.
But yeah, I forgot what youasked me.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But yeah, we were talking about the services that
you're going out there to helpout, and one of the ones that
I'm specifically talking aboutis, uh, the youth ministry yeah,
okay, so, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So after I was, I was volunteering, uh, at this, this
church, um, over in corona,it's called south hills.
Uh, I started getting to knowpeople and then, uh, you know,
the pastors there uh would comeup and ask me like, hey, you
know, would you come by maybe?
Like you know, maybe work withlike the young, the young males,
you know, like the, uh, highschool boys, the, the college
(30:05):
kids, you know they got nightsfor everything too, you know.
And I was like, yeah, sure, youknow, um, and I'd go there.
And he'd be like, hey, man, weall have like a table of kids
right.
And uh, he'd be like, hey, uh,can you lead a table?
And I'm like I don't know what,that is, okay, lead what.
He's like, go sit at the table,you know, and here's the focus
question we're going to give,and then you just go around the
(30:28):
table and kind of facilitate it.
You know, let the kids talk,let them get stuff off their
chest.
You know this and that.
And when I sat there, dude, Ifound out like real quick that
they listened to me and I thinka lot of us to do is because of
how I look.
You know what I'm saying, likejust the fact that I don't look
(30:52):
like someone that came fromchurch or was born in there,
they would like they would askquestions, like stuff resonated
with them, like they'd want tohang out.
They want to you know what I'msaying.
They want to, they want to befriends and stuff, you know.
And uh, the, the pastors wouldbe like, man, you know they,
they really respond to you.
Well, you know, like, would youmind keep coming back?
And like I thought the kidswere cool.
So I was like, yeah, man, I'llkeep coming back, you know.
And uh, same thing, bro, like Istarted seeing their, their
(31:13):
lives change, having like apositive role model in their
life.
Because one thing I found outbeing with them is like a lot of
them, you know dad's dad's notthere, mom's not there Uh,
there's something going on athome, you know, uh, isolating
themselves from the family, uh,type of stuff running away, um,
you know, just getting intostuff, you know what I'm saying
(31:35):
Getting off to a rocky start.
You know, in life, and you canjust tell man, with the, you
being consistent there changeseverything for them, like they
see you there every week, man,and it's like, all of a sudden,
you know their, their mood,their attitude changes toward
you.
You got to man with kids andyoung people.
You got to earn their, theirrespect.
You know what I'm saying.
(31:55):
Like, you got to be consistentor they ain't going to respect
you.
They're not going to receivewhat you say.
Very well, that's right.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
I've got a question.
Ned's dope that you do that andshout out to the church that
he's working on.
What was it the church again?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Oh, it's called South Hills.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Thinking about Corona .
I find it interesting that lifehas this way of choosing your
job for you based off of whatyou've gone through right and
the opportunities it gives you.
What opportunities have yougone through that make you
qualified for a position tomentor, to teach?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
dude, that's what's wild, bro.
Like there are no, because,like, call it, life qualifies
you and what's the trip there'slike.
Even even like recent uh likereports and and feedback I've
gotten from people, um, liketherapists and counselors.
They're quickly finding outthat people that have life
(32:52):
experience are much moreeffective on the clients, on the
patients.
I don't know what you call them, what the word is, but a
college degree like it doesn'tresonate with.
When you're talking real life,you know what I'm saying and and
uh.
So yeah, I think it's like themost potent thing is to be life
qualified.
You know what I'm saying, likeI mean that that's what changes
(33:15):
lives, man, is that you walk thewalk and you went through it.
You know I'm saying'm sayingLike you're you remember?
You know listening to people,um, you know drug counselors or
something like that.
If the drug counselor got hisdegree or her degree but has
never been a drug addict andthey're sitting there with me,
you know what I'm saying?
Uh, one, I know that right awayyou don't even got to tell me
(33:37):
that you have not been whereI've been, I can see it and just
the way you talk, the way youhold yourself, um, and then
we're kind of done.
You know what I'm saying.
The the conversation doesn'treally go from there.
Uh, there's, there's no need,you know, they don't know,
that's, that's good.
So I think that's why, likethey leadership in places, if
(33:58):
they see that in you you do gotto, you do got to be around,
they got to know you really well, to even, you know, put you in
a spot like that and in chargeof anybody or anything you know.
So it definitely took like afew years of me being around
them like consistently, in orderfor me to get, like offered
this stuff, you know Like atattoo shop.
(34:20):
Yeah, man, yeah, just like thatexactly and that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
You make that comparison.
It immediately makes me thinkof this, this there's a visual.
I'm gonna paint a picture foryou guys.
There's, you know, you're goingthrough a divorce and you get
two therapists.
One therapist is fresh out ofcollege, has never been married,
21 years old, and you haveanother therapist who's been
married two to three times anddivorced at this point, at 50
(34:45):
years old.
Who do you want to takeinformation from?
Yeah, you know, does uh lifeexperience, what?
How does life experience equateto a college experience?
That's a very interestingcomparison.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
I did construction a lot.
You know what I mean, and oneof the things that construction
workers complained about waswhen somebody would come out of
(35:06):
college and take the job withlittle hand-on experience, and I
agree with them and disagreewith them.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, there's good in both.
You're absolutely right.
Like you know a college degree,like there's things you know
and learn, that I have no idea,I just don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Is that stuff helpful to?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
know, probably sometimes, sometimes probably
not Might be useless, but you'reright, there's a little give
and take there.
It's just what's most effective, I guess.
What do people respond to themost?
Speaker 3 (35:36):
And I think that slows people down too.
Because they don't have acollege degree, they feel like
they can't help.
I know, you know, and that ismessed up, because intent is
what is the the special thingthat is going on there?
It's the intent to want tochange somebody's life or be
involved in a way to helpsomebody out.
(35:58):
Most people know how to do thatwithout a motherfucking degree.
You know what I'm saying.
Like that, you know, we'redefinitely not trying to give
information or talk people offbridges or anything like that
here as well.
You know, we're just trying tobe insightful and, you know,
trigger something in yourday-to-day hustle and bustle,
and I guess you can compare thatto ministry a little bit too
(36:19):
right, because they come in yourday-to-day hustle and bustle
and I I guess you can comparethat to ministry a little bit
too right, because they come inone day a week and then they
hear you speak and you know yeah, you're trying to leave an
imprint on them yeah per se,yeah, you hope, you hope it
relieves like a little weightoff their shoulders for the week
, man, you hope.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
You hope it feels like a little medicine to them.
You know, it's just somethinggood for people.
You know like a place to gothat they didn't have to go, and
now they got people that theycould kick it with, just like.
But you're absolutely right,man, it's so similar a tattooing
, uh, in ministry, like I knowit doesn't sound like it is, but
the, the atmosphere and the wayit is is very much like that,
(36:56):
because it's very much like, uh,like counseling or therapy.
You know what I'm saying?
Just kicking with people istherapy, man, like like-minded
people being around each other.
Therapy, bro, like me and you,kicking, we have a good day, bro
.
When you go home, like, feelgood, you know what I mean.
Like man, it was a good day, Ihad fun.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
I laughed a lot about some cool stuff, you know.
So, yeah, that's therapy initself.
You know, what I think one ofthe best teachers in life is is,
uh, adversity, adversity, Iagree, you know, it's not that
somebody who hasn't gone throughanything can't teach me, but
for some reason, every time Ireceive information from
somebody that is like core they,they're going through some shit
you know what I mean and it'sjust like damn man, like what is
it about?
Adversity that, you know, ischanneling all of these profound
thoughts, these quotes that wespeak of.
You know, um, it's through theturmoil, the drama yeah, you
(37:52):
know, exactly, you know exactly.
You know, uh, when I got intotattooing, my dad was like yo,
like um, why is everything sonegative in tattooing?
Why is everything so negative?
Why is the imagery so negative?
That's a good question, and Itried to draw in a positive
direction for him but that shitis hard, it is, that shit is
(38:16):
hard to draw a positive.
It's something about capturingdrama that taps into a different
emotion, I believe, or maybeit's a heavier emotion, just
naturally, so humans attach toit better and it's more graphic.
Or maybe it's imprinting, Idon't know the medium of it.
(38:36):
Yeah, maybe that plays into it alittle bit, but since we're on
art, you know, do you doreligious art as well?
What kind of arts do you tendto focus on when you approach a
piece and how is your religiousconvictions taken when you're in
a tattoo studio?
(38:57):
That's very taboo in our world.
It's not taboo in the aspect oflike we tar and feather
motherfuckers.
It's not like that.
But it is close.
You know what I mean.
If you show religious beliefheavily in a tattoo shop, you're
seen as a fucking nerd or someshit like that.
Motherfuckers don't like you.
(39:17):
You're damn near a piercer orsome shit.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
So you feel about any piercers?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
listening right now, dog.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
No, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
We always talking shit to the piercer man.
It ain't gonna stop.
You know what I mean.
Like white-skinned brothers getno respect.
You feel me, same shit.
You feel me.
We love both of y'all.
You feel me.
Yeah, same shit, you feel me.
We love both of y'all.
Let's start at the bottom.
Yeah, yeah, we love both ofy'all.
You feel me, we love both ofy'all.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
So, yeah, like my beliefs do feel they kind of
bleed into my art.
Definitely, I notice Because,bro, it becomes like a part of
you, you know, and so it's.
It's, it becomes like a part ofyou, you know, and so is art.
So they're like naturally gonnableed together, you know, um,
and it's deep like religious art, like I guess you could call it
(40:07):
that.
Like it's, it's somewhat deep,you know.
