Big Sleeps grew up in the gang culture of L.A. in the ’80s and ’90s, and a large part of his appeal both as an artist and as a success story is that he’s transformed the roughness and dirtiness of the time period into fine art. While many of his signature styles may be indecipherable hieroglyphics for the uninitiated, the complexity and depth that goes into each of the artist’s creations capture a far greater range of emotion than a more easily legible font could. 

But turning words, names, and phrases into art isn’t Sleeps’ only focus these days. In addition to his line of Big Sleeps Ink tattoo inks and rotating releases of frequently sold-out clothing featuring his designs, Sleeps has made spending more time with his wife (who also happens to be his business partner in many of his enterprises) and children a priority—which led him to discover how much he enjoys giving back to the community and future generations.