I remember as a kid, my father would pick me up from my mother's house every two-weeks to take me to get my haircut. My dad always had a bald head. I'm talking Michael Jordan. This was around the time every shorty wanted either a NIKE sign or the Jordan symbol in their hair. Yup. I was a NIKE sign, peanut head, fresh little dude in the breakfast line at Manual High School (Peoria, Illinois). That is where all the latest trends were tested. You were either talked about or praised for your appearance. Nobody was safe.
I have experienced the highs of morning praise and the discomfort of being poked fun of because of my appearance which I had little control over. I did not come from a family of funds, but we made up for the areas where we lacked necessities. For instance, if your family could not afford the fly shit, you better know how to hold your own whenever someone tried to break on you. (Break - the ability to go back-and-forth with jokes about one another). The lunchroom was the holy grail for polishing your comebacks when someone came at you considering your look. Do not get it twisted. The most underprivileged kids were the best at talking shit. For example, the person with the worst swag would be the safest person in a roast-session.
This is what defined most of my middle and high school experiences. Looking back at on it, I credit my lyrical expansion to this witty approach to bonding with youthful strangers. To be able to produce funny jokes in response to something funny being said about you, is not only talent, but also early signs of confidence or low self-esteem. When you look good you feel better, that's period.
Let us not forget, looks does not mean you are funny, cool, or accepted. That is where your confidence plays a huge role. Some people talk about others because they feel bad about themselves. I was great at talking shit, but I would only use it as a defense mechanism once I became aware of the damage words could do. I was never going though. The difference between jokes and freestyling is that jokes do not have to rhyme. Ironically, they both enhance each other the same. I learned how to do both, but I dialed back on the jokes as I got more serious about creating songs.
This focus allowed me to see the cycles of life and control the narratives in my music. As I found myself internally, I became interested in revealing how I felt inside with my visual appearance. As a young man the most life-changing experience was to be on the receiving end of a fresh haircut. The drip does not stain unless it is top to bottom. You could put yo' best shit on and not get the nod if your top isn't tailored. $/0 my childhood barber whose name is Donna. She would get me all together and every two weeks I will have a razorblade NIKE sign engraved in my head. Who wasn't FRESH?
Which takes me back to my previous statement. When you look good you feel great and to complete the look you must see the barber. Besides the BAR in BARbershop; How does music relates to cutting hair? Have you ever walked in a popular barbershop? What did it look like? What did it sound like? Where was it located? Like music, cutting hair begins on a blank canvas awaiting to be filled with what was once in your mind. Like freestyling. Not that everyone can master this ceremony but to witness it done properly is priceless.
From my perspective, to be a barber is to obtain extended forms of artistry. Still, on my plateau music is the highest form of artistry. However, I can respect the art of cutting hair as an amateur barber myself. I can also draw (freehand) a little bit which I credit my ability to keeping a steady hand when it is time to apply a hair lining. Speaking of a hair lining. The lining of someone's hair is like the hook on your favorite song. These are the two things your supporters will see and normally hear first. Making them major areas of your presentation. There is no such thing as a hit record with a whack hook. Just like you will never see a dope fade with a weak lining. It is incomplete.
Bar for bar I am going with the recording artist. If we are talking about executing, the W goes to the barber. I say this because I am sure barbers can cut more heads than a recording artist can make songs. At least in 1ne day anyway. Now, imagine the process of a haircut without music to carryover those awkward moments of silence that are inevitable in the barbershop. Especially when it is time for the barber to apply that blade treatment. The music plays as the soundtrack to the artistic talents being displayed.
This what separate the boys from the men. The entire "hair cutting" process is like the writing process of a recording artist. This is where we produce the dopeness. The taper is like the recording process. It is raw in nature. Again, the lining is like the hook on the song. This is the area that everyone must love due to the fact of them normally being the 1st point of contact.
Me personally, I come from a lengthy line of Loc lifestyle livers. In May of 2020 I released my Locs after 11 years of knowledge and growth. The releasing of my Locs came as a result of failed attempts to restore weaken Locs due to consistent tension and dehydration. No shade to my loctician as I would wear my tighten hairstyle for months at a time before going back to have my Locs taken down, washed, re-twisted, and put back up into a bun, as that was my signature look. My hair was over 15 inches long, but I rarely wore it down and as a result my hair began to thin at the crown and center of my hairline. It took me two years to follow through with BIG CHOPPING my Locs. With it being an emotional decision to release my Locs I wanted to remove them myself. I released my Locs at the end of my new growth in attempt to treat my hair with less tension, but the damage was done. About 1 month later, I ended up giving myself a low-fade. Still, accepting the fact that I am no longer a Loc-head is a process.
As my hair began to grow back my thinning crown and receding lining was like that whack hook at the beginning of a song you hate. It would not allow the supporting areas to mean much with the key areas weaken. Wearing a hat over thinning hair is like fast forwarding a song to your favorite part only to skip to the next song after it's purpose is served. Besides vanity, my hair complements the way I feel on the inside. I did not know what or who would be able to help me with this because I had become my own barber for the last 10 years. To be fair, I was only giving myself a line up and not cutting all of my hair off.
As I am scrolling down Instagram, I notice my homie from my Darbo and Salvation Army days, Craig "Big_Clipz_" Johnson Jr putting in real work with the clippers. I booked an appointment immediately not knowing what to expect. When he directed me to the mirror. Much to my surprise he had outdone my expectations and the rest was history. I honestly feel as good as I did when Tasha (my loctician) would show me the finishing touches of my Locs. I can almost accept the fade the same way I did my length. I said ALMOST. My new hairstyle requires new maintenance from my new hairstylist. From the results and feedback on my fades. I seem to be in great hands with my homie Big_Clipz_ You would think that I was born fly.
I was satisfied enough with my new look that I bought the clippers he used to cut my hair out his hand with my hair still on the blade. These joints wireless and they hit. Nothing notches my love for the Andis brand of clippers but these little Gold jawns are officially apart of the collection now.
"Can't Spell Barbershop w/o BARS." $/0 Jason Boatright, owner of B. Right Barbershop for allowing us to capture his inspiring space of business for this blog entry. If you are looking for that barbershop experience you see in the movies. Schedule your experience like yesterday. We Say, EASY WINS. #LessWorkLIT
Breathe, #LessWorkLifestyle
Written by: 1neofmani of LessWork Local Lifestyle
Photo Credits: LessWork Lens
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