I think like when people see it,um, like you said, it hits like
a certain certain tone withthem.
It hits a certain like nerve,you know, um, depending on the
scene.
But but yeah, it definitelylike bleeds into, uh, to the art
world.
For me, you know, because it's,yeah, it's like I said, it's a
part of me, but, uh, but yeah,it's all mixed in, bro, like
(40:30):
tattoo art, uh, you knowreligious art, um, just random
ideas, you know, uh, lettering,graffiti, all that stuff, like I
love it all, and so, to me,like I mix it all together.
You know what I'm saying and uh, that's how it infiltrates that
part of my life um, but yeah,more now than before, for sure I
(40:51):
didn't used to draw.
I started off drawing dark stuff.
You know I'm saying, you know,back in the yeah, we used to
draw a lot of like, uh, yeah,that's just how the industry was
, you know, it's just how theindustry was, you know, it's
just more evolved now.
So I think more images are likeallowed and look good, you know
, and before it wasn't, it waslike skulls and, like, you know,
roses.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
It's funny too.
We talk about religions and I'mgoing to cut you off Religion
and tattooing, right?
Oh yeah, that was the secondquestion.
It's taboo to be religious in ashop, but I don't know not one
shop that doesn't have a Jesuspiece up.
That's a good point.
I never thought of that, or across or some type of devil,
(41:34):
Something yeah something, Angelyeah something.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
So what is it?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
that causes motherfuckers to hate on a
motherfucker who's superreligious.
I mean, first off, some ofy'all religious motherfuckers be
coming off a little cheesy andcorny.
Sometimes you feel me Like andlike the Dockers and the Dockers
and the Penny Loafers gottastop.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
You, feel me, even if you're a missionary.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Y'all can switch up the fit and give them a
different uniform.
You don't like the black, uhyeah you know.
Corporate suit and tie.
Look Like I'm into the Baptist.
Look you feel me, my blackladies with the hats and shit
like that covered clean.
If you're going to cover cleanlike but when you lose me, if
(42:16):
you got some dockers on withsome pleated pants and some
penny loafers on and you aboutto come up to me and talk to me
about hey, brandon, I got amessage for you I'm like, no,
you don't.
I got a message for you tooOnce you're done.
I'm going to tell you somethingtoo Change your pants.
You know what is it.
There's an overtone.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I'm just saying Go ahead the tattoo world does not
accept beliefs in God, likeyou're right you know, does not
accept beliefs in God, like,like you're right you know, like
I don't.
I know it might be soundconfusing, but like I don't
consider myself religious.
For me it's, it's a, it's aspiritual thing.
(42:59):
You know what I'm saying, like,but I, but it does, it does.
I know what you mean.
So, like the, the look of it.
So when I go into a shop orwhen I'm in a tattoo convention
or something like that, uh, thedopest thing about it, bro, is
I'm just me and this wholebelief in god is just here with
(43:19):
me.
So it's real subtle.
You know what I'm saying, likeyou know you.
You you're of figuring it out,you're figuring me out a little
bit, but yeah, it's real subtle.
So, and that's the dopest thing, dude, it's like, and what I
believe, like Jesus, that's thatthe way he was with people was
(43:40):
very non-abrasive.
He'd kick it with you.
I think when people arereligion, they get it all
backwards.
When they try to tell yousomething, they try to tell you
what you need to, how you should, where you going if you don't
right, um, but the way that ismodeled like to me properly,
(44:04):
just like me and you sittinghere kicking it right now.
Man, you know I'm saying it's,it just eases in over time.
You know the more you, the morewe kick it, the more you find
out about my beliefs and themore they might not sound so
religious to you anymore.
You know they might not soundso wild.
You know you might be like oh Isee, I see where you're getting
that from.
(44:24):
You know stuff starts makingsense.
So it's for me it is abrasiveand I don't throw it in people's
face for that reason.
So if I'm around tattooers,especially dude, when I'm in
shops, man, it's like.
I know that.
I know that.
I've gotten in talks with dudeswith you know.
You know.
You know when everyone's nottattooing and we're all out
front, everyone's smoking orsomething, we're all in a circle
kicking ackie sack or something.
I've gotten in thoseconversations about that.
(44:45):
You know I'm saying like, inthose places and people respect
you when you stand on your shitdog, so I don't care what they
think and they, they know aboutit, so I don't, I don't really
trip no more about it.
You know I'm saying so but, um,like said, I'm not offensive
about it either, you know.
So I don't expect.
(45:06):
I don't expect no crazy comingmy way, because I don't give it.
You know what I'm saying.
But you're right, though Likeit depends how you carry
yourself in that but just offthe bat it's not accepted
because of how it's perceived.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
Yeah, appearance is part of the delivery.
Yeah, dog Appearance is part ofthe delivery.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
yeah, dog appearance yeah, appearance is part of the
delivery, you know.
Yeah, but you're right, man,like I enjoy.
You don't want to get in themconversations in the tattoo shop
either too much.
You know what I'm saying.
Because, like you say, you gotlike six dudes right and boom,
you get into some some.
A conversation like that, uh,it can go off the rails like
real quick, oh, you're gonnahave a real car.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
It's a, it's a, it's a certain type of way, yeah, you
have to feel a positive ornegative, and that's the fucked
up thing about like.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Religion is just like .
Oh, you don't do that, you arethis you're immediately telling
somebody yeah, they are in anegative light because they're
not following the prophecy ofwhatever it is that they believe
in.
Yeah, and so I understand theopinions upon that shit, just
like politics is like okay, youdon't believe in what it is that
(46:17):
I believe, you're a fuckingidiot.
You know what I'm saying likewhat I see.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
What I see, too, is a lot of us that are in the same
age group right here.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
We don't practice it like we were raised to practice
it so we already have our guardup.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
We might believe something.
We might believe the same thingwe did when we grew up.
We don't believe it the sameway, we don't practice it the
same way anymore, so it's almostlike a guilty feeling that's
what.
I see too.
So guys got that chip on theirshoulder, so they're already
ready to jump down.
Yeah, they got answers.
I got something to say.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, like that's a huge mistake
, bro of the church, like that'sour fault.
Yeah, absolutely.
The way that it's representedis 100%, like when you said,
dude, you got an imperfect humanbeing telling you another
imperfect human being whatyou're doing wrong and what you
(47:09):
should be doing, when you knowdamn well that there's stuff in
their closet they got skeletonsin that closet and they know it
too, but they're sitting heretelling you the hypocrisy of it
is disgusting, bro, and it'sseriously something that the
church is misrepresented, and Ifeel like we need to take
responsibility for that, for forputting almost the opposite out
(47:34):
there, bro, than what thisreally is.
And I and I hope that's whatpeople see when they, when
they're around me a lot is thatit's not what you thought it was
, it's not what you remember,it's not what you were taught
all the way, not what youthought it was, it's not what
you remember, it's not what youwere taught all the way.
You've got little bits andpieces of it just enough to get
yourself into some some shit.
You know what I'm saying, like,you know just enough about it to
question it.
(47:54):
And they're good questions, bro.
I had all these questions right, the deepest questions, you
know.
Is god real?
Is he there?
All of that stuff, I had tolike sift through all that In
these years.
That's what's been happening isme just looking for the truth
on deeper levels.
Every year I'm always likesifting the bullshit out and,
(48:16):
bro, I tell people, if thisstuff wasn't real, I'd be the
first dude to be out heretelling all you guys hey man,
don't be following this shit,dog.
I looked in it.
You know what I'm saying.
I want good for you.
You know I'm saying I don'twant to lead you down a bad path
and I wouldn't go down eitherif it was that you know.
But yeah it's.
It's something that's provenitself to me and it's changed me
(48:37):
.
And what blew my mind was whenI would read scripture is the
scripture would tell me how it'sgoing to change me and it would
happen.
You know what I'm saying, likeI would morph into what the
scriptures was saying.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
And I'm like what is going?
Speaker 2 (48:52):
on man Like I get these light bulb moments that
would just go off in my head,you know, and then the pastor's
making sense.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
You know what I'm saying, Like I heard growing up.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
So much, so many pastors just not making sense
right, Just yelling out versesand not explaining them and
getting all riled up andeverybody yelling and stuff.
And I'm like, wait, what did welearn?
What was it about?
It wasn't a message.
Yeah, but now you know likethere's so many good pastors and
like theologians out there thatthey just when I listen to some
(49:23):
of these messages especially mypastor dude I remember saying
to myself when I sit down inthis church service I'm
volunteering here, anyway, Imight as well go listen and see
what the man's got to say on thepulpit.
And I remember telling myselfman, as soon as I hear some
(49:44):
bullshit, as soon as I hear somenonsense come out this dude's
mouth, I just won't go in thereanymore.
I'll keep helping the church,but I just won't go listen Bro
every.
Sunday Hasn't happened hereEvery Sunday, bro Seven years
later dog.
No joke, no joke, man, I haven'theard.
No BS, come off that pulpitdude.
And yeah, I have to acknowledgetruth.
Man, I can't heard.
(50:05):
No BS, come off that pulpitdude.
And yeah, I have to acknowledgetruth.
Man, I can't lie to myself.
Once I hear truth, I have tolike, acknowledge it, I have to
pursue it.
You know, I can't be like, ohman, yeah, this stuff's cheesy
so I'm just not going to listen.
It's like no man, I want thesmoke, even if it's like an
(50:27):
answer I don't want to hear, aslong as it's the truth.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
You know, but yeah, any other questions?
No, no, man.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Yeah, I mean, I could ask questions all day.
