What’s your name?
I’m Leppy.
Where are you based?
Now, I’m in Berlin.
Your age?
(Sarcastically) I’m fresh 19.
What’s one thing you think is lame and one thing you think is dope?
Oof… Dope…? Is loving friends. And lame is… performative people.
What are some other artistic media that you care about?
Well, definitely music, it’s a big part of my life. I’m just a digger, so I’m always listening to something. And I’m not so much of a painting person… but i kinda like some performance art lately. Like dance performance, umm… some spoken word stuff. Poetry.
Any new music you’ve found recently that you love?
I’m not trying to put anyone onto anything, but… (laughs) my short-term memory is dead as fuck. But these last days I’ve been listening to some Ethiopian jazz, saxophone stuff… and I always have these long-term obsessions where I listen to an artist up and down, every album, every feature, every collaboration, everyone from the label, and lately that’s been Dean Blunt, but mostly the other projects of his, like Hype Williams, Babyfather.
How do you create your best work? In what kind of state do you feel the most inspired?
When I’m out and about, I’d say. Going places, seeing people, being on the road, traveling, making new friends. Learning stuff from other people, but also from interactions and whatever. It’s nothing that I can put a finger on, necessarily, it’s just a vibe. It’s like, yeah, being in a flow situation. But not in an ADHD hyperfocused short-term thing of like three hours, but like a faith of life, where you really feel yourself.
What matters the most to you during a tattoo appointment?
For me and the client having a good time, i think. Just like, chilling, listening to music, having a nice sweet drink, going to get a coffee, having a chat, being with other people in the studio. Just like, this feeling of being with other people and also being productive.
Do you know your big 3 astrological signs?
(sigh) I’m not sure… I think it’s … sun moon rising? I don’t know exactly the order, but it’s either Cancer, Cancer, Pisces, or Cancer, Pisces, Cancer.
What’s your favorite city you’ve ever been to?
Many cities for many different reasons… I like London, I like New York, I like Amsterdam, I like Vienna a lot, but Vienna I like just because I have a lot of good friends I think. I know my ways around, I’ve just been there a lot.
And what’s a city you’ve never been to that you want to travel to badly?
Maybe something like Seoul… I think I’m going with my sober friends to Thailand in January. Maybe I’m going to add some other cities, maybe find some people on my waiting list for Taipei, Seoul, or Singapore or something. I wanna go. And I need a European winter getaway so maybe like, Australia in the winter.
What is something that you think everyone should try once in their life?
Such a hard question to answer. (Thinks for about three minutes) Going to a petting zoo. I just love, like, rubbing, like pig’s bellies and having baby goats. I remember in elementary school there was this boy in my class who grew up on a farm, and one day we had a school trip to the farm. His parents were giving a tour of the farm to the whole class and i just sat with the pigs, and crawled with them for the whole day. That was fun.
What is something you enjoy that you think nobody knows about?
I’m really big on daydreaming. And, um… it’s really nice… like I’m also a big overthinker. But it’s nice when you have the cognitive presence to like, channel that, and take your mind to places that are, like… I don’t know, just these fantasy castle in your head.
What’s the most important part of your self-care routine?
I’m not good with routines. I like to light candles and incense. And skin care and my hair routine. I have very dry, frizzy, curly hair, and lately I’ve been getting a lot of the stuff from the Afro shops. Because they make really good hair products for curly hair. I have shea butter and coconut oil hair food that smells amazing, like when it’s cold its stiff, you have to warm it up in your hands, but it cools down again in your hair and gives your hair this really good texture. And I’m having quite a few SKALA products, I think it’s Brazilian… very rich, I feel like it makes my hair more healthy long-term. And I got like a curl relaxer recently, it’s hella straight now.
Now you look like a Founding Father.
Yeah, like Joseph Smith.
What about your skincare products?
Just hyaluronic acid and suntan lotion.
What’s one item in your house you can’t live without?
My frying pan. I fry eggs, steak, mushrooms. It’s ceramic coated. It holds longer than the teflon pans.
If you were God for a day what would you do?
Probably hack the world wide banking system and give everyone the same amount of money.
What is a life lesson you would like to leave for the readers?
You’ll be happier without drugs and alcohol.
Doomscroll Tattoo 