Splitting his time between Atlanta and New York for the sake of his son, Alex is always entertaining new ways to provide as a father. While his OnlyFans is still in the top 3.8% of all creators, Alex is still intrigued when Puma pitches a new shop that holds the weight of carrying on the Black Ink legacy. As one of Puma's biggest supporters, it is up to Alex to keep his professional grind on point -- and cast away any distractions that may lead to messiness. Especially, considering Puma plans on providing a live-work situation for a group of new talented artists, some of whom are stunning ladies, Alex needs to keep his hands to himself. This hands-off approach may prove difficult. To complicate the matter, things may already be romantically heating up with fellow artist Nychelle. Will Alex entertain a new committed relationship? If not, will Alex cleanly break it off with Nychelle? This season is an opportunity for elevation for Alex, from tattoo artist to lead artist or even boss. The future is bright -- if he doesn't get in his own way.

Abruptly moving her life from Chicago to New York after being hired on the spot during Black Ink boot camp, Draya packed her bags and moved back to her home state with hopes of a new beginning; however, after the unfortunate fall of her former boss, she has found herself shopless and without a secure place to make money. The uncertainties of no shop have her questioning if she made the right decision. Never a victim, always a hustler, Draya perseveres by tattooing out of her home and guest spots around the city. To her relief, when Puma calls a meeting to pitch the idea of a new shop to call home and continue the Black Ink legacy, she's all in. Being a Black woman in the tattoo industry and being a part of the Black Ink brand has made other Black women feel represented. Joining Puma is a no-brainer. While representation matters, so does the security of having a shop to work out of. Even though she gave her commitment to moving forward with Puma, how long will she wait for him to figure things out? Does she trust Puma will promptly find a solution? Can she figure out a way to make New York work for her career and personal life?

Celebrating one year as co-owners of Gods of Ink, Rok and Krystal defied the odds and proved they didn't need the clout that comes with the Black Ink name. By betting on themselves and relying on their talent and drive, Rok and Krystal were able to walk away from a volatile situation unscathed. Former Black Ink 125th manager Vanity has followed them to their Bayonne, NJ, shop after being ousted from the crew for the infighting in Orlando, FL. With a full shop of artists and a steady rotation of clients, Rok and Krystal have positioned themselves as the next legacy of bosses born from the Black Ink family tree. Even though they are celebrating their professional wins, Rok and Krystal have lost a lot when it comes to their romantic life. The engagement is off, they're living separately, and the duo is freshly single for the first time in two years. Even though Krystal claims to have cleanly broken it off, Rok is in shambles still picking up the pieces of his demolished heart. If Gods of Ink is to last for years to come, Rok and Krystal both need to find a way to co-own a business -- without emotionally hurting each other. Will Rok be able to move on from Krystal and find his own identity before she does? Can the two celebrate another Gods of Ink milestone with a successful partnership, or will someone be forced to buy the other out? How will they survive business minus the pleasure?

Hailing all the way from Dallas, Nychelle joined the Black Ink family as Krystal's initial replacement but eventually carved a spot of her own. After being abruptly hired on the spot in Orlando, FL, and asked to fly to New York full-time, Nychelle has found herself being a long-distance mother. With no sign of a shop, will she find herself buying a one-way ticket back home? Or will the possibility of a blossoming relationship with Alex be enough to keep her in the Big Apple?

Devastated by the shocking departure of his boss from Black Ink Crew, a self-appointed Puma is shouldering the weight of Black Ink's legacy and its uncertain future. In hopes to build upon the fundamentals Black Ink was founded upon, Puma has decided to create a new shop and rebrand for the sake of preserving creative outlets for Black tattoo artists. With this new challenging business venture, it is even more imperative Puma maintains the balance of being a boss and his responsibilities as a doting husband and father. Puma knows Quani expects the progress they've made as a family to keep ascending, and Puma's lofty career goals are born out of keeping the family's financial status to what they've grown accustomed to, but when the OG crew expresses their doubts in his ability to lead them to riches and prospects, Ted being chief among them, Puma will be forced to seek out new young Black artists to join his cause. The mixing and matching of new blood versus old loyalty may challenge Puma in more ways than he can imagine. As if this staff refresh wasn't enough pressure, due to skyrocketing prices in New York, Puma is still sifting through affordable locations for the new shop, leaving the new artists without a place to work. Because most of the newcomers are not locals to NYC, Puma will be forced to find a live-work situation to subsidize their costs. Does Puma have what it takes to fill the void left by the original Black Ink legend? Will Puma's self-proclaimed succession be accepted, or will he be usurped by another challenger -- perhaps Ted? What will Puma do as the future of Black Ink and its 10-year legacy rests in his hands? Anything is possible on the horizon of a new era.

Quani embarked on a journey to self-discovery earlier this season and found the road to healing has no destination. Therefore, she's decided to embrace her odyssey and take the unknown with stride. Now that she has found herself in a much better headspace, Quani has decided to go back to college and complete her degree. As she balances school and motherhood, she must also be a constant reality check for her flustered husband, Puma. Remaining grounded for not only herself, but her household, Quani must remind Puma their family is the most important thing. Despite the uncertainty of Black Ink and its future, Quani knows one thing is certain: Family is forever. Will Puma heed Quani's warning? How will she continue to find the perfect balance between mother, student and wife, or will Puma's problems seep into their relationship?