Speaker 3 (50:35):
Yeah, let's round it up, I would like to.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
His quote is pretty darn good.
Okay, let's talk about it.
Would you like to?
Speaker 3 (50:44):
so far round up.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
Our guest, ronnie, brought us a quote.
Go ahead and tell it for us,ronnie.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
It's pray for peace and prepare for war.
I feel like our conversationwas that, to be honest with you,
I mean Muay Thai, physicaltraining, spiritual training,
spiritual push-ups, right, bothof those things for men.
I'm sure for women too, butspeaking from my stance, men, we
(51:15):
need that, we need that.
I do the most good, you put themost good out there.
Right, you got your best intent, but you know the world, you
know it's cold, you know it'sharsh.
So you prepare, prepare for war, hoping that it doesn't come,
but you're ready.
You know what I'm saying.
That's sort of that's how Ikeep it.
I keep it in the background, Ikeep it ready and I put my best
(51:39):
foot forward.
And I just think that I don'teven know where I saw that
saying.
I think it was on the back of at-shirt.
But yeah, man, it resonates,you know.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Well, I was going to let you know, too.
That's a big military phrasetoo.
Oh, okay, so as soon as he saidit, as soon as I read it
through his bio that we had himfill out.
So the Latin version is Si vispossum per bellum and the Latin
version is Si vis possum perbellum.
And that's the Latin version,is everywhere in the military,
(52:10):
along with the English version.
So I'm like, okay, that made meeven more curious as to what
you were going to bring to thetable.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Yeah, yeah, man, it's cool man, it's a part of me,
but yeah, that describes it well.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Yeah, I like that.
You know, I stay ready.
Speaker 1 (52:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
You're a sucker if you don't, yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
I stay ready at all times Mentally, not necessarily
physically.
All the time I got to work onthat, like I said, I've been
eating and shit.
You know the mind we gotta keepit sharp.
Thank you for coming in today,man.
I really appreciate yourinterview and Absolutely.
Ronnie rents and tattoos hereall the time.
He gets spots at the studio Allthe time B-Main Studios.
(52:59):
If you guys want a tattoo FromRonnie, or if you're seeking
Some Youth ministry, or you know, check.
Or if you're seeking some youthministry or you know, check
them out at the church in SouthHills.
Yeah, he likes to do black andgray, he likes neo-traditional
style, he does lettering, he'scommissioning for paintings and
all kind of other artworkoutside of tattooing as well.
(53:20):
Yeah, everybody that I bring toyou guys is a resource In case
you're struggling With mentalhealth.
He's also Personal trainer andteaches Muay Thai as well.
So if you guys are interestedIn tapping in and that Please
check him out, ronnie, go aheadand drop your Instagram.
Speaker 2 (53:39):
Yeah, it's Ronnie B.
Tattoos Ronnie B.
Speaker 3 (53:41):
Tattoos.
So check him out On Instagramguys.
Speaker 1 (53:44):
Any last minute shout outs From Europe.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Yeah, actually.
So at South Hills, there I'm,actually I just got asked To
start A recovery ministry.
So Anybody Suffering from Anysort of I mean man we talk about
Addictions from it ain't evenjust Drugs and alcohol, dog,
it's like Beyond that, you knowwhat I'm saying Like the money
(54:08):
spent, yeah, like your focus is,you know, spending money,
addictions, video games, youknow, wasting your life away on
all kinds of Americans.
That's what we do.
We're addicted to something.
So, so this ministry, dude, isgoing to be focused on that.
Like I think people are going tolose their minds when this
election gets.
I don't want to open this rightnow, but when this election is
closed, bro, like, I just have afeeling, you know, people are
(54:30):
going to fall off, like moms,dads, bro, that are that are
normally there, fall back intoaddiction.
Because, you know, I don't knowwhat's going to happen and with
the world, I don't know, but Ijust know someone's going to
lose their shit.
That's all I know.
So it's like I try to thinkahead in times and like, what
are people going to need?
How can we help?
You know?
And this recovery ministry, bro, I think is going to be huge.
But yeah, it's out South Hills?
(54:51):
And yeah, we'll be.
We'll be launching in June.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
So who's the contact for that, the South Hills, or
would they be able to send you aDM?
Speaker 2 (55:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
You can message me, or you cango to South Hills.
They got their Instagram andFacebook page, but yeah, you can
.
You can come right to me too.
I'm running it so sweet weappreciate you, ronnie.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
Yeah, thank you, yeah , enjoy.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Good, good, all right , cool man.
Speaker 1 (55:18):
Have a great day.
Thanks, man, thank you.
All right, all right, all right.
Good morning listeners.
Good morning.
Everyone's having a great day.
This is Zach on B2C Podcast andI'm here with Brandon May.
Hello everybody.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
And a very special guest, Ronnie B.
What's up?
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Well, I do want to hear it, because you said
everybody messes up your lastname.
I do, yeah, please tell us yourlast name.
So I don't messes up your yourlast name like you.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
yeah, please tell us your last name, so I'll mess it
up.
Yeah, it's borosik.
It's uh czechoslovakian.
You know white boy name?
Yeah, nobody can pronounce.
It's like a step of ronnie b.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Yeah ronnie's one of my homeboys.
Uh, we tattoo together.
Uh, at events, I've beentattooing with ronnie and known
him for about what?
Six years maybe, or somethinglike that now I feel like
Brandon Heat man.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It feels like six years bro.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I think it's been like two, like realistically, I
don't know we'll go with six.
He tattoos.
He's always got somethinginteresting to say, so that's
why we brought him on today.
He's not somebody who reallydoes the small talk, but he does
save his words for, uh, to usethem with a purpose.
(01:12):
Um, ronnie's been tattooing forhow many years?
Speaker 2 (01:16):
12, now, 12 years.
Yeah, I just kind of like whenI start coming over here and
tattooing a little bit.
I mean, he was talking abouthow long we've been in the game
and I started counting the yearsand I was like, yeah, it's 12
now.
Yeah, it's like man.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
One of the things about Ronnie that's a cool thing
and which is really hard to dois he's self-taught.
Ronnie is self-taught tattooingand he actually made it.
There's very far and few inbetween tattoo artists that have
been self-taught who reallystill continue to do the craft
and uphold high standards thathe holds.
(01:52):
That's a cool thing.
Thank you, man.
I appreciate that.
I guess my first question wouldbe do you feel like not
apprenticing or teachingyourself has hurt you in any way
in tattooing, and how did youget your start if nobody gave
you a torch?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
that's a great question, man.
I uh, yeah, being self-taughtit, it hindered me and I think
it took me twice as long tolearn the same thing, you know,
as it would with, like a mentor.
Yeah, so it really slowed medown.
It made me be.
(02:33):
I had to be twice as driven togo get information, you know
because because back then I was,like I said, about 12 years ago
, you know they had forums andstuff, so I would go search the
forums and I have my notepad youknow what I'm saying and I
would have to decipher all thebs info because, remember, they
try to mislead you, you'd belike, hey, how?
how far do I hang my needle out?
(02:54):
Yeah, and do it be like twoinches right and put it right in
your nut set you know what I'msaying.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
They just give you a jacked up answer like trying to,
so I had to keep theinformation away, yeah, yeah, so
I had to be.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
I had to have tunnel vision to to make it happen.
I did a lot of things wrong,you know.
But yeah, slowly but surely,you know, you research it enough
, you're you're obsessed with it.
That's what it was.
It was an obsession.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Mm, hmm, like, have you always been an artist?
Like, did you, did you grow upas an artist and or did?
Were you influenced?
Speaker 2 (03:31):
then you got into it to be a tattooer yeah, man, I've
always been an artist like Istarted off as a kid drawing
cartoons and stuff.
Man, like bart simpson, youknow all that stuff.
Now I got into superheroes, youknow Batman, spider-man, uh,
you know drawing all thevillains and stuff like that.
So, yeah, like I've been indrawing uh, my whole life.
(03:55):
My neighbors did it when I wasgrowing up in my neighborhood.
Uh, the neighbors drew and theywere, they were good man, they
drew comic book characters there.
They're amazing.
And and, uh, chris and Adrian,man, they used to bring me over.
I was younger, they didn't haveto kick it with me, but they
let me come in anyway.
And they, they saw, I saw.
I had a little bit artistictalent, I guess.
So they let me kick it withthem and they showed me how to
(04:17):
do stuff and it just took offfrom there.
I started getting obsessed withit and, you know, people start
complimenting you.
You know, uh, your friends andpeople at school.
So, yeah, uh, I think, yeah,people start speaking it into my
life after a while.
You know they're like you'regonna be an artist or you're
gonna do something with art.
Right, I think it stuck too.
And then it works in mypersonality too.
(04:39):
You know, I'm saying like I wasmeant to be an artist, bro,
yeah do you have a favoritetattoo artist?
now um cory miller, cory miller.
Yeah, I just dude the reason Isay that is because of uh, like
not only his style, but likejust the man he is.
Uh, you know, you go toconventions and stuff and like
anyone who knows him or doesn'tknow him, I mean, I walked right
(05:02):
up to him and was sitting thereby himself it was uh in the
beginning of a convention anddude talked to me like he knew
me for 10 years, man, like, justjust cool, you know, and he's
like he always gets back topeople on his uh, on his post,
you know, on instagram, you knowhe tells people thank you, you
know, uh, he's just just ahumble guy and I remember
(05:23):
watching him on la ain't dude.
Remember that show yeah yeah.
So like, yeah, I'd be watchinghim and I'd just be like
mesmerized by this dude's liketones and like how soft he would
get stuff.
