VH1 Tats Up Harlem with BLACK INK CREW; Premieres 1/7

VH1 is heading up to Harlem and entering the tight but totally dysfunctional family of the "Black Ink Crew" who runs the only black-owned and operated tattoo parlor in the heart of Harlem at 113th St. and Lennox Ave. Premiering Monday, January 7 at 9 PM ET/PT, the hour-long, 12 episode docu-series follows one of the most famous - and infamous - tattoo shops in the country.

The shop is a magnet for hip hop stars both old school and new (Cam'ron, Jadakiss, Jim Jones, Asap Rocky, Corey Gunz) as well as pro athletes (Amare Stoudamire, C.C. Sabathia, Stephon Marbury, Brandon Spikes), video vixens and a who's who of urban elite (Tyson Beckford, Keri Hilson). But the real flavor comes from the colorful characters that work and walk into the shop on a daily basis.

Black Ink owner, and noted hard-ass, Ceaser employs some close, and very vocal friends that make up the "Crew:" Puma, the party animal who has been at the shop from the start; Dutchess, the sexy New Girl on the block who has her eyes on Ceaser; Sassy, the shop peacemaker; Alex, the feistiest receptionist in all of NYC; Ted, Ceaser's cousin and right-hand man; Walt, the happy-go-lucky unofficial shop manager; and O'S**t, the most tatted member of the shop with over 24 pieces over his body. For many in this crew, the shop is the key to turning their lives around, and for some of them, it's their first legitimate job off the streets. But can they survive all of the drama that is part of everyday life at the shop?

"Black Ink Crew" is executive produced by Dan Cesareo, Doug DePriest and Ken Martinez for Big Fish Entertainment. Executive producers for VH1 are Shelly Tatro, Kari McFarland, Rick Hankey and Jeff Olde.

VH1connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 99 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile, and extensive video on VH1.com. VH1 is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms.