SMILE NOW
CRY LATER
Guns, Gangs and Tattoos My Life in Black and Gray
Pioneering black-and-gray tattoo artist Freddy Negrete was twelve years old and confined in the holding cell of a Los Angeles juvenile facility when an older teenager entered—covered in tattoos. Freddy was in awe, not just of the art, but of what it symbolized, and he wanted what this kid had: the potent sense of empowerment and belonging that came from joining a gang.
Smile Now, Cry Later
GUNS, GANGS, AND TATTOOS. MY LIFE IN BLACK AND GRAY
In a riveting narrative that takes the reader from Freddy’s days as a cholo gang member to evangelical preacher to Hollywood body art guru to addiction counselor, Smile Now, Cry Later is, ultimately, a testament to that spark within us all, that catalyst which gives us the strength to survive, transform, and transcend all that can destroy us.
Amazon
“Freddy’s work speaks to people … He is not a tattoo artist. He is an artist, who is a master
tattooer as well.”—Dave Navarro
Barnes and Noble
“This is a historic book when it comes to the subject of tattooing. Its a sad story because now freddy negrete lost his other son isaiah soon after the book was released. Rip boo boo.”
Indie Bound
“Great book!!! I want to thank him for sharing some of his personal moments, got tearing in some pages very emotional. Best of luck in whatever your new projects maybe..you are an inspiration.”
Smile Now, Cry Later
GUNS, GANGS, AND TATTOOS. MY LIFE IN BLACK AND GRAY
In a riveting narrative that takes the reader from Freddy’s days as a cholo gang member to evangelical preacher to Hollywood body art guru to addiction counselor, Smile Now, Cry Later is, ultimately, a testament to that spark within us all, that catalyst which gives us the strength to survive, transform, and transcend all that can destroy us.
Amazon
“Freddy’s work speaks to people … He is not a tattoo artist. He is an artist, who is a master
tattooer as well.”—Dave Navarro
Barnes and Noble
“This is a historic book when it comes to the subject of tattooing. Its a sad story because now freddy negrete lost his other son isaiah soon after the book was released. Rip boo boo.”
Indie Bound
“Great book!!! I want to thank him for sharing some of his personal moments, got tearing in some pages very emotional. Best of luck in whatever your new projects maybe..you are an inspiration.”
Author Bio – Freddy Negrete
Legendary tattoo artist FREDDY NEGRETE is best known for his pioneering black-and-gray tattoo style, honed while serving time in a series of correctional facilities during a youth mired in abuse, gang life, and drug addiction. His “prison-style” designs eventually found their way out onto the streets of East LA and, in 1980, he created a piece that earned him a Tattoo Artist of the Year Award. Freddy has been featured in the History Channel’s Marked series, in the documentary Tattoo Nation, on Spike TV’s Inkmaster as a guest judge, and in numerous print, online, and video publications. He has worked as a tattoo consultant on over 30 Hollywood films including Batman, Blade, Con Air and Austin Powers. He currently works at The Shamrock Social Club on the Sunset Strip.
Author Bio – Steve Jones
Steve’s first foray into writing was as a contributor to the Hamburg-based digital design magazine, ‘Page.’ In the mid-90s he published his first book, a guide to troubleshooting the Apple Macintosh (International Thomson Publishing). His first play, Cracked Eggs was staged at the Finborough Theatre in Earls Court, London. He later co-produced Cracked Eggs as a short film featuring Jared Harris (King George VI in ‘The Crown’), which screened at the Austin, Boston Underground, LA Shorts, and London Independent film festivals. His subsequent plays Baloopa’s Journey and Hero & Zero were awarded arts council grants in England, Austria, and Lithuania. Check out Steve’s website here.
Bryant Park Reading Room August 2016
Tatuaje July 2016
Tia Chucha's Centro Cultural
Tatuaje book launch 2016
Steve Jones Tatuaje July 2016
Tia Chucha reading July 2016 Freddy and Luis Rodriguez
Reviews
“…an incredibly literate personal tale that transcends Latin American culture, gang lifestyle, and incarceration. It’s a story of purpose and triumph, and it’s truly remarkable.” — Nick Cassavetes, filmmaker and actor (The Notebook, Alpha Dog, My Sister’s Keeper)
“Freddy’s work speaks to people . . . [He] has certainly lived a colorful life—full of darkness and light—and it is these experiences that speak to us through his work.”— Dave Navarro, guitarist (Jane’s Addiction) and host of Spike TV’s Inkmaster
“Freddy Negrete’s former life is as dark and forbidding as a thick lined skull tattoo on the face of a menacing gangbanger. This memoir by Negrete and Steve Jones is riveting and intense and I couldn’t put it down.” — Patrick O’Neil, author of Gun, Needle, Spoon.
“[Freddy Negrete] was the man who took the Chicano, black-and-gray, joint-style straight out of the prisons and to the top of the tattoo world. To this day, Freddy’s work never ceases to amaze me.” — Danny Trejo, actor (Spy Kids, From Dusk Till Dawn)
“Freddy Negrete’s story is about how even the most troubled young man has vital gifts for the world, intrinsic to who he’s meant to be, and filling a void only an artist can fill. His is the story of our time.” —Luis J. Rodriguez, author of the memoir Always Running, La Vida Loca, Gang Days in L.A., and It Calls You Back: An Odyssey Through Love, Addiction, Revolutions, and Healing
“You may think your favorite artist is an O.G. of the tattoo world. But compared with Freddy Negrete, almost everyone else is still a rookie. As one of the most experienced and influential tattoo artists in the world, Negrete was already making a name for himself before many of today’s top tattooers could walk.” — LA Weekly
“As I read this gripping memoir, I reflected on the fact that Negrete’s story is a communal one…[In] Freddy Negrete’s life, we see a truer image of Los Angeles’s past and present—a truer image of ourselves. Angelenos are finally learning to take care of their own.” — Los Angeles Review of Books
“The precision, mastery, and nuance of Negrete’s work in skin emerged from a personal history of triumph over a volatile youth. His life story is an inspirational testament to the possibilities of the human spirit.” — Don Ed Hardy, one of the fathers of modern-day tattooing.
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