And then he was just alaid-back dude, he wasn't a diva
, you know.
He didn't try to get all thatattention and like, yeah, we got
cory miller, man, that's forsure, I like cory mill lot too.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
Um, I like how he draws everything on.
He draws most of his tattoos onand they are solid.
Um, he's got a very uh cultured, uh tattoo, rich culture style
as well, like um kind of likelowbrow style culture.
Yeah, um, the Tiki era, therockabilly era.
(06:04):
Yeah, the Tiki era, therockabilly era.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
Yeah, he was a band.
Too right, he was a drummer.
Yeah, is he Some band?
Speaker 3 (06:09):
yeah, I know he's tattooing a dude from Metallica.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
You know, he just like running around with him I
saw that post.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
yeah, which is tight, you know have you ever tattooed
anybody famous or anything likethat.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
No man, yeah, not that I could think of.
No, I mean not that everybodywould know.
You know what I'm saying.
Right, right, right people thatare locally famous.
Speaker 3 (06:26):
You probably offended somebody right, yeah, for sure,
what the one dude I forgot I'mfamous the one dude I forgot and
the one girl I forgot.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Yeah right, sorry about that, it's like I just
dropped out of the last week,what you mean?
Speaker 2 (06:36):
hey, I kind of circle back what made you want to do
everything the hard way and notthe traditional way, if you
don't mind me asking oh, man,you know, like, back then, like
it people, it wasn't that easyif you didn't have a friend or a
family member that was in it.
Uh, you had no way in and I hadno way in so I would go around
to, to tattoo shops.
(06:57):
Um, like, I remember went overto a zombie tattoo over in norco
, uh, with my portfolio.
Man, I was nervous, bro, Idon't know these cats.
They're a bunch ofcholo-looking dudes at the time,
you know, and I was like andthey were all family, yeah, like
, literally they were related toeach other.
So I walk in there in myportfolio and I show homie, the
(07:17):
main dude who owned it you knowhe's flipping through my stuff
and he's like you're not thatgood fool and I was like, I know
, I was like I know that's whyI'm coming Like to to try to
pursue, you know, like, a careerin art, like, you know, to be a
tattoo artist.
You know, and he didn't reallygive me the time of day, I
didn't.
(07:41):
And I think that was my firstexperience with what the
industry really was and howprotected it was.
It wasn't like you could justwalk up in there, and you know
what I'm saying.
Like that, looking back at thatman, like I can't help but
smile thinking about thatsituation.
You know, just just ignorant,just not knowing.
And so, uh, I went around to acouple of other shops, you know,
I got some better feedback.
But, uh, to be honest with you,like I didn't have the time in
(08:02):
my mind it was, it was time togo, you know what I mean.
Like I had already I knew, Ialready knew more than they
thought I knew at that point.
Like I had already beenresearching, I already been
looking into it.
I would, I would have hit it,hit the ground running if I
would have been in one of thoseshops.
But I just didn't get offered.
So I was like you know, we'regonna do this right.
Like here we go, yeah, I got, Igot a lot of.
(08:24):
I got a lot of, you know, atthe time, stupid friends you
know what I'm saying that wereall about it.
Hey, ronnie's been drawing hiswhole life he got a tattoo kit.
Let's do this, you know, andit's like, oh my god, god bless
those guys for giving me theirskin.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Let me practice what, what would you tell the artist
today that's uh, pursuingtattooing his job or career,
that is struggling to get anapprenticeship?
What, what kind of what wouldyou give them?
Would you tell them the samething?
Speaker 1 (08:57):
that you did.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I would direct nobody to do that and, to be
honest with you, I I knew betterlike I was told nobody to do
that and, to be honest with you,I knew better Like I was told
not to do that also.
But now I know why, because Ilive through it.
Now you know, and if I got todo it again I absolutely would
have taken the time to.
You really have to just hangaround in a shop, like go get
(09:20):
tattooed there, you know.
Go get tattooed there, talkwith the dudes, you know what
I'm saying there.
You know.
Go get tattooed there, um, talkwith the talk with the dudes.
You know what I'm saying.
Like, uh, you have to kind oflike ease your way in.
They have to like you, and thattakes time because it gotta be
around your house for eighthours a day or, however, 10
hours a day.
Uh, you know.
So, yeah, I, I would have, Iwould have went that route.
(09:40):
I would have just taken my timemore, I think you know.
But so how did?
How did?
Speaker 1 (09:45):
that, that ronnie, yeah, turn into, turn into
today's ronnie.
What, what was, what was thein-between part of all that?
Um, uh, did you?
I mean you, you consideryourself a pretty good artist
now, right, pretty successfulartist like?
You're on the right track.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Yeah, I, yeah, yeah.
What does the journey look like?
Yeah, I would say that.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, so was it struggle the whole way through?
Oh my gosh.
Yeah, did you have some, youknow some bright spots.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Yeah, I guess.
So All right.
So, yeah, so about two years, Iwas tattooing on my house,
right, and doing all the nostuff, brandon, all the you know
what I mean.
All this stuff you shouldn't bedoing.
Tattooing the designs likelearning the hard way.
Why did this?
Why did this ink fall out?
Why does it send me pictures?
You know what I'm saying, like,why didn't this stick?
(10:34):
Why didn't I?
And I'm learning like different, you know, like my hand
pressure.
I'm learning like the needledepth.
I'm like I'm just learning.
You know what I'm saying, whichis wild.
So, yeah, two years, right, Iknew I had to get my portfolio
to a certain point if I was evergoing to get into a shop and
they were just gonna have tohire me because I was good
enough to get in the shop, notbecause I needed an
(10:54):
apprenticeship, because I kindof that ship had sailed.
At that point, like in my mind,I was already too far I was
already almost close enough toget into a shop like my, my
quality of art and the tattoosthat I was putting out.
So, um boom, I went over uh touh ink sanity over in uh in Lake
Elsinore and I had gottentattooed there before uh when I
(11:16):
was younger and uh, so I wentover there.
The guys were cool to me backthen so I figured they'd be cool
now.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Maybe you know so I went over there and go.
Guys were cool to me back thenso I figured they'd be cool now.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Maybe you know what I'm saying.
So I went over there and gotalk to them and they were like
yeah, yeah, you know, let's seeyour portfolio.
So I handed it to them, youknow, and they start flipping
through it and I can see them, Ican see their faces, you know,
(11:45):
and the guy goes not bad, youknow, the guy goes not bad, you
know.
He's like I can see, I can seethe talent, like I could see.
It's there, you know.
And uh, they didn't give memuch, though I'll tell you that,
like they were, they weren'tmean to me, but they didn't tell
me a whole lot.
So I'm sitting there and I'mkind of waiting for an answer
and then, uh, they're like allright, man, we'll you know we'll
we's a couple other artiststhat came in, you know.
So we're going to go through youguys and figure out which one
(12:06):
we think is best.
And boom on Tuesday.
I get the call.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
I get the call dog.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
On Tuesday they were like hey, man, we'd love to have
you over at the shop, you know.
You know, bring your stuff overon this day.
And yeah, let's roll.
And, bro, I was jumping up anddown dude.
And yeah, let's roll.
And, bro, I was jumping up anddown, dude, I was so pumped.
My tunnel vision, bro, my dreamof what I had been envisioning
(12:33):
in my head just came true.
I'm in a professional tattooshop now.
I made it through the wholeapprenticeship, the whole
thought of maybe I'll never beable to get in there, maybe I'll
never have a path in.
Boom, it was there.
(12:54):
And not only that.
Um, the dude who looked at myportfolio, um, I found out real
quick once I got there that, uh,he, he's got one of the dopest
styles in the world, like evento this day.
Uh, his name is matt driscoll.
Um, his hand was like raptorlaser on, uh, on ig.
And uh, dude, dude was supercool.
Man, he let me, he let me sitwith them.
Like, I was so mesmerized by adude in his style, yeah, I
(13:16):
didn't even want to tattoo yet Iwas like hey, can I just come?
sit in your booth and he's like,bro, yes, please come sit in my
booth.
You know like I'd love to showyou some stuff.
You know he was like I'mleaving in like six months.
He's like so we're trying tohire.
You know, like other artists tolike come in here and keep the
place going and busy, and thatyou know.
And, uh, so he's like I'll,I'll share everything.
(13:37):
I know, any question you have,bro, like I'll answer it.
And I was like you know I'vealready been geeking right for
like two years on this and now Iget somebody at this high level
dude that I've never even had.
Back then, at 12 years ago,dude, it was still like a new,
uh, kind of a new style.
You know what I'm saying and so, um, it was mesmerizing to
(13:58):
watch, dude, like you'd have tosee the art to like understand
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (14:02):
What kind style is it , dude?
Speaker 2 (14:03):
it's like, it's like a new school style uh he calls
it real school.
Okay, so it's, it's realismmixed with new school.
Nice, you know what I'm saying.
So they, they use all thesecrazy cool tricks, you know, and
like textures, and likehighlights, and like the way he
lays it out and it's everythingit was, and he free-handed
everything.
Bro, this dude had a box ofSharpies and every client would
(14:24):
come in, bro, he didn't evenknow.
I would hear this fool go allright.
So what do you want?
And they'd be like, oh, I want azombie on my forearm, you know
this, and that You'd be like allright, man, you know, go ahead
and have a seat, you know, andshave his arm.
Shave the arm, you know, gethis markers up.
This fool would freehand damnnear every design, and it was
(14:44):
the dopest it wasn't even likekind of cool, like dude would
knock it out the park.
