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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 26 sepTember 2019
‘Black Ink’ looks to change negative stereotypes of Compton

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. clean this up the best way
Associated Press we can. We’re not making
COMPTON, Calif. (AP) — up false gang allegations.
Danny “KP” Kilpatrick has It’s real out here.”
inked tattoos for Diddy, Kilpatrick said he was grate-
Nas, Taraji P. Henson and ful to earn the gang lead-
numerous other stars, but ers’ support to bring peace
his latest venture aims to to the neighborhood. He
create a safe space in his envisions a day when he’ll
hometown of Compton. have his celeb friends and
Kilpatrick stars in “Black Ink other clients feeling com-
Crew: Compton,” the new- fortable enough to visit
est VH1 series that chroni- Compton without any wor-
cles prominent tattoo art- ries. “People in this city ac-
ists. He hopes his shop can tually want change,” said
help change the image of Kilpatrick, a former college
a city known for gang cul- football player who was
ture and high murder rate. kicked out of school after
“We’re showing we can a drug charge. He learned
unite. We’re shedding a the art of tattooing after
different light of Compton selling his drawings to a lo-
through art, our ink and cal tattoo parlor more than
music,” he said of the se- This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows, from left, Danny “KP” Kilpatrick, Erica “Barbie” Thompson, Christian a decade ago.
ries, which airs Wednesdays “Ink Drippin’” Thomas and Timothy “Tim” Simmons, cast members in the reality television series “This is my second chance,”
on VH1. He’s a native of the “Black Ink Crew: Compton,” at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. he said. “And honestly, no-
area and owner of iAM- Associated Press body wants to be going to
Compton, which is consid- locations include Chicago Angeles. Before that could erything they filmed is real, funerals all the time. I grew
ered the community’s first and New York, which is cur- happened, Kilpatrick and especially the aftermath of up and ran these streets.
black-owned tattoo shop. rently airing its eighth sea- his cousin Tim Simmons met a shooting at a barbershop For me now, I’m really tell-
Kilpatrick and his crew of son on Sundays. with Compton’s rival gang near their business. ing the homies like ‘Yo, I’m
tattoo artists attempt to Kilpatrick, 36, has already leaders at a dimly lit ware- “We’ve had some nega- doing something. It could
make the shop a “safe made his mark as a famed house to seek their approv- tive press saying ‘Oh, be big for all of us.’ This
zone” in Compton and tattoo artist for several al to open the shop, which you’re making Compton show will show that people
help build up one of the celebrities including Tra- turned into a small scuffle. look bad.’” said Erica “Bar- can positively change the
most economically under- vis Scott. He could have He later got the bless- bie” Thompson, a recep- way they live.”
served communities in the opened a tattoo shop in a ing from a group of gang tionist at the shop. “At the Simmons said their meet-
United States. He believes more popular area in Los members who barged into end of the day, the stuff ing with gang leaders
attracting a mix of outside Angeles, but he felt com- the shop’s ground-break- that’s being shown is real. was imperative, calling it
clients and locals to the ap- pelled to plant roots where ing party. This is really happening in “hood politics.” He said
pointment-only shop can he grew up to show that a Those scenes were intense, Compton. We’re just now they couldn’t safely open
start to make that happen. black-owned business can but some on social media seeing it on VH1 instead of their shop or film the show
The reality series is the third thrive in Compton, a city said they thought the inter- the news. We’re not show- in Compton without the
spinoff of the “Black Ink of roughly 100,000 people actions with gangs were ing anything that’s not hap- gangster’s permission
Crew” franchise. The other south of downtown Los staged. The cast insists ev- pening. Our goal is to try to first.q

Tom Hanks to receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at Golden Globes

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. “Cast Away,” for which through with his role in the
Associated Press he lost 55 pounds to play 1984 film “Splash,” in which
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tom a man stranded on a des- he played a man who falls
Hanks became one of ert island. HFPA President in love with a mermaid. He
Hollywood’s beloved ac- Lorenzo Soria said in a claimed his first Globe in
tors through an array of statement that Hanks capti- 1988 for “Big,” in which he
likable roles, from “Big” vated audiences with “rich portrayed a 13-year-old
to “Forrest Gump,” and and playful characters.” boy whose body turned
now his decorated career He said the actor was also into a 35-year-old man
has earned him one of a force behind the camera overnight after making a
the highest honors at the as writer, producer and di- wish. The actor won a cou-
Golden Globes next year. rector. The DeMille Award ple Globes for “Philadel-
Hanks will receive the Ce- is given annually to an “in- phia” and “Forrest Gump,”
cil B. DeMille Award at the dividual who has made an two films that earned him
Golden Globe Awards on incredible impact on the Academy Awards. He was
Jan. 5, 2020, the Hollywood world of entertainment.” also lauded for his direct- In this Sept. 8, 2016 file photo, Tom Hanks arrives at the premiere
Foreign Press Association Past recipients include Jeff ing work in HBO’s 2001 mini- of “Sully” in Los Angeles.
announced Tuesday. The Bridges, Oprah Winfrey, series “Band of Brothers,” Associated Press
actor has won praise for a Morgan Freeman, Meryl which won an Emmy. can Film Institute in 2009. include the WWII drama
string of compelling char- Streep, Jodie Foster, Bar- In 2014, Hanks received Hanks will star as Mister “Greyhound,” which he
acters in movies including bra Streisand, Sidney Poiti- an award at the Kennedy Rogers in the biopic “A wrote; the post-apocalyp-
“Saving Private Ryan,” the er and Lucille Ball. Hanks, Center Honors. He also was Beautiful Day in the Neigh- tic “BIOS”; and the post-
“Toy Story” films, and the 63, is a four-time Golden given a lifetime achieve- borhood” in November. His Civil War film “News of the
Golden Globe-winning Globe winner who broke ment award by the Ameri- other upcoming projects World.”q