Liliana Yaneth Houston, TX

LILIANA YANETH

I’ve been drawing since I could hold a pencil and knew I was going to be some type of artist when I grew up. I first got my apprenticeship right after I graduated high school. I had to stop tattooing for about three years because I had my son, but once I was able to start again, I never stopped and put everything I had into my career ⸺ Who/ where do you get your inspiration from? I get my inspiration from many different artists, especially those I get to work with. I really look up to them, and it pushes me to do better ⸺ What advice would

you give to someone about getting his or her first tattoo? (A

tattoo virgin) Do your research and find an artist you love. Your tattoo doesn’t have to be super meaningful; just get something that makes you happy. Make sure you eat before your appointment and remember pain is temporary, so don’t freak yourself out ⸺ What

did your family and friends think about you getting into the

tattoo business? I’m sure my parents would’ve preferred if I went a different path, but overall, everyone has been very supportive, and I am forever grateful ⸺ What would you say is your favorite part of the job? Connecting with my clients and bringing their vision to life that they get to carry with them forever ⸺ What was it that initially sparked your interest in tattooing? Since I was a kid, tattoos fascinated me, I thought if someone had a tattoo, they were the coolest person ever, and I wanted to be like them. Once, I was in high school, I had no interest in anything other than tattooing, and I got laughed at, but I did it! ⸺ Who are your favorite artists? I have so many artists I look up to that it’s hard to pick favorites ⸺

Are there any tattoos you would refuse to do? (face, private

areas, etc.) I wouldn’t do anything racist or flat-out ignorant ⸺ What do you think is in store for the future of tattooing? More inclusivity, it’s been a male-dominated industry for so long, and we’re now seeing more women and LGBTQ+ artists. ✕

With a vibrant persona earning him over 4 million followers on social media, MUSICIAN Chad Tepper

...has Definitely Spent Some Time in the Limelight. Since moving from Orlando, Florida, to Los Angeles in 2015, he’s jumped at every opportunity to grow his fanbase, showcasing his larger-than-life personality through stuntman-like antics and skateboard tricks. But in more recent years, he has shifted focus to his true passion–making music–and building a lasting legacy in the alternative world. >

Photographed by ANDREW M. GLEASON

I honestly freestyle most of my music. . .

I honestly freestyle most of my music. . .

. . .I LOVE TO THROW SHIT AT THE WALL AND SEE WHAT STICKS. I LOVE TO RUN AND GUN

Since hitting the studio for the first time five years ago, the singer and guitarist is proving to be our generation’s next authentic rockstar. The effortless grunge quality of his voice, combined with an all-or-nothing mindset and flair for storytelling, find him equipped with the tools he needs for a fruitful career. Already seeing streams in the millions—over 15 million this past year alone—his talents have been recognized by industry majors such as Apple 1, Spotify, Lyrical Lemonade, and KROQ, among others. 2021 saw huge milestones for Tepper, boasting dream collaborations with Simple Plan, Bowling for Soup, Travie McCoy, and Cheat Codes; all acts that he grew up listening to and influenced the artist he is now.

How old were you when you got your first tattoo? What was it? I was a teenager, I can’t remember, but I got it with my mom, and it was a secret from my dad for months. It was a skateboard shop that I used to skate for, but I actually got it covered ⸺ Do people treat you differently because of your tattoos? 1 million percent. Especially on my face. I love my tattoos, and a lot of them define who I am, but I’m happy with the way that I look because of them. These tattoos help me feel like I’m really in my own skin.

But renting a house, interacting with cops, meeting parents, going to business meetings, etc., all of those interactions are different when you have tattoos the way that I do. You deal with a lot of people judging you and staring at you. I mean, I’ve had a cop legit ask if I was on parole/probation or if I was in a gang because of my tattoos ⸺ Who are your favorite tattoo artist(s) to get tattooed by? AJ Grzy-

bowski of Lucky’s Tattoo in Simi Valley is my main guy. He does all of my current work and is the best guy. I also love Alex John Bready and Jared Starbard. Zach Roehner has also done a lot of my work recently ⸺

What’s the wildest thing someone has said or asked you about

your tattoos? I had an old lady come up to me in the 99-cent store - old ladies come up to me pretty often. She says, “You are so gorgeous, you’re like breathtaking, but why TF did you have to ruin it with your face tattoos?!” She then said that my mom and dad had to be ashamed and kept pushing about what I could possibly be doing for work and all this wild stuff.

Another time I was at a different store, and this other old woman was staring at me super hard, and then she said, “You must be a real tough guy with those tattoos,” and then asked when I got out (of jail)...

