It's seldom an artist can move between two mediums and still maintain an intense amount of intrigue and support from fans. Time and time again, we have seen one art form fail for the sake of another. When referring to Tuki Carter, he breaks the mold. As both an accomplished visual artist and musician, he has gained a legion supporters and attention in popular culture. Tuki Carter is a California-born and raised multi-platform artist, partly bred by Atlanta that has influenced underground and Atlanta culture with his work.

Tuki Carter started as a visual artist, and eventually gained the skills to be a tattoo artist through apprenticeships. Gaining attention for his colorful designs and unique style, Tuki Carter quickly became one the first, black tattoo artist to break through the tattoo community into mainstream consciousness, as well. Tuki Carter is known, nationally, for turning skin into canvases with vivid portraits on them for the world to see. His artistry eventually spawned from a gig into a full-blown business venture with partner and friend, Miya Bailey. Together they created City Of Ink, Atlanta’s premier tattoo shop and art gallery, which has become one of the most respected brands in Hip-Hop. Tuki Carter’s work as a tattoo artist has appeared in the pages of magazines such as Inked and Urban Ink. In 2010, Complex magazine recognized him as #9 out of their list of 50 Tattoo Artists You Should Know. Tuki Carter is no stranger to celebrity affiliation or clientele. Carter was also a part of Hip-Hop history by tattooing the microphone on rapper Canibus, which fueled the infamous 1997 beef between him and LL Cool J. His clientele list also includes the likes of Young Jeezy and Usher, among others. On the journey of his career, he even got to bridge the gap between his tattoo and music career with a music video starring Rick Ross and Wiz Khalifah being shot in the shop he co-owned.
During the rise and success of City Of Ink, Tuki Carter began to branch out into a music career. His introduction as a musician came in 2008 as a member of the critically acclaimed, multi-genre collective Hollyweerd, which was recognized as the next generation of ATLiens, picking up the mantle where Outkast and Goodie Mob left off. After years of success on the independent music scene, the group disbanded to allow the members to pursue their own varied musical sounds and interests. Shortly thereafter, Tuki landed under the Taylor Gang umbrella, where he has found the freedom to continue to push boundaries as an Atlanta-based rapper who doesn’t quite fit the mainstream expectation; all while remaining one of the most sought-out tattoo artists in the world. In 2012, when he released his first solo mixtape Atlantafornication, Tuki did so with the caveat that listeners should “download [his] s**t knowing that [he] don’t trap!” The project was widely well received, with Tuki’s bold, confident swagger and sharp wit on songs like “Bitch, I Woke Up Handsome” winning over fans and critics alike. Following the release of his own project, Tuki appeared on several tours and projects alongside his Taylor Gang family before returning his focus to his own solo music. In late 2013, Tuki Carter started readying fans for his next project with the single “She Said,” featuring Wiz Khalifa. After a few more individual “leaks,” Tuki announced his next mixtape, the eponymous “TUKI” would be available before the end of Summer 2014, just as he embarked on his fifth national tour.

Through art and music, Tuki Carter has displayed that he is more than an artist, more than an album, art exhibit or tattoo. He has crafted himself into a true social and cultural influence. Tuki finds great pride in bringing artistry back to the Southern Hip-Hop scene, and his influence can be seen throughout Atlanta’s current wave of young alternative Hip-Hop artists.