Brooke Candy is an American rapper and singer. She has previously collaborated with artists such as Sia, Grimes and Charli XCX. She signed a contract with music label RCA, but reversed this decision because she felt the label wanted to change her too much. She set aside her music career for a career as a tattoo artist.
Candy’s partner Kyle England, who owns his own tattoo studio in Brooklyn, taught her how to tattoo during the pandemic. Kyle has set many of Brooke Candy’s impressive tattoos, and it didn’t take long for Brooke to get the tattoo bug herself. The rapper first began making drawings, when she felt her drawings were okay she began the real thing. Starting with herself, she put tattoos on her inner and upper legs and feet. Her partner Kyle was also taken in hand by her. Considering this one was already covered in tattoos, she had to tattoo over his other tattoos.
Although she taught herself how to tattoo on flesh by trying it out, she knew nothing about the tattoo machine itself. She likes to know what her power source is doing, so is now studying the mechanics of the machine. According to Candy, she can’t get better unless she learns everything about what contributes to the end result of a good tattoo, including the machine you get to work with.
While she was a novice tattoo artist herself and was still learning how to tattoo, she began taking on clients. Given her fame, it was not difficult to build a customer base and soon her business grew. Starting to do tattoos herself has only made her more respectful of her fellow tattoo artists.
According to Candy, getting a good tattoo gives a feeling of euphoria, not can make you happier. Of course, there are days when things don’t go as well and you get a bad tattoo. A bad tattoo can make Candy so depressed that she has to go home to sleep. Currently Brooke Candy has been putting tattoos herself for about two years; however, she has friends who have been in the business for 30 years and can still occasionally put on bad tattoos. This is what she finds so fascinating about the profession; the profession continues to challenge you even after 30 years. As a result, she believes tattooing is the coolest art form ever.
Despite being in love with tattooing and still working hard to grow and improve in it, Candy could not stay away from the music world. While working full time as a tattoo artist, she was approached by her old associates in the music industry asking her to start making music again. When she re-entered the recording studio, she realized how much she had missed this and decided to pursue both careers. She is working on her second album while also working as a tattoo artist. The best of both worlds.
