Miami Ink's Yoji And His Big Deal

I'm hanging out in New York right now, but I was born in Japan. I grew up with lots of different kinds of music, but I always liked punk rock the best.

When the radio started playing The Clash, I was just in complete and total shock. I really liked it and I thought, 'This is something I can do.' I was in a band in Japan, but I really wanted to make music in the United States. That was my dream.

When I moved to New York for the first time, I really liked the music scene. I played with a punk rock band for a couple years and then moved down to Miami and started working in tattoo shop.

The first time I ever got a tattoo was when I was 18 years old, and I've been getting tattoos ever since. It's addictive. If you get one, you just want more, more, more and more. Now I've got tattoos all over my body, but I never actually wanted to be a tattoo artist myself.

I had been working at the tattoo shop for over five years, and then one night I find out my wife was pregnant. I had to start making some real money, you know, so I asked Ami James if I could apprentice and he said yes.

Ami and Chris Nunez are old school tattoo artists, so I have to learn in the old school style. Sometimes it's difficult, but it's cool and I really appreciate what I've learned.

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When people ask me what I love more, tattooing or music, it's a very difficult question for me. I love music. I love tattoing. Music was my first passion, but I love all art too. I don't know.