And then, not only that, youcome back and tattoo this thing
like crispy, clean color, supersaturated, super high contrast
and depth, and like superanimated, you know, like
characters, what was in thisdude's head like blew my mind.
So I got to sit with this dudeand just watch and ask questions
(15:08):
, you know, and, dude, like Istarted jumping up levels within
that six months of being withthat dude, um, to the point to
where um, in the shop like I wasprobably one of the best dudes
in the shop, uh, or equal tojust from learning from him,
just from learning from him justfrom that six months of being
with him.
But the drive that I had is whatfueled that, you know what I'm
(15:31):
saying like when I got there Ialready had that fire lit under
my ass and so, yeah, it wasalready a passion of mine.
That was just like a gift fromgod to me like so.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
So the shop owner taking a chance on you, yeah,
and then him kind of bringingyou under, yeah, that was.
That was like like two gifts,boom boom.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Yeah, yeah, and and and it was cool man Like he, you
know.
He went to a lot of differenttattoo conventions and people
were starting to get to know.
Anyways, I started guestspotting and doing some stuff
and I went over to CoreyMiller's shop six feet under
over there in Upland and I go inthere and I got my little
(16:13):
portfolio and I'm like, oh man,I'm going to start hitting some
of these spots, maybe I couldtattoo and meet some of these
guys and kind of move around.
And I got to meet Corey bro.
He was in the back doing atattoo, doing his old back piece
.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
I was like I feel like I was hallucinating dude,
like what a fanboy you know, Isee him and I'm like no way I
watched him on la ink.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
This is surreal, you know what I mean.
And he's doing a big old blackand gray back piece, like the
style that he does andeverything, and he like waves me
back in he just waves me on inhey, come on in, you know.
And he's like hey, can I?
Uh, can I see your portfolio?
Like can you flip through itwhile I'm tattooing this guy?
And I'm like already blown awaylike yeah of course, dude.
(16:56):
Yeah, and he's like I get to sitthere and kick it with him, um,
but yeah, like around that timeis really when stuff started
like taking off for me, becauseI got to introduce to different
people different styles.
I started meeting people in theindustry.
You know, we went back to aconvention in New York and we
(17:17):
got to meet at the time Rememberwhen this, when Ink Master came
out, brandon, I do.
Ok, so like the first threeseasons, I remember after that
it's all a blur right.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
It was like 50 seasons or something.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
I don't know no one's name no more, but season three
man, we flew back there and wewent to Westchester tattoo
convention.
Man and I got to meet like ahandful of them, you know, and
the shop I was with dude, likehe knew him, so he took us all
out to dinner.
Afterwards, you know, after theconvention, we got to sit and
talk and like, yeah, I justreally started meeting people,
(17:49):
you know, at that point, butyeah it it started to take off
once I got into that first shop,like you were asking me, like
how did I get from my house tohere?
Yeah, like that that's what Iwas doing.
You know what I mean.
Like that's how it happened.
I, uh, jesus like said it's 12years ago now.
So, yeah, I mean I know, um, nobreaks, yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
You fight as well.
You're a Muay Thai fighter.
Is that something that you doto kind of for work?
Is that for a hobby?
What are you doing?
What are you doing with thefight world?
Yeah, so I take a fight.
So, yeah, so I train.
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Muay.
Speaker 1 (18:30):
Thai right.
Like I call myself a fighter.
You know, I'm more of a lover,I'm more of a lover.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
I like the, you know, yeah.
So the reason I do it for meinitially was I really
appreciated the art style.
We're artists, right, so it'slike when you watch a fighter
and you watch a martial artsstyle, that is art dude.
It just captured me, you know,just watching, watching these
(19:00):
dudes and and their techniqueand how it flowed together and
and I was just like man, this istight and I was thinking also
health wise, right, like at thetime being a tattoo artist, you
can get real used to doingnothing, right.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Like sitting in your chair getting a getting uh
scoliosis or I don't know whatyou know.
That's me right now.
So I'm packing it on right now.
I'll tell you, I'm trying, I'mgonna eat, I'm gonna eat you
happy, bro, you're happy uh.
Speaker 2 (19:29):
But yeah, dude, I um, uh, I do it, yeah, to blow off
steam.
You know, um, and uh, like Isaid, it started because of
physical health.
I had to find something thatwas exciting to me and was uh, I
have to trick myself.
I don't know how you guys are,but, like you, tell me to go in
(19:49):
the gym and like hey, we'regonna go lift weights or hey,
we're gonna go run, I'm it, justdoesn't get it.
don't do it for me, yeah, it'snot me.
So I was like I know myself, soI need to find something that
will get me in the gym, right,so I had to.
So when I found Muay Thai inthat art style, you know, I was
like I'll do this.
People do it just to stay inshape, right?
(20:10):
So that's really I would saywhy I got going in it, you know.
And then it just took on awhole deep meaning for me.
After that, once you get beat up, right, and you're sweating, uh
, you're, you're with your boys,you know, they're sweating,
they're getting hit, they'regetting beat up.
Um, I started like discoveringsomething about myself that I
(20:35):
didn't know, like I had neverreally I played, played sports,
you know, I was in high schoollike football and stuff like
that.
But combat sports it'sdifferent, you know, when you're
like purposely trying toinflict pain on somebody and
learn a new skill and a newmartial arts and anyways yeah it
took on a whole nother meaningfor me, like I after I had no
(20:56):
idea that I had fight in me.
To the extent that it's in me, Ifeel like everyone kind of
knows.
You can kind of guess, but youdon't really know until you have
been to a your your limitmentally and physically.
You know what I'm saying.
All of a sudden it hits a newdepth.
Bro, you know what I'm saying.
And then the guys you'retraining with you're seeing the
(21:19):
real them Like you're trainingwith you're seeing the real them
like you're seeing you're,you're learning more about them
in those moments than like wecould just talk about.
We don't gotta talk, but wetrain together and we're
brothers, bro, right, right, ithappens real easy.
You know I'm saying you getclose with people and it was.
It was transforming me insidetoo.
It was like making me a monsterinside in a good way, like it
(21:39):
was making me.
I was more confident in myself.
I was uh, yeah, I walked alittle more sure-footed.
I guess you could say you know,uh, and I don't know where I
lost it along the line.
But I feel like in life, dude,like you do need to reintroduce
yourself to like that fight orflight mode.
You know I'm saying like thatthat is something we don't get
(21:59):
to experience a lot.
And uh, nowadays we're so mode.
You know I'm saying like thatthat is something we don't get
to experience a lot in.
Uh, nowadays we're so safe.
You know, in our like climatecontrol cars, in our, our ac
units.
You know I mean it's illegal tofight.
You know I'm saying you go tojail like no, we don't do that
in our society.
There's not a lot of struggle inthat sense.
So when you go putting yourselfthere purposely, uh, it's crazy
(22:20):
.
The strength that comes from itand and how it transforms you
is mind-blowing to me.
Speaker 1 (22:25):
I'll start to unlock things.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
It sounds like yeah, man, yeah, and then all the all
this stuff that used to piss meoff, man, when people in shape
people would come tell me likehey, man, you know it.
Uh, it's a lifestyle, you knowwhat I mean?
Like uh, uh, and I'll be likeman, shut up, bro, like it's
easy for you.
You know what I mean, like, andI'll be, like man shut up, bro
Like it's easy for you.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I'm the chubby kid, you know what I'm saying.
I like to eat.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
You know, like don't judge me, I just felt.
I just felt like they were sofar from me.
You know what I mean.
And now, like, all of a sudden,like, I'm there, you know what
I'm healthy and all of a suddenI'm making you know comments
that probably piss people offhere and there.
you know but it's a true thing,man, like the positivity, like
(23:05):
that comes from working out andyour your muscles repairing,
like your body being broken downand going through the healing
process.
You know it's like, um, you'regetting like shots of dopamine
the whole time you're healing,the whole time you're building
up, and I didn't realize howmuch that affected my mood.
You know, like, all of a sudden, I was happier without the
(23:28):
training and stuff.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
Who do you?
What's your mood like?
Are you grumpy or uh, dude, Iwould be honest with you.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I would say like less energetic okay and, like I
would say, less positive, likeyou can hear a lot more
pessimism from me, man, like ifI'm not doing good, like if I'm
not healthy, if I'm not like you, kind of always got to look
like man, I don't know, like hedon't believe you.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Ronnie always looks at you like he don't believe you
.
Yeah, real shit, he's like.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
I don't know.
Yeah, yeah, he kind of belooking like, hmm, I don't know.
Yeah, we'll put a picture up.
Y'all be the judges.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
He'd kind of be looking like hmm, I don't know
if I can trust that shitsometimes.
Hey man, you know.
Speaker 2 (24:08):
You know, what's funny, bro.
I thought, man, this is.
I sound Conceited for makingthis comparison, but I don't
mean to make this comparison.
But, bro, One time I wassitting, I was listening to Elon
Musk right, and they asked hima question.
This fool would look and takeso many seconds to process the
question before he opens hismouth and I thought someone's
(24:29):
wrong with the dude.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
But it's Elon Musk.
You know what I mean and Inoticed, bro, the deeper I get
like that.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Like that, I'm a deep human.
Now, right, Like myconversation, the more I notice
like me being slower to speak.
Bro, yeah, I hear you, but likeI got to process before it
comes out of my mouth.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Because if I just say , it.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Sometimes it don't come out, man, I don't give a
fuck if you Elon Musk or not.
If you pausing Got to be quick.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
Yeah bro, we're not going to talk long, we're not
going to talk long even if it'sElon, I'm like all right, yeah
he's cool bro, but thatmotherfucker, he talks slow.
