Meet the Toronto tattoo artist to the stars including many of the Raptors
Scoot Mason, the Toronto tattoo artist who is well known amongst the well-known, said Raptors centre Lucas Nogueira always wants music playing inside the studio. During a recent visit — for a large piece that would cover most of the 7-foot player’s right calf — it was Red Hot Chili Peppers, with Nogueira doing his best to match lead singer Anthony Kiedis note for note.
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“Lucas,” Mason said, “I love Lucas, ’cause he’s just ready to get tatted.’”
Catering to the needs of high-profile Toronto athletes, including the heavily-inked Raptors lineup, has become a staple of Mason’s business, Scoot Ink. A native of Peterborough, Ont., he has done work on actor Johnny Depp, and earned a meeting with Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista for work he did for one client based on the infamous bat flip from the 2015 playoffs.
He has been named one of Toronto’s 21 best tattoo artists.
Nogueira, the 24-year-old from Brazil, is one of Mason’s most frequent – and perhaps most eclectic – clients. During some sessions, Nogueira might prefer to listen to System of a Down, or Future, or the Chili Peppers, or something from an artist back home.
Nogueira said his most recent trip, the piece on his calf, would be his last. Although, he also said the same about his throat tattoo, and for the back tattoo before that.
A day before he settled in to get inked, in the unspeakable hours of the early morning, Nogueira arrived from Minnesota, hopped off the team’s charter and headed straight to Mason’s studio, which is walking distance from his apartment.
Mason was coming off a 14-hour day of work, and pleaded with Nogueira to return the next day, after Raptors practice. He did. He arrived early, waited while another client got a major piece done, then sat down in the chair for a six-hour session.
“He’s going on a trip,” said Mason. “I’m tattooing him and he’s like ‘Oh, yeah, I gotta be sitting in a hot tub next week, and on the beach.’ I’m like ‘Bro, you can’t be doing that.’”
Recently departed Terrence Ross told his Raptors teammates about Mason. Photo courtesy of Scoot MasonIn his time working with NBA players, Mason has learned one lesson: the standard rules of aftercare don’t necessarily apply to professional athletes. Mason said he tattooed former Raptor James Johnson, who left directly for a game afterward. Nogueira played only days after having his daughter’s footprint tattooed on his throat. Delon Wright, the Raptors point guard, has the good sense to not to get work done in between games, but he would seem to be in the minority.
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Even the relatively brief all-star break was cause for Anthony Bennett to get work done last year.
Mason said he is used to the vagaries of working with athletes, with their odd schedules and sensitive whims. His constant availability is a reason Mason has become the team’s unofficial tattoo artist. And for the most part, the flexibility it requires lines up with Mason’s all-work lifestyle, anyway.
“I tattoo 12 hours a day, seven days a week, that’s all I do. I watch some Mark Wahlberg movies in the middle of the night, that’s about it,” he said. “I get anxiety when I’m alone by myself, so I tat every day, all day, so I’m always with somebody. It’s so hard to turn it off. I’m programmed to work. I’d rather be doing this than anything else.
“I tell them I’m like Batman. If you need something, send me a message, I’ll come. I’ll fly anywhere. They treat me well, so I try to make it happen whenever they want”
Jonas Valanciunas gets inked up. Photo courtesy of Scoot Mason.Mason’s relationship with the franchise is hard to trace, but it appears to date as far back as Chris Bosh and Amir Johnson. Word spreads quick, and Mason providing work for notable names like Trey Songz, Mac Miller, Travis Scott, and Bam Margera, among others, has surely helped lure other high-profile clients.
It’s the recently departed Terrence Ross, though, whose influence will last on the chests and arms of the Toronto franchise. It was Ross, after all, who recommended Mason to the noticeably inked up James Johnson — and The James Johnson seal of approval carries weight.
“And as soon as I tatted JJ,” Mason said, “everyone just listens to JJ.”
“I came across him through JJ,” said Norman Powell. “He’s just a cool, laid back guy. I liked his work. He knows the city. He talked to me about some spots I should go check out.”
Mason’s work can be found on Nogueira, Wright, Powell, Jonas Valanciunas and Bruno Caboclo. (Fans will be shocked to learn Caboclo is the quietest of the clients.)
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More than just his flexibility, Mason has become the Raptors go-to tattoo artist because of his work. He has placed, and won, at tattoo festivals and events, specializing in black and grey work, portraits, cover-ups, and pieces of any size. That talent – and the ability to turn players’ ideas to life on short notice – catches players’ attention.
“He’s a good guy. He’s a great artist,” said Nogueira. “He does a very nice job, he has the talent to do perfectly what he wants. A lot of artists you ask for some type of design and they don’t make it the same as it looks on the paper. And he has the talent to make things look exactly like you want. This is the reason that I like him.”
Former Raptor Chris Bosh was a client of Mason. Photo courtesy of Scoot Mason.Beyond delivering on designs, Mason also provides comfort for his high-profile clients. The key? Not knowing a damn thing about the guys he’s tattooing.
“Half the time, getting a tattoo is the worst. There’ll be people who say ‘Oh I like it,’ you know? But ain’t no one fucking like it. When you’re sitting in that chair, you do not like that one bit,” Mason said. “Imagine doing that and then some super fan is tattooing you trying to interview you, asking you about basketball, asking you about this or that. That’d probably be the hardest part for them, is to be comfortable. You want to be comfortable as you get a tattoo.
“These guys love it because I know nothing about basketball. And I’m cool as shit. The thing is, if they want me at their house, they definitely don’t want some fan showing up at their house. I think it makes it a lot more comfortable for them.”
From a business perspective, having high-end clientele is an obvious boon. A post-session photo goes a long way in establishing Mason’s credibility, and it’s helped build his Instagram following – one of his primary means of marketing his work – to over 19,000. A Raptor or singer or actor posting a photo of the work goes even further. And most people, famous or otherwise, are likely to become repeat customers.
“Does it help? For sure, man. So many other people follow these guys, and they look up to them. ‘My tattoo artist tats so and so.’ They like it,” Mason said. “And as soon as they get one, it’s usually a couple more days and then they hit me back again because they’re excited.
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“It’s that high, the excitement of a new piece. You’re looking at it, and as soon as it’s over, you forget the pain you went through. It’s not addicting like you need a smoke. I call it addicting because it’s a forgettable pain. When that needle’s in you, it hurts, and it’s not enjoyable. But as soon as I pull that machine out of your arm, it doesn’t hurt no more. You instantly forget it.”
Just ask Nogueira, who’s gotten his “last” tattoo a half-dozen times now.
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