The name is Terrell Middlebrooks. I’m from Queens, New York town of Laurelton and Rosedale, covering and representing hard! I’m 20 years of age at the moment, and I tattoo at OneStroke tattoos 233-10 Merrick Blvd. I ride BMX and chill every now and then. I've been doodling on paper and anything else you can write on since i can remember. I was always in art class in middle school so after that I decided to go to the High school of Art & Design. There I took classes in graphic design and graduated in 2007. That summer was when I started apprenticing at OneStroke and learning the trade from Derrick Verley.

Question: What drew you into getting tattoos in the first place?
Terrell: Well one, my pops was always coming home with new tattoos for a while when I was a kid. That’s what drew me into tattoos back in like ’94. When I got to high school in the city I would always go to the village checking out the parlors down there getting some ideas and trying to get them to tattoo me even though I was underage. I now know how much that bothers the artist to actually consult a person on a tattoo then find out there not even old enough to get the tattoo but I didn't know any better. But I would always bother my mom and tell her I was getting one and there amazing and like u get to choose that permanent outfit.

Which tattoo was your first? Why did you get it?
Terrell: My New York City token, prior to that I tried tattooing myself. I got it because I grew up riding the trains and buses…it’s a part of me. If I could remember anything from my childhood is riding the E train to the 7 train. Plus dropping my grandfather off at the train yard. I used the whole day on the bus, driving around with my aunt because she drives the buses. I just remembered that, wow.

Which tattoo would you say is the closest to your heart? Why?
My New York City token, because it was my first. Most of my family works in the MTA and I’m from New York, how can you go wrong? Best city on Earth.

What would you say is your motivation for getting your tattoos?
Scenarios, scenes pretty much scenarios. Having a good idea I like to capture movement. I like the way movement looks on the body. I like to consider myself an open canvas to good art.

What made you want to become a tattoo artist? Why?
Before I went to high school, I saw this episode of national geographic where this guy was traveling around the world researching tattoos and getting tattooed in the jungle and I thought that was pretty epic. So I made it a career choice at the time, not knowing that I would be doing it four years later.

Which tattoo you would say hurt you the most and then which one hurt you the least? And Why?
The one on my penis hurt the most. I have Godzilla tattooed on my penis. The one in my armpit hurt the least. Its a spaceship abducting a chick.

If you could choose any tattoo artist to tattoo you, whom would you choose? And Why?
I’m bad with choices but I usually go with good artwork, style and individuality of the artist.

What's next for you in the future?
Balancing the artist and business aspect of tattooing and blending my other interest.

Any last words for the people that are reading this right now?
thank you to everybody great appreciations…keep yahh head up like pac said!


onestroke tattoo gallery
233-10 merrick blvd
queens ny 11422
(718) 276-7151
www.onestroketatgallery.com
www.twitter.com/relishedink
email: terrellink@yahoo.com