Like you don't hurry the fuckup, You're also well, I was kind
of interested in you're alsoinvolved.
I hate that shit.
Hold on, Let me keep going.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
I hate that shit when you a story and they just yeah,
and then it's like man, if youdon't tell the story already?
You told me you was going totell a story and you just went
over here dancing around andshit you know.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
You know why, bro?
Because that attention spanslike this.
So as soon as I'm talking toyou, it's like get to that point
or my mind and my eyes aredrifting.
Yeah, bro, I did that with this.
Speaker 3 (25:39):
I need cliff notes.
I ain't trying to hear thewhole motherfucking story,
unless you can tell a story likean old head if you can't tell
me a story like an old head, youknow, yeah, describe everything
.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You gotta be a good storyteller 100% and that's not
towards you as far as not beingthe fuck up but like that's
towards everybody.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Yeah, it is towards you too, that's towards
everybody.
Speaker 3 (26:01):
Shit.
Yeah, it is towards you too,that's towards everybody.
You know you're doing goodtoday.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
Bro, I do that shit to myself.
Like you ever thought thatyou've been talking.
You know, maybe you smoked orsomething Like maybe you drank
something.
You're sitting there and it'slike you're like damn bro, I
haven't even got to my own pointyet.
I'm still talking.
You know what I'm saying.
Like I can't imagine whateveryone else feels, you know?
Speaker 3 (26:22):
Yeah, I don't know.
I think that's what you know.
Intelligent people do just tryand give shitty answers.
You feel me?
Just shoot from the hip man.
Be natural.
You know I'm over here pausing.
Let me give you a response.
You feel me Like, get the fuckout of here, bro.
Like you know exactly what'sgoing on.
You pay people to know what thefuck is going on and you,
(26:45):
acting like you don't knowwhat's going on.
Specifically, elon Musk.
Elon Musk, shout out to him,though I don't got no problem
with him, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
So let's keep going.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
Shoot from the hip, bro, go for it.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Let's talk about what His volunteering yeah, the
industry and the volunteering.
Yes, yes, yes, yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:04):
Right, so he runs Glory Hole out of Elsinore.
No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (27:13):
He's volunteering oh my.
God, oh man Brandon.
Speaker 1 (27:17):
Brandon.
Brandon opened it.
Brandon opened it, 10 yearsopened it and 10 years ago with
the tattoo shop.
Yeah, yeah, he took my place.
It's called.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
B-Man Glory Hole.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
He's standing in for me.
Now I'm done.
Oh man, oh man, my goodness.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Yeah, what a segue.
Yeah, what a segue.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
So he does services and you know all types of
services.
He's a big humanitarian.
Let's get serious for a minute.
Horrible segue, that's my fault, but it's cool shooting from
the hip sometimes you hit,sometimes you don't it's a super
(27:56):
important thing that he's doingout there.
He's helping out the youth allover the place and he's choosing
to do so.
Go ahead and tell us a littlebit about the things that you're
involved in.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, man, so, like I started volunteering, maybe
like six years ago now, sevenyears ago it's been a minute now
.
You know I started volunteering, uh, just locally, like whether
it was at like a food bank oruh, or like local churches or um
, really anywhere that justneeded help, like free help.
(28:29):
You know what I'm saying.
And uh, yeah, I I got into itand I would just do simple stuff
, you know, I mean like theylittle setup stuff, this and
that, but I was doing it becauseI thought I was going to help
them.
You know what I'm saying.
And then shortly into it, maybelike a month in, I started
(28:50):
finding out I'm like I want togo, I'm waking up and I'm like
man, I want to go there, I wantto be there and it was a trip.
Man, like how it really takesmy selfishness away.
My self-centered.
You know what I'm saying.
I'm always thinking about me.
It's, it's, it's it's normal,right, it's like it's human
nature to to just be soself-absorbed, you know.
(29:14):
And so volunteering, like justtaught me it, it did something
for me, it let me not be selfishfor the day, like I figured, if
I did that once a week, therest of the days is for me.
You know what I mean.
Like that works.
But yeah, I forgot what youasked me.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But yeah, we were talking about the services that
you're going out there to helpout, and one of the ones that
I'm specifically talking aboutis, uh, the youth ministry yeah,
okay, so, yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:43):
So after I was, I was volunteering, uh, at this, this
church, um, over in corona,it's called south hills.
Uh, I started getting to knowpeople and then, uh, you know,
the pastors there uh would comeup and ask me like, hey, you
know, would you come by maybe?
Like you know, maybe work withlike the young, the young males,
you know, like the, uh, highschool boys, the, the college
(30:05):
kids, you know they got nightsfor everything too, you know.
And I was like, yeah, sure, youknow, um, and I'd go there.
And he'd be like, hey, man, weall have like a table of kids
right.
And uh, he'd be like, hey, uh,can you lead a table?
And I'm like I don't know what,that is, okay, lead what.
He's like, go sit at the table,you know, and here's the focus
question we're going to give,and then you just go around the
(30:28):
table and kind of facilitate it.
You know, let the kids talk,let them get stuff off their
chest.
You know this and that.
And when I sat there, dude, Ifound out like real quick that
they listened to me and I thinka lot of us to do is because of
how I look.
You know what I'm saying, likejust the fact that I don't look
(30:52):
like someone that came fromchurch or was born in there,
they would like they would askquestions, like stuff resonated
with them, like they'd want tohang out.
They want to you know what I'msaying.
They want to, they want to befriends and stuff, you know.
And uh, the, the pastors wouldbe like, man, you know they,
they really respond to you.
Well, you know, like, would youmind keep coming back?
And like I thought the kidswere cool.
So I was like, yeah, man, I'llkeep coming back, you know.
And uh, same thing, bro, like Istarted seeing their, their
(31:13):
lives change, having like apositive role model in their
life.
Because one thing I found outbeing with them is like a lot of
them, you know dad's dad's notthere, mom's not there Uh,
there's something going on athome, you know, uh, isolating
themselves from the family, uh,type of stuff running away, um,
you know, just getting intostuff, you know what I'm saying
(31:35):
Getting off to a rocky start.
You know, in life, and you canjust tell man, with the, you
being consistent there changeseverything for them, like they
see you there every week, man,and it's like, all of a sudden,
you know their, their mood,their attitude changes toward
you.
You got to man with kids andyoung people.
You got to earn their, theirrespect.
You know what I'm saying.
(31:55):
Like, you got to be consistentor they ain't going to respect
you.
They're not going to receivewhat you say.
Very well, that's right.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
I've got a question.
Ned's dope that you do that andshout out to the church that
he's working on.
What was it the church again?
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Oh, it's called South Hills.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Thinking about Corona .
I find it interesting that lifehas this way of choosing your
job for you based off of whatyou've gone through right and
the opportunities it gives you.
What opportunities have yougone through that make you
qualified for a position tomentor, to teach?
Speaker 2 (32:32):
dude, that's what's wild, bro.
Like there are no, because,like, call it, life qualifies
you and what's the trip there'slike.
Even even like recent uh likereports and and feedback I've
gotten from people, um, liketherapists and counselors.
They're quickly finding outthat people that have life
(32:52):
experience are much moreeffective on the clients, on the
patients.
I don't know what you call them, what the word is, but a
college degree like it doesn'tresonate with.
When you're talking real life,you know what I'm saying and and
uh.
So yeah, I think it's like themost potent thing is to be life
qualified.
You know what I'm saying, likeI mean that that's what changes
(33:15):
lives, man, is that you walk thewalk and you went through it.
You know I'm saying'm sayingLike you're you remember?
You know listening to people,um, you know drug counselors or
something like that.
If the drug counselor got hisdegree or her degree but has
never been a drug addict andthey're sitting there with me,
you know what I'm saying?
Uh, one, I know that right awayyou don't even got to tell me
(33:37):
that you have not been whereI've been, I can see it and just
the way you talk, the way youhold yourself, um, and then
we're kind of done.
You know what I'm saying.
The the conversation doesn'treally go from there.
Uh, there's, there's no need,you know, they don't know,
that's, that's good.
So I think that's why, likethey leadership in places, if
(33:58):
they see that in you you do gotto, you do got to be around,
they got to know you really well, to even, you know, put you in
a spot like that and in chargeof anybody or anything you know.
So it definitely took like afew years of me being around
them like consistently, in orderfor me to get, like offered
this stuff, you know Like atattoo shop.
(34:20):
Yeah, man, yeah, just like thatexactly and that's interesting.
Speaker 3 (34:24):
You make that comparison.
It immediately makes me thinkof this, this there's a visual.
I'm gonna paint a picture foryou guys.
There's, you know, you're goingthrough a divorce and you get
two therapists.
One therapist is fresh out ofcollege, has never been married,
21 years old, and you haveanother therapist who's been
married two to three times anddivorced at this point, at 50
(34:45):
years old.
Who do you want to takeinformation from?
Yeah, you know, does uh lifeexperience, what?
How does life experience equateto a college experience?
That's a very interestingcomparison.
Yeah, yeah, definitely.
I did construction a lot.
You know what I mean, and oneof the things that construction
workers complained about waswhen somebody would come out of
(35:06):
college and take the job withlittle hand-on experience, and I
agree with them and disagreewith them.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
Yeah, there's good in both.
You're absolutely right.
Like you know a college degree,like there's things you know
and learn, that I have no idea,I just don't know.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Is that stuff helpful to?
Speaker 2 (35:25):
know, probably sometimes, sometimes probably
not Might be useless, but you'reright, there's a little give
and take there.
It's just what's most effective, I guess.
