S.O.C.A. (South Orange Collective Arts) Tattoo Studio

On the anniversary of what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 95th birthday last January 15th, a dream manifested in the form of a new establishment in South Orange, New Jersey.  S.O.C.A. (South Orange Collective Arts) Tattoo Studio opened its doors in the quaint residential community where college students from nearby Seton Hall University and transplanted New Yorkers intersect in the culturally diverse Village. 

The Black-owned and operated business is the first of its kind in the northern New Jersey area.  S.O.C.A.’s owners are Byron “Cashtatts” George, a 17-year veteran tattoo artist, and Chris “Tatted by Maestro” Chery, a South Orange police officer who has been on the force for nearly ten years.  ”We purposely opened on MLK Day,” said George.  “We are following our dreams and our passions.  A lot of people loved the idea, so why not?  It was a perfect day to start the year and the business properly.” 

The pair had discussed the possibility of launching their own business for several years, but it had only crystallized last fall when space became available. Both had understood the impending challenges facing a small business, yet their desire for entrepreneurship outweighed the obstacles.  Even before their partnership commenced, Chery was George’s client.  “While I was in the Police Academy, I met Byron’s lady, saw one of her tattoos, and said, ‘Man, that’s flawless.  That’s fresh! Where did you get it done?”  Since then, George has been tattooing Chery, making the latter, ‘Everybody’s Billboard,’ as both an owner and client. 

With a staff of six tattoo artists specializing in realism, color realism, hyper realism, portrait art, black and gray, cover-ups, and more, S.O.C.A. stands by its “We are the Vibe” mantra.  The studio provides various types of body art and piercings on clients from all over the country and even parts of the U.K.  Their more popular tattoos are butterflies, flowers, hearts, animals, names, religious scriptures, and Bible verses.  Tattoo artists like Setitoff embrace challenges to create the most obscure and unusually requested self-expressions from clients – even if it means resorting to watching YouTube videos to perfect them.  Rico Peeples, a regular customer from Linden, got his eyelids tattooed by Setitoff.  The 25-year-old tattoo enthusiast already has ten tattoos on his face, but despite the pain on his eyelids, he is still primed for more. “I think after this, I’m done with the face.  But I’m not done with tats. I still see skin!” he stated unabashedly.

Just as tattoos are designed for permanent pleasure or conversational exchanges, it is perfectly normal to either grow tired of a tattoo or regret the decision of permanent injection.  Tattoo regret has become more common than expected.  According to Chery, his partner is the ‘Master of Optical Illusion – a real Mr. Houdini!’  “Cover-up is actually my specialty.  Back when I first started, I realized there was a market for that because there were a lot of people getting ‘jacked up’ tattoos,” stated George.  “So I tried to make a point of learning that style of tattooing.  It takes a lot more vision to execute it.”

An estimated 39% of Black Americans have a tattoo of some form of self-expression. Many feel confident about turning to Black body artists with whom they identify and understand the complexities of their skin type when going under the needle.  The long-held notion that dark-skinned people do not make good candidates for tattooing is implausible. The tattooing process works the same for everyone, but S.O.C.A. experts contend that experience goes a long way toward avoiding scarring or undue complications.  “Darker skin heals more aggressively, that’s true.  Because we have melanin, we are pigmented a little more, but the tattoo artist has to know how not to overwork the skin,” remarked tattoo artist Kashif “Nahsheefchill” Brooks. It is advisable to consult a professional for optimal results rather than incurring a disappointing outcome.  “My first tattoo?  I hated it!  But when I met Cash, I was like, WOW!  A Black artist who knows what he’s doing.  I felt more comfortable going to Cash and seeing his great, authentic work,” Chris asserted. “And everybody here performs well on darker tones.”

The S.O.C.A. team operates like a close-knit family that not only works well together but also supports one another. The ultimate goal is to expand the business and elevate the creativity imbued in the artists, which will foster a brotherhood and sisterhood of impeccable talent. As Brooks emphatically affirms, “We’ve made tattooing look simple and cool. Now the next generation can come in, take it to the next level, and do it more confidently.”

Prospective clients desiring tattoos of any self-expression are encouraged to patronize S.O.C.A. Tattoo Studio, located at 75 South Orange Avenue, Suites 206-207, South Orange, New Jersey. Appointments and walk-ins are equally welcomed.