• Ryan Henry is an American tattoo artist and reality TV personality.
• He is best known for his appearance in the VH1 show "Black Ink: Chicago".
• As of late-2019, his net worth was estimated at around $800,000.
• He started his tattoo business, 9Mag, in honor of his sister and niece who were murdered in 2009.
• Henry is involved in charity work and runs the Novastar Project, which organizes charitable events to benefit the city of Chicago.
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Who is Ryan Henry?
Ryan Henry was born on 27 May 1986, in Chicago, Illinois USA, and is a tattoo artist as well as a reality television personality, best known for being one of the main characters in the reality show entitled “Black Ink: Chicago”, which airs as a part of VH1 programming.
The Riches of Ryan Henry
As of late-2019, Ryan’s net worth is estimated by sources including Forbes at over $1 million – while he’s earned significant income through reality television, his business has also been flourishing, leading to an increase in wealth.
Early Life and Education
Ryan was raised by his parents, of some Japanese heritage though little is known about his upbringing, family and childhood. He grew up with two sisters. At a young age, he became fascinated with Japanese culture, learning more about the language and its meanings. He also developed an inclination towards the arts, one which he would carry all the way into adulthood.
He attended Thornwood High Schoo in South Holland, Illinois, known for being the home of many professional sports players who played in leagues such as the National Football League (NFL), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and Major League Baseball (MLB)., including Eddy Curry, Steve Trout, Justin Williams, Mark Mulder, Michael Blair, and Steve Gaunty.
Tragedy and Business
He began to hone his skills in tattoo artistry, and used his knowledge of Japanese culture to full effect. In 2009, his family suffered tragedy when his sister and niece were murdered by his sister’s ex-boyfriend; as a result, most of his future endeavors were made in honor of the two victims. He created the 9Mag tattoo shop – while he was a small scale artist and businessman at first, people eventually noticed his talents, and journalists and magazines published his work.
He also became involved in the history of black tattoo culture, working on the documentary “Color Outside the Lines”, a play on words previously used for racial segregation during the 20th century. He operated his shop for many years, and his clientele increased significantly as celebrities soon started taking notice of his work. He also proved to be successful in business, establishing other businesses to build his wealth further.
Black Ink Crew: Chicago
Eventually, he was contacted by television producers who discovered his talents, and wanted to create a show based on his tattoo shop – it would become a spin-off from the popular “Black Ink Crew”.
Their iteration called “Black Ink Crew: Chicago”, began airing on VH1 in 2015. As the name denotes, it is set in Chicago, following the daily operations of the African-American owned and operated tattoo shop called 9Mag. The show often features the drama involved, and has been successful, in running for fseven seasons with no signs of stopping any time soon. He was featured as a main cast member, joining Van Johnson, Phor Brumfield, and Charmaine Walker.
There were also other main cast members and recurring personalities along with guests often involved with the staff. The show has also had celebrity guests, most notably rapper Nicki Minaj who visited the shop during an episode.
Aside from his business endeavors, Ryan’s also been busy with charity work, creating the foundation called Novastar Project which aims to organize charitable endeavors to benefit the city of Chicago. He’s been organizing a celebrity basketball game to raise awareness of domestic violence and breast cancer. He also uses the company to memorialize her deceased sister and niece.
Personal Life and Social Media
Henry was in a relationship with Rachel Leigh for around a decade before breaking up. She is a part of the company called Pear Nova, which is likely a business connected to Henry’s other businesses. The name Pear Nova is based on their child together, and despite being separated, they still remain in touch to raise their offspring. He continues to be highly passionate about tattoos, but also enjoys travelling around the country to do charity work while promoting his craft.
Henry also has Instagram and Twitter accounts, using the platforms to showcase some of his tattoo work..