What do people respond to themost?
Speaker 3 (35:36):
And I think that slows people down too.
Because they don't have acollege degree, they feel like
they can't help.
I know, you know, and that ismessed up, because intent is
what is the the special thingthat is going on there?
It's the intent to want tochange somebody's life or be
involved in a way to helpsomebody out.
(35:58):
Most people know how to do thatwithout a motherfucking degree.
You know what I'm saying.
Like that, you know, we'redefinitely not trying to give
information or talk people offbridges or anything like that
here as well.
You know, we're just trying tobe insightful and, you know,
trigger something in yourday-to-day hustle and bustle,
and I guess you can compare thatto ministry a little bit too
(36:19):
right, because they come in yourday-to-day hustle and bustle
and I I guess you can comparethat to ministry a little bit
too right, because they come inone day a week and then they
hear you speak and you know yeah, you're trying to leave an
imprint on them yeah per se,yeah, you hope, you hope it
relieves like a little weightoff their shoulders for the week
, man, you hope.
Speaker 2 (36:34):
You hope it feels like a little medicine to them.
You know, it's just somethinggood for people.
You know like a place to gothat they didn't have to go, and
now they got people that theycould kick it with, just like.
But you're absolutely right,man, it's so similar a tattooing
, uh, in ministry, like I knowit doesn't sound like it is, but
the, the atmosphere and the wayit is is very much like that,
(36:56):
because it's very much like, uh,like counseling or therapy.
You know what I'm saying?
Just kicking with people istherapy, man, like like-minded
people being around each other.
Therapy, bro, like me and you,kicking, we have a good day, bro
.
When you go home, like, feelgood, you know what I mean.
Like man, it was a good day, Ihad fun.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
I laughed a lot about some cool stuff, you know.
So, yeah, that's therapy initself.
You know, what I think one ofthe best teachers in life is is,
uh, adversity, adversity, Iagree, you know, it's not that
somebody who hasn't gone throughanything can't teach me, but
for some reason, every time Ireceive information from
somebody that is like core they,they're going through some shit
you know what I mean and it'sjust like damn man, like what is
it about?
Adversity that, you know, ischanneling all of these profound
thoughts, these quotes that wespeak of.
You know, um, it's through theturmoil, the drama yeah, you
(37:52):
know, exactly, you know exactly.
You know, uh, when I got intotattooing, my dad was like yo,
like um, why is everything sonegative in tattooing?
Why is everything so negative?
Why is the imagery so negative?
That's a good question, and Itried to draw in a positive
direction for him but that shitis hard, it is, that shit is
(38:16):
hard to draw a positive.
It's something about capturingdrama that taps into a different
emotion, I believe, or maybeit's a heavier emotion, just
naturally, so humans attach toit better and it's more graphic.
Or maybe it's imprinting, Idon't know the medium of it.
(38:36):
Yeah, maybe that plays into it alittle bit, but since we're on
art, you know, do you doreligious art as well?
What kind of arts do you tendto focus on when you approach a
piece and how is your religiousconvictions taken when you're in
a tattoo studio?
(38:57):
That's very taboo in our world.
It's not taboo in the aspect oflike we tar and feather
motherfuckers.
It's not like that.
But it is close.
You know what I mean.
If you show religious beliefheavily in a tattoo shop, you're
seen as a fucking nerd or someshit like that.
Motherfuckers don't like you.
(39:17):
You're damn near a piercer orsome shit.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (39:20):
So you feel about any piercers?
Speaker 1 (39:23):
listening right now, dog.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
No, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
We always talking shit to the piercer man.
It ain't gonna stop.
You know what I mean.
Like white-skinned brothers getno respect.
You feel me, same shit.
You feel me.
We love both of y'all.
You feel me.
Yeah, same shit, you feel me.
We love both of y'all.
Let's start at the bottom.
Yeah, yeah, we love both ofy'all.
You feel me, we love both ofy'all.
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:45):
So, yeah, like my beliefs do feel they kind of
bleed into my art.
Definitely, I notice Because,bro, it becomes like a part of
you, you know, and so it's.
It's, it becomes like a part ofyou, you know, and so is art.
So they're like naturally gonnableed together, you know, um,
and it's deep like religious art, like I guess you could call it
(40:07):
that.
Like it's, it's somewhat deep,you know.
I think like when people see it,um, like you said, it hits like
a certain certain tone withthem.
It hits a certain like nerve,you know, um, depending on the
scene.
But but yeah, it definitelylike bleeds into, uh, to the art
world.
For me, you know, because it's,yeah, it's like I said, it's a
part of me, but, uh, but yeah,it's all mixed in, bro, like
(40:30):
tattoo art, uh, you knowreligious art, um, just random
ideas, you know, uh, lettering,graffiti, all that stuff, like I
love it all, and so, to me,like I mix it all together.
You know what I'm saying and uh, that's how it infiltrates that
part of my life um, but yeah,more now than before, for sure I
(40:51):
didn't used to draw.
I started off drawing dark stuff.
You know I'm saying, you know,back in the yeah, we used to
draw a lot of like, uh, yeah,that's just how the industry was
, you know, it's just how theindustry was, you know, it's
just more evolved now.
So I think more images are likeallowed and look good, you know
, and before it wasn't, it waslike skulls and, like, you know,
roses.
Speaker 3 (41:10):
It's funny too.
We talk about religions and I'mgoing to cut you off Religion
and tattooing, right?
Oh yeah, that was the secondquestion.
It's taboo to be religious in ashop, but I don't know not one
shop that doesn't have a Jesuspiece up.
That's a good point.
I never thought of that, or across or some type of devil,
(41:34):
Something yeah something, Angelyeah something.
Speaker 2 (41:37):
So what is it?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
that causes motherfuckers to hate on a
motherfucker who's superreligious.
I mean, first off, some ofy'all religious motherfuckers be
coming off a little cheesy andcorny.
Sometimes you feel me Like andlike the Dockers and the Dockers
and the Penny Loafers gottastop.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
You, feel me, even if you're a missionary.
Speaker 3 (41:55):
Y'all can switch up the fit and give them a
different uniform.
You don't like the black, uhyeah you know.
Corporate suit and tie.
Look Like I'm into the Baptist.
Look you feel me, my blackladies with the hats and shit
like that covered clean.
If you're going to cover cleanlike but when you lose me, if
(42:16):
you got some dockers on withsome pleated pants and some
penny loafers on and you aboutto come up to me and talk to me
about hey, brandon, I got amessage for you I'm like, no,
you don't.
I got a message for you tooOnce you're done.
I'm going to tell you somethingtoo Change your pants.
You know what is it.
There's an overtone.
Speaker 2 (42:37):
I'm just saying Go ahead the tattoo world does not
accept beliefs in God, likeyou're right you know, does not
accept beliefs in God, like,like you're right you know, like
I don't.
I know it might be soundconfusing, but like I don't
consider myself religious.
For me it's, it's a, it's aspiritual thing.
(42:59):
You know what I'm saying, like,but I, but it does, it does.
I know what you mean.
So, like the, the look of it.
So when I go into a shop orwhen I'm in a tattoo convention
or something like that, uh, thedopest thing about it, bro, is
I'm just me and this wholebelief in god is just here with
(43:19):
me.
So it's real subtle.
You know what I'm saying, likeyou know you.
You you're of figuring it out,you're figuring me out a little
bit, but yeah, it's real subtle.
So, and that's the dopest thing, dude, it's like, and what I
believe, like Jesus, that's thatthe way he was with people was
(43:40):
very non-abrasive.
He'd kick it with you.
I think when people arereligion, they get it all
backwards.
When they try to tell yousomething, they try to tell you
what you need to, how you should, where you going if you don't
right, um, but the way that ismodeled like to me properly,
(44:04):
just like me and you sittinghere kicking it right now.
Man, you know I'm saying it's,it just eases in over time.
You know the more you, the morewe kick it, the more you find
out about my beliefs and themore they might not sound so
religious to you anymore.
You know they might not soundso wild.
You know you might be like oh Isee, I see where you're getting
that from.
(44:24):
You know stuff starts makingsense.
So it's for me it is abrasiveand I don't throw it in people's
face for that reason.
So if I'm around tattooers,especially dude, when I'm in
shops, man, it's like.
I know that.
I know that.
I've gotten in talks with dudeswith you know.
You know.
You know when everyone's nottattooing and we're all out
front, everyone's smoking orsomething, we're all in a circle
kicking ackie sack or something.
I've gotten in thoseconversations about that.
(44:45):
You know I'm saying like, inthose places and people respect
you when you stand on your shitdog, so I don't care what they
think and they, they know aboutit, so I don't, I don't really
trip no more about it.
You know I'm saying so but, um,like said, I'm not offensive
about it either, you know.
So I don't expect.
(45:06):
I don't expect no crazy comingmy way, because I don't give it.
You know what I'm saying.
But you're right, though Likeit depends how you carry
yourself in that but just offthe bat it's not accepted
because of how it's perceived.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
Yeah, appearance is part of the delivery.
Yeah, dog Appearance is part ofthe delivery.
Speaker 2 (45:30):
yeah, dog appearance yeah, appearance is part of the
delivery, you know.
Yeah, but you're right, man,like I enjoy.
You don't want to get in themconversations in the tattoo shop
either too much.
You know what I'm saying.
Because, like you say, you gotlike six dudes right and boom,
you get into some some.
A conversation like that, uh,it can go off the rails like
real quick, oh, you're gonnahave a real car.
Speaker 1 (45:48):
It's a, it's a, it's a certain type of way, yeah, you
have to feel a positive ornegative, and that's the fucked
up thing about like.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Religion is just like .
