Summer Walker Seemingly Accuses Atlanta Tattoo Shop Of Racism

BY Erika Marie 4.0K Views
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Summer Walker, Stygian Gallery
The Stygian Gallery rejected the singer's request for a tattoo with a certain artist and told her no one else in the shop "would be a good fit to work with."

Tattooists often clamor to have celebrity clients who come in for exclusive work, but the Stygian Gallery didn't seem interested in accomodating Summer Walker. It is not uncommon to see entertainers from almost every facet of the industry show off their ink while tagging the tattooist in an effort to help boost the artist's skills, but Summer shared a rejection letter of sorts after reaching out to a shop in Atlanta.

It is unclear what the chart-topping songbird wanted to get, but the Stygian Gallery told her the tattooist she requested "is not able to take on this project and we don't have another artist who would be a good fit to work with."

The studio manager added that because of their schedule, Stygian "aren't able to take on every request that comes in" and couldn't guarantee they would be available in the future, either. She was encouraged to try again "at a later time," but Summer wasn't convinced that availability was the issue.

"I should of known what was up when I seen out of 1000 something pics not one black person had been tatted & it's Atlanta," she penned over a screenshot of the shop's email. A quick browsing of their Instagram page confirms Summer's complaint, and social media users have concluded that Stygian Gallery either doesn't want to work with Black clients or they aren't proficient in tattooing on dark skin. Still, some say it's plausible that they're just overbooked.

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.