125th Street (Manhattan) Barbers

Twan, is a Bronx native and has been in New York City his whole life. He came to barbering by way of the visual arts—if he could draw it, he could cut it. He would come to dabble in the craft while in high school and would later study the craft more vigorously. Today, he boasts close to twenty-five years of experience cutting hair. In his previous life, he was a professional dancer. Today, he is a driven, community-oriented barber who enjoys his regulars and mentoring and cutting the hair of kids in the neighborhood. Twan strives for his client’s satisfaction and approaches each haircut with the attentiveness of the master that he is.  See Twan's Video
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Mike Kasiem, is from Queensbridge, New York and is the senior barber of the Levels franchise. With over forty years of experience cutting hair, Mike Kasiem, has a storied history in which he worked as a carpenter, cabinet maker, HVAC technician, and as a mechanical drafter before dedicating himself exclusively to barbering. A natural mathematician, he approaches barbering with the exactitude and meticulousness of someone who knows the difference between a millimeter and micron. Mike Kasiem believes that cutting hair is a spiritual act in which both barber and client exchange a great deal more than simply a haircut. He specializes in the classic cut, in hairlines, and the fade, all six kinds of them.   See Kasiem's Video
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Warren is a Trinidad-born, New Yorker who got into barbering as a teenager. A proponent of old-school, Caribbean work ethic, Warren prides himself on being reliable and coming in early and leaving late. In addition, Warren respects his clients by getting them in and out in a reasonable time and not wasting their time. He is also an auto-mechanic on the side (specializing in Japanese cars) and has been building his dream car piece by piece. He specializes in the nuances of straight hair.  


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Peace is from the Bronx, New York, the entire Bronx. He came to barbering while in the penitentiary when a correctional officer asked a group of guys if anyone knew how to cut. Exhibiting the sort of confidence that would one day make him one of Levels’ most well-regarded barbers, Peace said he could, even though he’d never cut before. The correctional officer, while displeased with the haircut, appreciated the confidence and taught Peace how to cut hair. Grumpy, funny, quirky, Peace didn’t always go by the name of Peace, but today, embodies the word, the lifestyle. He specializes in tapers and in having clients who know exactly what they want.   See Peace's Video
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Lexington Ave. (Manhattan) Barbers

Kenny brings to Levels the kind of professionalism, attention to detail, and hard work that comes from playing professional basketball in Europe (team?) and cutting hair since he was a kid. He exhibited a natural prowess for cutting hair in junior high school when he’d charge a dollar a cut. Today, he boasts some of New York City’s most upscale clientele. Did we mention Kenny’s also a comedian? You can catch his work on at @averageblackman. Or you could just come in and sit in his chair and see for yourself. He specializes in mohawks, tapers, blends and his should-be-patented, blendation—an impeccably manicured haircut with no beginning and no end. 
See Kenny's Video
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Juss is the quietest and most soft-spoken of the barbers at Levels-Lexington. However, he brings to Levels-Lexington a wisdom and a commitment to the profession that has earned him an extensive clientele. Born and raised in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, he got into barbering around in 1993 while in Junior High School. Almost immediately it was clear that he had a natural talent for barbering, competing and winning neighborhood amateur competitions in his teens. He credits Brooklyn’s Shermy with strong mentorship early in the game and recognizes the contributions of his brothers who were test subjects early on. Juss plans on barbering until he physically can’t cut anymore. He specializes in all kinds of fades.
See Juss's Video
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Troy, is an irreplaceable Levels-Lexington fixture, making up part of the back section that he and Kenny describe as the VIP section. He’s been with Levels’ owner, Kamal Nuru, since he was fourteen, when he started working as a sweeper. Coming of age within the Levels franchise, he eventually went from sweeping to cutting, all while coming to embody everything that Levels represents. A Harlemite through-and-through, he has been in Harlem all his life, from the East Side to the West side and has practiced extensively on the community in his youth. He is a part of Different Shades Of Comedy with fellow barber, Kenny. Troy prides himself on his commitments to his clients and specializes in the classic afro.
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Kareem, AKA Reem, was born and raised in Harlem and is proud to be barbering within the Harlem community. A devout Muslim, Kareem is a laid back, soft-spoken, and engaging barber who is willing to invest the time into getting his clients’ hair just right. He’s been cutting professionally for a little over five years and is a specialist of designs and sharp lines. Kareem’s more “artistic” haircuts look like they were designed with rulers, protractors and complicated calculus formulas.
See Kareem's Video
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Kenyatta AKA  Kmoore flawlessly cuts all types of styles, but his favorites are designs, tapers, and Mohawks, which is how he wears his hair. More than anything else, K. Moore loves the freedom of barbering. "There's nothing like having a job with freedom and being able to enjoy doing it," he said. 
The New Jersey native has a full schedule even when he isn't cutting hair. Outside of barbering, K. Moore heads the GIB Education Foundation. He created the foundation to educate clients, barbers, and stylists about hair. He is also writing a book about African-American hair and history.