Celebrating one year as co-owners of Gods of Ink, Rok and Krystal defied the odds and proved they didn't need the clout that comes with the Black Ink name. By betting on themselves and relying on their talent and drive, Rok and Krystal were able to walk away from a volatile situation unscathed. Former Black Ink 125th manager Vanity has followed them to their Bayonne, NJ, shop after being ousted from the crew for the infighting in Orlando, FL. With a full shop of artists and a steady rotation of clients, Rok and Krystal have positioned themselves as the next legacy of bosses born from the Black Ink family tree. Even though they are celebrating their professional wins, Rok and Krystal have lost a lot when it comes to their romantic life. The engagement is off, they're living separately, and the duo is freshly single for the first time in two years. Even though Krystal claims to have cleanly broken it off, Rok is in shambles still picking up the pieces of his demolished heart. If Gods of Ink is to last for years to come, Rok and Krystal both need to find a way to co-own a business -- without emotionally hurting each other. Will Rok be able to move on from Krystal and find his own identity before she does? Can the two celebrate another Gods of Ink milestone with a successful partnership, or will someone be forced to buy the other out? How will they survive business minus the pleasure?

No one reps for Black Ink harder than Brooklyn's own Spyder. As the new manager of the flagship shop, he takes his role and the brand that feeds his family very seriously. With Puma making questionable moves taking his vision for the brand in a different direction, Spyder chooses to remain loyal to the foundation that allowed him to build his house on. Can Spyder stay connected to the OG crew while staying committed to Black Ink and its former owner? Spyder makes sure to always lead by example when it comes to his family, as he's passing on his passion for tattooing to his middle daughter, London. Whether blood family or his tattoo family, Spyder's commitment to loyalty continues to drive him.

After spending years as the manager of Black Ink, Tatti now finds herself on the outside looking in. In the wake of being fired for her involvement in the Orlando, FL, altercation, Tatti has agreed to work part-time at Diamond Tattoos. In solidarity as another Black Ink outcast, Bae assures Tatti her involvement with Diamond Tattoos will pay off tenfold -- including the potential to be a full-fledged artist. With money and grind on her mind, Tatti's hustle needs to be unmatched; however, the short-lived determination may be blindsided by some unparalleled news: when Tatti discovers she is pregnant. With a child on the way, will Tatti be able to balance both her career goals and personal life? Will her living situation involving random tattoo artists and family members be a suitable environment for a child? Will Tatti get a full commitment from her partner Jemz, or will Tatti have to rise to the challenge of single motherhood while maintaining a profession?

Ted finds himself at a crossroads in the aftermath of the video that almost jeopardized the foundation he helped build for himself and many others. With his cousin's blessing, Ted wants to help Puma carry the legacy into the future, but he doesn't 100% align with all the decisions being made. Can Ted ensure Puma stays on brand with their former boss's vision, or will he be forced to sever ties and start his own shop that meets the standards that former boss and Ted established over 10 years ago? The only thing holding Ted back from truly achieving solo entrepreneur status is the class E felony following him from a charge he received in his adolescence for a "wrong place, wrong time" situation. Even though he served his time for the crime 20 years ago, at almost 40 years old, Ted continues to pay the price of his youth. With both the personal and professional setbacks of being a convicted felon weighing heavily on his desires to move forward in life, Ted seeks help from a nonprofit community organization to learn about the path to regain his rights. With all signs leading to a possible expungement of his record, Ted is determined to take back his future and maintain the integrity and vision of the original Black Ink brand -- with or without Puma.

Last season, Vanity fell from grace, going from her former boss's trusted manager of the 125th shop to being fired at Black Ink boot camp after her unfortunate altercation with Young Bae. She left Orlando, FL, without a job and a few friends short. Luckily for her, she didn't find herself unemployed for too long. She's now tattooing out of Krystal and Rok's Bayonne, NJ, shop, Gods of Ink, but working at a friend's shop might come with another job title: therapist. With Rok and Krystal's romantic relationship on the outs, Vanity finds herself as a full-time mediator between the two. Will Rok and Krystal's relationship drama make her time at Gods of Ink unbearable, or is friendship enough to keep her tattooing in a potentially toxic environment?

This season, we see Bae in her life after Black Ink. Decidedly against working for a non-tattoo artist like Puma, Bae chooses to continue to forge her own path at her boutique shop Diamond Tattoos. As a busy mom and entrepreneur, Bae will navigate her many business endeavors while holding it down at home and struggling to keep it all together. In an effort to keep her shop running in her absence, Bae hires Tatti to manage the day-to-day at Diamond. Will Bae be able to depend on Tatti, or will their friendship suffer from their new dynamic? As her shop grows, Bae is ready to continue to boss up and build a future for herself and her son Niko.