Black Ink Crew returns for Season 10, and ahead of this new season, Monsters and Critics had the pleasure of speaking with Teddy Ruks and Young Bae about what fans of the show can expect, considering all of the changes that have taken place in the off-season.
Season 10 is a big deal for a few reasons — the first being that it’s Season 10! After all, who knew that a show about a little tattoo shop in Harlem would be so interesting that it would get that many seasons and be the beginning of something bigger, as Ceaser Emannuel and his crew are still opening new shops up around the U.S., including the newest one in Milwaukee.
The second reason for this being such a pivotal season is also due to Ceaser, as he’s no longer on the show after VH1 fired him. And that raised a lot of questions for fans as far as what happens next.
Don’t worry. We asked all about it, and both Teddy and Bae were very candid about what was going on behind the scenes in terms of the future of the shops and what they know about the show’s future.
Of course, there were other things we wanted to know, too, so we chatted a bit about how Black Ink Crew literally changed Teddy and Bae’s lives and also about what they have going on now. Spoiler alert: It’s a lot!
And as Bae pointed out, none of it would be possible without the good and the bad that comes with being on a popular reality TV. She did say that there was a lot more good than bad and that if she had the chance to do it over, she absolutely would, without hesitation.
What will happen with Black Ink Crew now that Ceaser isn’t on the show?
The big burning question that I had and that I know so many other Black Ink Crew fans also have is about the future of the show now that Ceaser is no longer on it.
The beginning of the season will touch on his exit from the show and how the staff handles the devastating news that the Black Ink boss was caught on camera hitting his dog with a metal chair. As the season continues, we’ll see even more of what happened and the aftermath of Ceaser’s most shocking mistake.
And that’s saying a lot, really, because we’ve seen Ceaser deal with some serious drama, including some really serious allegations brought by his daughter.
As far as what happens now, to quote Teddy Ruks, “The show must go on.”
He explained that Black Ink is still a business with big plans to franchise tattoo shops all over the United States. In fact, he mentioned that Ceaser and his crew want to put a Black Ink tattoo shop in every single state — and they’re already one-fifth of the way there. In fact, Black Ink is literally the “biggest Black-owned tattoo franchise in the nation.”
He’s still the owner of the brand and the shops, after all. But when it comes to the show, don’t expect to see Ceaser after this season — if there is another one.
Teddi explained that the future of the show has always been a mystery from season to season, so that’s not new. The cast didn’t know from one season to the next if they’d even be coming back beyond, so they just put out the best show they could, and look how far they’ve come!
Without Ceaser at the helm, there’s still a pretty good chance that VH1 could bring everyone else back, and we are certainly hoping that’s what happens. After all, some major Black Ink Crew stars have come and gone over the years, and despite the drama that went with them, the show is still standing.
In fact, Teddy was quick to credit Sky Days for adding huge amounts of drama and storyline to the reality series, keeping the show going for many seasons. And let’s not forget Ceaser’s ex-fiancee Dutchess Lattimore, who also played a huge role in the first seasons.
Teddy and Bae give an update on Ceaser Emanuel
As for Ceaser, both Teddy and Bae insisted that he’s “in a good place now” and that the Black Ink Crew boss is working on himself. They both admitted that what happened to get him booted was “shocking,” and both for different reasons.
Teddy explained that he and Ceaser knew and even preached to the cast that what they do in their own time can definitely affect the show and their standing on it. He said they even told the cast to be mindful of their actions when out and about because it could come back to haunt them later.
So imagine everyone’s shock when it was “the boss himself” that ended up doing something so egregious that VH1 opted to end their relationship and move on without him. Yeah, that is pretty surprising and disappointing too.
As for Bae, she said that Ceaser loves his dogs. So much so that she claimed Ceaser “wouldn’t even let me touch them.”
Teddy and Bae agreed that despite all of the partying, fighting, and chaos we’ve witnessed over the past nine seasons of Black Ink Crew, Ceaser getting fired is, by far, the most shocking thing that’s ever happened.
Teddy and Bae talk about the best moments on Black Ink Crew
When Black Ink Crew returns for Season 10, viewers will be given a look into one of the worst times for the crew, as Ceaser’s drama is intertwined into all of it. But with so many seasons behind them and so much growth, I wanted to delve into the best times, at least for Teddy and Bae because, let’s face it, both of them have grown immensely in their public and private lives since the show began.
For Teddy, the best moment went down back in 2018 when he was able to unveil his very own shoe. The Teddy Ruks X Ewing Concept release was a huge moment for him.
After all, Teddy is a sneakerhead, and we’ve all seen his collection. It’s enormous and still growing, as he shared with me that this has been a big sneaker year for him with so many new releases, and he’s been snatching up all the great shoes he can get his hands on.
For Young Bae, her most incredible moments on the show have to do with her gorgeous son Niko. She was featured on Black Ink Crew throughout her pregnancy and during his birth. We’ve seen Niko literally grow up on the show, and even though she admitted that the cameras could get “really annoying” sometimes, she’s happy to look back on those days as a sort of video diary that documented such a beautiful moment in her life.
Get ready for the wild ride that is Season 10 of Black Ink Crew because it’s going to be a big one, and we’re really looking forward to everything that’s coming as Teddy Ruks takes the helm and leads the Black Ink cast through possibly their most difficult season yet.
Black Ink Crew Season 10 premieres on Tuesday, October 18, at 8/7c on VH1.
Boo! Cesar is Black Ink.