Ryan Henry and Phor from VH1’s Black Ink Chicago came out to The Cruz Show for an interview with Cruz and CeCe. The two shared a lot about themselves, and details about the show such as dealing with mental issues on set, their thoughts on Chicago celebrities in the tabloids, and the future of Henry’s tattoo shop 9Mag.

In the most recent season of Black Ink: Chicago, Phor admits to battling depression. When asked about whether he feels it is healthy for him to still be on the show, Phor replies:

“Yeah…It’s people that watch us and help people get through issues. It’s bringing awareness to issues….It’s okay to not be okay. And I think as men we have to be dominant, especially from Chicago. We have to be strong. Real men cry.”

The topic of R. Kelly and Jussie Smollett also came up in the interview, since the show also takes place in Chicago. Henry voiced that what R. Kelly did doesn’t change his musical legacy in his eyes; but goes on to say that the meme culture plays a big part in situations like such:

“We keep this shit up that keeps our people down…The memes that go out, from something like R. Kelly thats what is keeping it going as opposed to any facts. we gotta wait for all the facts and alleged proof to come out.”

The future of Henry’s tattoo shop, 9Mag, seems to be looking brighter than ever. The shop re-opened recently and Henry says, “it’s a blessing to be busy and have the support of people.”

Watch the full interview below, and check out Black Ink Chicago: Season 5 on VH1, Wednesdays at 9pm!