'Black Ink' looks to change negative stereotypes of Compton

Danny "KP" Kilpatrick has inked tattoos for Diddy, Nas, Taraji P. Henson and numerous other stars, but his latest venture aims to create a safe space in his hometown of Compton.

Kilpatrick stars in "Black Ink Crew: Compton," the newest VH1 series that chronicles prominent tattoo artists. He hopes his shop can help change the image of a city known for gang culture and high murder rate.

"We're showing we can unite. We're shedding a different light of Compton through art, our ink and music," he said of the series, which airs Wednesdays on VH1. He's a native of the area and owner of iAMCompton, which is considered the community's first black-owned tattoo shop.

This Aug. 15, 2019 combination photo photo shows, from left, Danny "KP" Kilpatrick, Christian "Ink Drippin'" Thomas, Erica "Barbie" Thompson and Timothy "Tim" Simmons, cast members in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Kilpatrick and his crew of tattoo artists attempt to make the shop a "safe zone" in Compton and help build up one of the most economically underserved communities in the United States. He believes attracting a mix of outside clients and locals to the appointment-only shop can start to make that happen.

The reality series is the third spinoff of the "Black Ink Crew" franchise. The other locations include Chicago and New York, which is currently airing its eighth season on Sundays.

Kilpatrick, 36, has already made his mark as a famed tattoo artist for several celebrities including Travis Scott. He could have opened a tattoo shop in a more popular area in Los Angeles, but he felt compelled to plant roots where he grew up to show that a black-owned business can thrive in Compton, a city of roughly 100,000 people south of downtown Los Angeles.

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Danny "KP" Kilpatrick, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Before that could happened, Kilpatrick and his cousin Tim Simmons met with Compton's rival gang leaders at a dimly lit warehouse to seek their approval to open the shop, which turned into a small scuffle. He later got the blessing from a group of gang members who barged into the shop's ground-breaking party.

Those scenes were intense, but some on social media said they thought the interactions with gangs were staged. The cast insists everything they filmed is real, especially the aftermath of a shooting at a barbershop near their business.

"We've had some negative press saying 'Oh, you're making Compton look bad.'" said Erica "Barbie" Thompson, a receptionist at the shop. "At the end of the day, the stuff that's being shown is real. This is really happening in Compton. We're just now seeing it on VH1 instead of the news. We're not showing anything that's not happening. Our goal is to try to clean this up the best way we can. We're not making up false gang allegations. It's real out here."

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Danny "KP" Kilpatrick, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Kilpatrick said he was grateful to earn the gang leaders' support to bring peace to the neighborhood. He envisions a day when he'll have his celeb friends and other clients feeling comfortable enough to visit Compton without any worries.

"People in this city actually want change," said Kilpatrick, a former college football player who was kicked out of school after a drug charge. He learned the art of tattooing after selling his drawings to a local tattoo parlor more than a decade ago.

"This is my second chance," he said. "And honestly, nobody wants to be going to funerals all the time. I grew up and ran these streets. For me now, I'm really telling the homies like 'Yo, I'm doing something. It could be big for all of us.' This show will show that people can positively change the way they live."

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Danny "KP" Kilpatrick, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

Simmons said their meeting with gang leaders was imperative, calling it "hood politics." He said they couldn't safely open their shop or film the show in Compton without the gangster's permission first.

"You have to start with the homies," said Simmons, who is also a former college football player. "They are the ones who keep the violence up or down. You get them, then corporate sees that and now they want to invite you in. You got power. Once you show you got power, then you can change the environment."

Christian "Ink" Thomas wants to connect the divided worlds between the city's black and Mexican residents, some of whom have been at odds for years.

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Danny "KP" Kilpatrick, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

"The two people who damn near hate each other the most, that's who I am," said Thomas, a tattoo artist at iAMCompton who is Mexican and black. "I want to show that you can be whatever you are mixed with. You can be bigger than what your mix came out to be. When you start with the color of your skin, then it goes to the color of your rag, then to the color of your laces. We're artists. We make that perfect blend work."