I’ve experienced some wild hatred toward tattoos ⸺ What is your 001

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DEAD

CHAD TEPPER’S TOP 5 DEAD OR ALIVE MUSICIANS “By genre! I can’t go by just five overall.”— Lil Peep — Kurt Cobain — — Juice Wrld — Freddie Mercury— Bob Marley — — Limp Bizkit — Simple Plan — MGMT — — The Bleachers — Ozzy Osbourne — ALIVE ↆRANKED!

favorite tattoo that you have? It’s kind of impossible to say, but I really love the broken heart that’s on my face. It’s really generic and cheesy, but it’s so me. I really wear my heart on my sleeves, but instead, I get to show people in a legit way who I am cause I’ve had a broken heart so many times for so many different reasons, and now people will never not know that I’m truly brokenhearted on the inside ⸺ Where do you get your tattoo ideas from? All kinds of different places. 5% of the time, I’ll have an idea of what I want before I go in. 95% of my ideas come from the tattoo artist at the time. The designs don’t really speak to me as much as the moment does, or even having the specific space being covered.

Sometimes with AJ, I’ll just text back and forth before I come in, and we’ll pick something that will fit the spot I need covered.

A few of my tattoos, like my friend’s face, a flying penis, and a drunk rat banging a beer can that says “I love trash,” I have some songs that I’ve made, like the cover art or even an “FTP” on my leg, those all come from just being in the moment and being an idiot ⸺ What’s the longest tattoo session you’ve ever sat through? The longest one I’ve ever done is 10 hours, and it was when I was doing the tv show “how far is tattoo far” on MTV, and it’s a portrait of my buddy Zackass, and since we were filming on MTV, it had to be completely silent with no music and no nothing, so it was absolutely miserable. I’ve been on three tattoo shows, and they’re all the same. Absolutely terrible experience to get tattooed on tv - the outcome is dope, but the time during it sucks ⸺ What is the most painful tattoo that you have? My rib piece that I got before I moved to California. It was some old guy that was part of a motorcycle gang in Florida, and I traded him a dope Oakley watch for it. It was in my upper ribs/armpit area, and that sucked ⸺ Do you have any tattoos that you regret? Pshhhhh, all of em, hahahaha! One thing I’ve learned, but I keep doing it for some reason. Just stop putting logos, friends, and names on you because sometimes that doesn’t last forever, but the tattoos for sure do ⸺ Do you have the most tattoos out of your family & friends? Definitely the most out of my family and probably the most out of my friends, but if not the most, then for sure in the top of both groups ⸺ What’s the next tattoo that you plan to get? I don’t really plan on them, and right now, there’s nothing on my radar, so I guess you’ll just have to wait and see what comes next ⸺ How did you end up homeless? How did that affect your music & you in general? I was homeless from the age of 5-12. I was a little kid; living with my mom, dad, and two brothers. My parents were great people who made some mistakes and fell on hard times, so that’s how we ended up homeless at that time. It’s really shaped me and how hard I work. It’s a lot of trauma that I have to deal with every single day, but it made me a man, and I bust my ass, so I never have to go back to living like that again. My music was shaped by it in so many ways, but to keep it short, it allows me to be more vulnerable and real and show my grit ⸺ Do you follow a process or ritual before a performance to get rid of nerves or performance anxiety? I used to have to drink and smoke to get on stage, but as I progressed as an artist and developed out of that, my thoughts shifted. I don’t really get anxious about performing because it’s my dream. It’s a gift. It’s what makes me happy, and I love it, so I want to enjoy and remember every single moment. So outside of praying and manifesting a great night and show, I don’t really do much besides warm up my vocals and prep with my band ⸺ How was it playing at the Roxy? It was one of the best nights of my life. It was just a lot of fun. Something I’ve always dreamed of, and it surpassed all expectations. I had a smile on my face the entire night, and sometimes I still can’t believe I got the chance to play at such an iconic venue ⸺ What’s your creative process? I honestly freestyle most of my music. I love to run and gun ⸺ What’s your favorite song you’ve done? Ask my label and my manager, and my favorite song is the newest one. But the one that is random and isn’t my best song is SOS off my first album, Trash Loser ⸺ Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of music? Yeah, I love to paint, skate, write poetry, making short films and content. I just love anything

“YOU ARE SO GORGEOUS, . . . WHY TF DID YOU HAVE TO RUIN IT WITH YOUR FACE TATTOOS?!”

—OLD LADY IN 99¢ STORE

and everything art-related ⸺ Tell us about your dogs and how you came to be a dog person. Dogs are the best thing on this earth. They love you, they don’t judge you, they’re soft, and they’re there for you all the time. Dogs rule. I always wanted one growing up but couldn’t have one when I was growing up since I was homeless, so as soon as I could afford one, I got one! ⸺ Do you still skate? Yeah, of course! I try to go hit the park at least once a week ⸺ Give me one of your favorite skating experiences? Too many to name! Skating was and is such a big part of my life and my growing up. The whole culture and growing up in it has been my favorite experience. ✕