Inked April/May 2022

Hey there, Welcome to the 2022 Music Issue! I don’t want to gaze too hard into my own navel or sound like I’m auditioning to write for Pitchfork, but there truly is nothing else on this Earth that inspires people in the way music does. Writers far better than I am have attempted, and failed, to describe the way music touches our souls, so why would I even try? It would be a wasted exercise. What I will say is that I absolutely do not trust people who “don’t like music.” There are so many different genres of music—I’m willing to bet you’ve never even heard of Skweee, Djent or lowercase—that there is something for everyone. Seriously, if you can’t find music that you like there is probably something broken inside. Everybody in the…

Avril Lavigne “The princess of punk is back! I've been subscribed to Inked since Avril had her first cover and man, I'm glad she's still making badass music. 'Love Sux' is my new favorite album and I listen to 'Bite Me' just about every single day. I loved learning what went into making this album and I'm so happy she found love again."—Eva Miller, Salem, MA INKEDSTAGRAM: HASHTAG YOUR SELFIE #INKEDMAG @LARAWILLIAMSTATTOO @MARCELINA_NIKAA @YANOTIKI @MIDNIGHT_MUSTARD TATTOO OF THE MONTH TATTOO BY @ALENATATTOOS Want to be a Tattoo of the Month? E-mail your ink to editor@inkedmag.com RAUW ALEJANDRO Ben Mears— Inked is out here grabbing every top Latin artist in the game. First Balvin now Rauw. Bad Bunny must be next! CITY MORGUE Richard Straker— My guys! So stoked to see them on the cover. And I can't believe they met at a…

What was your first tattoo? I got my first tattoo at 16 and the only way my mom would sign for it was if it was on my foot. So I got a little quote with a butterfly because my mom has called me her butterfly my whole life. What’s your most meaningful tattoo? My most meaningful tattoo is my sleeve. It’s angel themed in honor of my two sisters who passed away. Which of your tattoos get the most compliments? I’d say my leg and back pieces get the most compliments. Zach Roberts absolutely killed both pieces. Which tattoo took the longest to complete? My leg sleeve took the longest to complete, only because I had to travel for every session. What was your most painful tattoo? My most painful tattoo was my “West Coast” tattoo across my…

In a world where everybody is in a perpetual rush, Aaron Nagel likes to slow things down. He resonated with oil paints the first time he used them and now creates incredibly realistic paintings that demand hours of careful attention before they come to life. We spoke with Nagel about his inspirations, what drew him to portraiture and what NFTs will do to the art world. What sort of role did art play in your childhood? My dad is a jazz musician, so my sister and I were around music all the time. We both started playing piano at 6 and I started trumpet in the fourth grade. Music and art [as a whole] were always very much encouraged. Do you remember the first time you fell in love with painting? Not…

In His Blood While Jared Leto may not have charmed audiences with his portrayal of the Joker in 2016's "Suicide Squad," he's having his superhero redemption. This time, instead of a DC mobster Leto is trading his tattoos for fangs to play Marvel's "Morbius." Set to hit theaters on April 1st, Leto will bring to life the Living Vampire alongside performances by Matt Smith and Adria Arjona. And yes, there will be blood. Under the Sun There's nothing more hazardous to a new tattoo than the sun. At least, until the flesh eating zombies take over. Protecting your tattoos is imperative and lucky for your ink, Mad Rabbit has you covered. This sunscreen is crafted just for tattoos, protecting your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Plus Mad Rabbit's 100% mineral formula…

This issue we forgot to ask an artist for a playlist, so we made one our damn selves. Ayesha Erotica “Literal Legend" Red Hot Chili Peppers "Pea" Nicki Minaj "Itty Bitty Piggy" House of Pain "Jump Around" Sincere Engineer "Hurricane of Misery" 100 gecs featuring Charli XIX, Rico Nasty, Kero Kero Bonito "Ringtone (Remix)" Ludwig van Beethoven "Moonlight Sonata" Frankie Cosmos "Outside With The Cuties" Nick Cave "Into My Arms" Hozier "Take Me to Church" The Lawrence Arms "The Slowest Drink at the Saddest Bar on the Snowiest Day in the Greatest City" Kim Petras “Throat Goat" Riskay "Smell Yo Dick"…