Southside Tattoo

An Artist’s Hidden East Lake Gem

Photo by Uche Iroegbu

For 10 years, Southside Tattoo has sat quietly on 3615 East Lake St as owner Titus McKnight pursued the one thing that has held his attention since he was younger - drawing and art. Titus is more than charismatic, he’s got a gift for bringing you into the world he’s passionate about and helping you to linger and relax. This gift is probably what makes him a successful tattoo artist - the pain just melts away in his presence. 

It took Titus a few years to find his calling - it wasn’t until his late twenties that he seriously pursued tattooing as a career. A few more years after that, Southside Tattoo fell into his lap when the previous owners moved on, “I’ve always drawn and I used to tattoo when I was young, but I stopped for years and started tattooing again when was I was 28 or 29, pretty late in the game. I swear it just found me.”

“I’m grateful for the following I’ve established for years now, my clients are really really special. They came in abundance to help me.”

Titus McKnight, Southside Tattoo owner

Despite growing up across the river, Titus says Lake Street is his home now. The passion for this business community and customers is evident in his voice: “It’s one of the busiest streets in Minnesota. It’s so nice, I’ve watched this area grow into something special. It’s like a mom and pop place, corporations don't really make it here.” 

While damage to Southside Tattoo during the civil unrest was minimal, a broken window and a bit of water damage, Covid-19 has been the biggest challenge over the past 10 months. Titus knows he has loyal customers that care about him and his business but there is still a struggle to make rent. Titus laments, “I was doing so well recently and I pulled up on March 19th to do a huge appointment and there was a sign on my door saying that I had to close. I knew it was coming but I just didn’t know when. It was so abrupt. It was like $500 that day to zero and then for three months of nothing.”  

“Its so peaceful down here on Lake Street, I love it down here”.

Titus McKnight, Southside Tattoo owner

While he hopes to keep the shop open on Lake Street into the future, Titus doesn’t know how much longer he can sustain. “I want to get it back to how it was, I want to bring in younger people to mentor, bring some artists in here and give them a chance like I was given.” And as for the future of Lake Street itself, Titus is equally passionate, “I want to see it come back to the people, the people that made this street. We care about us and I’m so grateful for that.” 

Besides Titus’s passion for Lake Street, art, and tattooing he knows one thing for sure, “I have three beautiful children - they’re the reason for everything.”