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MrLandrum31

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Erica "Barbie" Thompson, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Christian "Ink Drippin'" Thomas, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Christian "Ink Drippin'" Thomas, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

This Aug. 15, 2019 photo shows Timothy "Tim" Simmons, a cast member in the reality television series "Black Ink Crew: Compton," at the IAM Compton tattoo shop in Compton, Calif. The show, which airs Wednesdays on VH1, follows the cast who attempt to create a “safe zone” in one of the tougher cities in California. The reality series is the third spinoff of the “Black Ink Crew” franchise. (Photo by Chris PizzelloInvisionAP)

The United States pulled off a daring rescue of two aviators whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, plucking the pilot from behind enemy lines before setting off a complicated extraction of the second service member who hid deep in the mountains as Tehran called for Iranians to help capture him.

The CIA looked to throw off Iran’s government before the crew member was found, launching a deception campaign to spread word inside the Islamic Republic that the U.S. had already located him.

Even as President Donald Trump and other U.S. officials described an almost cinematic mission, rescuers faced major obstacles, including two Black Hawk helicopters coming under fire and problems with two transport planes that forced the U.S. military to blow them up.

“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory,” Trump wrote early Sunday on his Truth Social platform. “WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND!”

In a pair of social media posts, Trump said the operation over the weekend required the U.S. to remain completely silent to avoid jeopardizing the effort, even as the president and top members of his administration continuously monitored the airman’s location.

The White House and the Pentagon refused to publicly discuss details about the downed fighter jet for well over 24 hours after the initial crash, particularly about the first crew member rescued from the F-15E Strike Eagle — an effort that Trump later said took seven hours in broad daylight over Iran.

The United States and Iran's government then were both racing to find the second crew member, a weapons systems officer, whose location neither side knew.

The CIA spread word in Iran that the U.S. had found him and were moving him by ground to get him out of the country, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet made public.

The confusion allowed the CIA time to uncover the location of the service member, who was hiding in a mountain crevice, the official said.

He had climbed 7,000 feet (2,133 meters) despite being injured, said Sen. Dave McCormick, a Pennsylvania Republican who told “Fox News Sunday” that he was briefed by a senior administration official involved in the operation.

The intelligence agency sent the aviator's coordinates to the Pentagon and the White House, where Trump ordered a rescue operation.

Meanwhile, an anchor on a channel affiliated with Iranian state television had been urging residents in the mountainous region of southwest Iran where the fighter jet went down to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward for anyone who did.

Trump said the American aviator was being “hunted down” by enemies who were “getting closer and closer by the hour.” The United States was monitoring his location continuously, he said.

At the right moment, Trump said, he directed the military to send dozens of heavily armed aircraft to rescue the crew member, who the president said is “seriously wounded” but will recover.

Iranian state media reported that airstrikes in southwestern Iran on Saturday killed at least three people and wounded others, in the same area where the missing American crew member was believed to be.

The American rescue mission ran into major challenges behind enemy lines. Iran’s joint military command claimed it struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters taking part in the operation.

A person familiar with the situation said the two helicopters were able to navigate to safe airspace, although it’s unclear if they landed or if crew members were injured. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive information.

Then, the U.S. military was forced to bring in additional aircraft to complete the rescue of the second service member due to a technical malfunction, according to a regional intelligence official briefed on the mission. The U.S. blew up two transport planes it was forced to leave behind because of the mishap, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the covert mission.

Iran’s state television on Sunday aired a video showing what it claimed were parts of a U.S. aircraft shot down by Iranian forces, along with a photo of thick, black smoke rising. The broadcaster said Iran had shot down a transport plane and two helicopters that were part of the rescue operation.

Iran’s joint military command said the destroyed aircraft included two C-130 military transport aircraft and two Black Hawk helicopters in the province of Isfahan, where the rescue took place.

“The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” Trump said on social media.

Trump, however, did not mention that a second military jet also went down the same day as the F-15E.

Iranian state media said Friday that a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft crashed after being struck by Iran’s defense forces.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive military situation, confirmed a second Air Force combat aircraft went down in the Middle East on Friday.

An additional U.S. pilot was rescued but details were not available given the security concerns, another person familiar with the situation said.

Neither provided more information, including whether it was the A-10.

Kim and Lee reported from Washington, and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Konstantin Toropin in Washington, Farnoush Amiri in New York and Julia Frankel in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, black smoke rises into the air at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site where an American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation were shot down, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, wreckage is shown at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)

In this image provided by Sepahnews, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard's official website, wreckage is shown at what Iran's state TV claimed was the site of a downed American transport plane and two helicopters involved in a rescue operation, in Isfahan province, Iran, April, 2026. (Sepahnews via AP)