The tattoo shop is co-owned by tattoo artists Ami James and Chris Núñez, and also features artists Chris Garver, Darren Brass, and Yoji Harada. So famous for their art and tattoo culture that in 2005 TLC Television propose to do a reality show of Miami Ink that follows the events that take place at "305 Ink" (also known as "Miami Ink"), a tattoo shop in Miami Beach, Florida. The show premiered in July 2005 and entered its third season on June 12, 2007.
The series follows four master artists, Ami James, the tough guy of the bunch, Chris Garver, Darren Brass, Chris Nuñez, and the apprentice Yojiro Harada. Ami, Darren, Chirs, and Garver met ten years ago when they all studied in Miami under the world famous tattoo artist, the late Lou Sciberras. During their apprenticeship they all lived and worked together becoming the best of friends. Eventually they went their separate ways and opened up their own tattoo parlors in Los Angeles, New York, Connecticut, and South Beach. Their dream was to one day reunite and open their own tattoo parlor together as partners. Watch as TLC follows the friends as they make their dream a reality.
Each episode features a number of customers along with their back stories and motivations for choosing their tattoos. There is also some focus on the personal lives of the artists. Most of the episodes are narrated by James, with Nuñez occasionally filling in. The main musical theme for the show is "Funky Kingston" by Toots and the Maytals. The show has on occasion featured the personalities from other TLC shows such as American Chopper.
Miami Ink is currently shown in the UK on Discovery Real Time channel twice a day. In Asia, Australia and New Zealand Miami Ink airs on Discovery Travel and Living. It also airs in Norway, Sweden, on TV6, Denmark in Latin America, Spain and Portugal on People & Arts, in Germany on DMAX and in Finland on Discovery Finland. In France, it airs on Discovery Real Time on Sunday prime Time (8.45pm).
Ami James (April 6, 1972), principal owner and leader is an Israeli-born American tattoo artist. He is the co-owner of the Miami, Florida tattoo parlor known as Love/Hate, the subject of the eponymous TLC reality television program. James also co-owns Deville USA, a clothing design company, with Nuñez and Jesse Fleet, and the Miami nightclub Love/Hate, with Nuñez and two other close friends. He has also created designs for Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile phones. Prior to starting his career as a tattoo artist at age 20, he served in the Israeli Special Forces.
The following are the 8 thing that as per James every human being should do before 30:
1. GET A TATTOO — Ami offers the following three rules for getting a tattoo.
A. Make sure that whatever you’re going to get tattooed is something that you put a lot of thought into.
B. It's one thing to get your kid’s name tattooed, but remember tattoos last a lot longer than romance, and they are way more expensive to remove than to tattoo.
C. Don’t get tattooed for anyone else, get tattooed for you.
2 . STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
3 . RIDE A ROLLERCOASTER — Ami recommends the following coasters to try:
For loops, try the Colossus at Thorpe Park, England. The Colossus has an awesome 10 loops in its tail.For speed, the Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey is the world’s fastest and tallest roller coaster.
4. PAY TRIBUTE TO THE GODS OF ROCK AND ROLL — if you love music or just want to know more about the greats, and then take a pilgrimage to the places where their presence can still be felt. Places to visit:Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Wash.Jim Morrison’s grave in ParisJohn Lennon’s memorial at Strawberry Fields in New York Joshua Trees in Nevada desert (made famous by U2)The Abbey Road crossroads in London
5. BUY A HOUSE
6. TRY THE FINER THINGS IN LIFE — Live it up by ordering a Maggie Noir cocktail. This ultimate treat is made by the mixologists at London’s Umbaba bar. With a shot of Hennessy aged cognac, a measure of Dom Perignon vintage champagne, and a dash of Crème de Mure, the Magie Noir is officially the world’s most expensive cocktail at $620.
7. LEARN TO DANCE
8. JUMP — At 216 meters off the ground, the Bloukrans Bridge bungee jump in South Africa is the highest bungee jump in the world. If you want to do something safer that still packs an adrenaline punch, try Scad Diving — it’s the only way to jump 150 feet with no ropes or parachutes to protect your fall.