Oh, you don't do that, you arethis you're immediately telling
somebody yeah, they are in anegative light because they're
not following the prophecy ofwhatever it is that they believe
in.
Yeah, and so I understand theopinions upon that shit, just
like politics is like okay, youdon't believe in what it is that
(46:17):
I believe, you're a fuckingidiot.
You know what I'm saying likewhat I see.
Speaker 1 (46:22):
What I see, too, is a lot of us that are in the same
age group right here.
Speaker 3 (46:27):
We don't practice it like we were raised to practice
it so we already have our guardup.
Speaker 1 (46:32):
We might believe something.
We might believe the same thingwe did when we grew up.
We don't believe it the sameway, we don't practice it the
same way anymore, so it's almostlike a guilty feeling that's
what.
I see too.
So guys got that chip on theirshoulder, so they're already
ready to jump down.
Yeah, they got answers.
I got something to say.
Speaker 2 (46:49):
Yeah, yeah, and you know, like that's a huge mistake
, bro of the church, like that'sour fault.
Yeah, absolutely.
The way that it's representedis 100%, like when you said,
dude, you got an imperfect humanbeing telling you another
imperfect human being whatyou're doing wrong and what you
(47:09):
should be doing, when you knowdamn well that there's stuff in
their closet they got skeletonsin that closet and they know it
too, but they're sitting heretelling you the hypocrisy of it
is disgusting, bro, and it'sseriously something that the
church is misrepresented, and Ifeel like we need to take
responsibility for that, for forputting almost the opposite out
(47:34):
there, bro, than what thisreally is.
And I and I hope that's whatpeople see when they, when
they're around me a lot is thatit's not what you thought it was
, it's not what you remember,it's not what you were taught
all the way, not what youthought it was, it's not what
you remember, it's not what youwere taught all the way.
You've got little bits andpieces of it just enough to get
yourself into some some shit.
You know what I'm saying, like,you know just enough about it to
question it.
(47:54):
And they're good questions, bro.
I had all these questions right, the deepest questions, you
know.
Is god real?
Is he there?
All of that stuff, I had tolike sift through all that In
these years.
That's what's been happening isme just looking for the truth
on deeper levels.
Every year I'm always likesifting the bullshit out and,
(48:16):
bro, I tell people, if thisstuff wasn't real, I'd be the
first dude to be out heretelling all you guys hey man,
don't be following this shit,dog.
I looked in it.
You know what I'm saying.
I want good for you.
You know I'm saying I don'twant to lead you down a bad path
and I wouldn't go down eitherif it was that you know.
But yeah it's.
It's something that's provenitself to me and it's changed me
(48:37):
.
And what blew my mind was whenI would read scripture is the
scripture would tell me how it'sgoing to change me and it would
happen.
You know what I'm saying, likeI would morph into what the
scriptures was saying.
Speaker 1 (48:50):
And I'm like what is going?
Speaker 2 (48:52):
on man Like I get these light bulb moments that
would just go off in my head,you know, and then the pastor's
making sense.
Speaker 1 (48:58):
You know what I'm saying, Like I heard growing up.
Speaker 2 (49:01):
So much, so many pastors just not making sense
right, Just yelling out versesand not explaining them and
getting all riled up andeverybody yelling and stuff.
And I'm like, wait, what did welearn?
What was it about?
It wasn't a message.
Yeah, but now you know likethere's so many good pastors and
like theologians out there thatthey just when I listen to some
(49:23):
of these messages especially mypastor dude I remember saying
to myself when I sit down inthis church service I'm
volunteering here, anyway, Imight as well go listen and see
what the man's got to say on thepulpit.
And I remember telling myselfman, as soon as I hear some
(49:44):
bullshit, as soon as I hear somenonsense come out this dude's
mouth, I just won't go in thereanymore.
I'll keep helping the church,but I just won't go listen Bro
every.
Sunday Hasn't happened hereEvery Sunday, bro Seven years
later dog.
No joke, no joke, man, I haven'theard.
No BS, come off that pulpitdude.
And yeah, I have to acknowledgetruth.
Man, I can't heard.
(50:05):
No BS, come off that pulpitdude.
And yeah, I have to acknowledgetruth.
Man, I can't lie to myself.
Once I hear truth, I have tolike, acknowledge it, I have to
pursue it.
You know, I can't be like, ohman, yeah, this stuff's cheesy
so I'm just not going to listen.
It's like no man, I want thesmoke, even if it's like an
(50:27):
answer I don't want to hear, aslong as it's the truth.
Speaker 3 (50:28):
You know, but yeah, any other questions?
No, no, man.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Yeah, I mean, I could ask questions all day.
Speaker 3 (50:35):
Yeah, let's round it up, I would like to.
Speaker 1 (50:39):
His quote is pretty darn good.
Okay, let's talk about it.
Would you like to?
Speaker 3 (50:44):
so far round up.
Speaker 1 (50:46):
Our guest, ronnie, brought us a quote.
Go ahead and tell it for us,ronnie.
Speaker 2 (50:53):
It's pray for peace and prepare for war.
I feel like our conversationwas that, to be honest with you,
I mean Muay Thai, physicaltraining, spiritual training,
spiritual push-ups, right, bothof those things for men.
I'm sure for women too, butspeaking from my stance, men, we
(51:15):
need that, we need that.
I do the most good, you put themost good out there.
Right, you got your best intent, but you know the world, you
know it's cold, you know it'sharsh.
So you prepare, prepare for war, hoping that it doesn't come,
but you're ready.
You know what I'm saying.
That's sort of that's how Ikeep it.
I keep it in the background, Ikeep it ready and I put my best
(51:39):
foot forward.
And I just think that I don'teven know where I saw that
saying.
I think it was on the back of at-shirt.
But yeah, man, it resonates,you know.
Speaker 1 (51:48):
Well, I was going to let you know, too.
That's a big military phrasetoo.
Oh, okay, so as soon as he saidit, as soon as I read it
through his bio that we had himfill out.
So the Latin version is Si vispossum per bellum and the Latin
version is Si vis possum perbellum.
And that's the Latin version,is everywhere in the military,
(52:10):
along with the English version.
So I'm like, okay, that made meeven more curious as to what
you were going to bring to thetable.
Speaker 2 (52:18):
Yeah, yeah, man, it's cool man, it's a part of me,
but yeah, that describes it well.
Speaker 3 (52:26):
Yeah, I like that.
You know, I stay ready.
Speaker 1 (52:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (52:33):
You're a sucker if you don't, yeah.
Speaker 3 (52:36):
I stay ready at all times Mentally, not necessarily
physically.
All the time I got to work onthat, like I said, I've been
eating and shit.
You know the mind we gotta keepit sharp.
Thank you for coming in today,man.
I really appreciate yourinterview and Absolutely.
Ronnie rents and tattoos hereall the time.
He gets spots at the studio Allthe time B-Main Studios.
(52:59):
If you guys want a tattoo FromRonnie, or if you're seeking
Some Youth ministry, or you know, check.
Or if you're seeking some youthministry or you know, check
them out at the church in SouthHills.
Yeah, he likes to do black andgray, he likes neo-traditional
style, he does lettering, he'scommissioning for paintings and
all kind of other artworkoutside of tattooing as well.
(53:20):
Yeah, everybody that I bring toyou guys is a resource In case
you're struggling With mentalhealth.
He's also Personal trainer andteaches Muay Thai as well.
So if you guys are interestedIn tapping in and that Please
check him out, ronnie, go aheadand drop your Instagram.
Speaker 2 (53:39):
Yeah, it's Ronnie B.
Tattoos Ronnie B.
Speaker 3 (53:41):
Tattoos.
So check him out On Instagramguys.
Speaker 1 (53:44):
Any last minute shout outs From Europe.
Speaker 2 (53:47):
Yeah, actually.
So at South Hills, there I'm,actually I just got asked To
start A recovery ministry.
So Anybody Suffering from Anysort of I mean man we talk about
Addictions from it ain't evenjust Drugs and alcohol, dog,
it's like Beyond that, you knowwhat I'm saying Like the money
(54:08):
spent, yeah, like your focus is,you know, spending money,
addictions, video games, youknow, wasting your life away on
all kinds of Americans.
That's what we do.
We're addicted to something.
So, so this ministry, dude, isgoing to be focused on that.
Like I think people are going tolose their minds when this
election gets.
I don't want to open this rightnow, but when this election is
closed, bro, like, I just have afeeling, you know, people are
(54:30):
going to fall off, like moms,dads, bro, that are that are
normally there, fall back intoaddiction.
Because, you know, I don't knowwhat's going to happen and with
the world, I don't know, but Ijust know someone's going to
lose their shit.
That's all I know.
So it's like I try to thinkahead in times and like, what
are people going to need?
How can we help?
You know?
And this recovery ministry, bro, I think is going to be huge.
But yeah, it's out South Hills?
(54:51):
And yeah, we'll be.
We'll be launching in June.
Speaker 1 (54:55):
So who's the contact for that, the South Hills, or
would they be able to send you aDM?
Speaker 2 (55:01):
Yeah, absolutely.
You can message me, or you cango to South Hills.
They got their Instagram andFacebook page, but yeah, you can
.
You can come right to me too.
I'm running it so sweet weappreciate you, ronnie.
Speaker 1 (55:12):
Yeah, thank you, yeah , enjoy.
Speaker 3 (55:15):
Good, good, all right , cool man.
Speaker 1 (55:18):
Have a great day.
Thanks, man, thank you.
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