115th Street (Manhattan) Barbers

Terrell, is the senior barber at Levels-115th and has been cutting hair professionally for over eighteen years. Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, he learned how to cut hair by cutting his son’s hair. Years later, and many other jobs, later, he would breeze through barber school and became a better teacher and barber than his teachers. He describes himself as a groomer, not a barber, and is an adamant believer in the grooming, shaping, and styling of his clients’ looks. Terrell’s work, while involving a vast amount of hair cutting, is a lot more than simply that. He is a specialist in everything, especially in giving his clients’ the service they want. 
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Namel, was raised in Fort Greene, Brooklyn and boasts immense barbering pedigree: he is owner Kamal Nuru’s youngest brother. A warm and caring conversationalist, Namel, exudes a brotherly demeanor that many of his clients find satisfying. (He could easily be your younger brother.) He’s been with the Levels franchise since he was fifteen and started working as a sweeper at Levels-Brooklyn. He is one of the younger barbers at Levels-115th and hasn’t developed a specialty yet, but is quickly developing a knack for the Mohawk and the Burst Fade. 

Mike Some of the most beloved barbers are those who make every client feel like family.  Few fill that position more thoroughly than Mike.  The barber of 15 years has camaraderie with his clients that mirror a rousing day of fun with your best pals.  Laughing, singing to music lyrics, and hearty conversation are among the typical sounds that flow from his station.
 Mike got his start in barbering by cutting his brother’s hair.  He started cutting his brother’s hair at home to decrease the family’s expenses.  When Mike’s mother saw him cutting his brother’s hair, she told him that it was going to be his new job.  Mike began cutting out of necessity, but he genuinely enjoys the artistry of barbering.  “I like that barbering is so artsy,” said the Harlemite, who likes street art and graffiti.  “Cutting hair is relaxing to me.”  Similarly, Mike’s hair cutting relaxes his clients, so it’s a bonafide win on all fronts.

Fulton St. (Brooklyn) Barbers

Lionel hails from Downtown, Brooklyn and came to barbering via a noteworthy route: he’d always played with the craft here and there but it wasn’t until he spent time in prison that he really learned the craft and began to develop proficiency in the barbering arts. He came to Levels by walking in and asking for a job, after which he was tried out and has been with Levels ever since. Lionel’s style, demeanor, and dedication to his clients is the Levels aesthetic. Lionel’s motto is “If you don’t like it, you don’t pay…” a motto that has never forced him to give anyone back their money. Lionel prides himself on giving fashionable, high quality, dependable service. Lionel truly loves all aspects of the profession, from meeting clients, sharing time with them, to crafting and designing their look. He’s been on Jimmy Kimmel and just filmed a commercial for Gillette. Truly in it for the love of the craft, Lionel specializes in treating all clients, famous and regulars with the same quality service.  Lionel's Video
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Cameron is from Little Rock, Arkansas and has been in New York City for only two years. He starting cutting hair when he was in the tenth grade and went straight to barber school after graduation. After he finished barber school, he decided to attend the University of Arkansas and ran a highly-sought-after and very profitable barber service out of his dorm room and soon came to be known as the best barber around. After graduation, he realized that a barber cutting part time from a dorm room made more than many starting salaries which prompted a full-on dedication to barbering. Since then, he has brought his Southern charm along with consistent and professional service to his clients at Levels. He is big on the finer details of the barbering experience and specializes in fades and hot-towel shaves.  
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Jay is a native of Brooklyn and hails from Bedford Stuyvesant. He is a former artist who eventually came to see the head of hair like a blank canvas waiting to be filled in. As a teenager he was wowed by the transformative power of a haircut—there were few things in life that couldn’t be made better with a good haircut. It is what prompted him to experiment on his own hair and the hair of his friends. And it is precisely this sort of respect and admiration for the haircut that Jay brings to his work today. Even today, Jay constantly finds himself fascinated with barbering. An avid conversationalist, Jay likes to talk and is the sort of barber you can “kick it” with. Jay specializes in all sorts of cuts and can add any design into any haircut if desired.  Jay's Video

William, is from Far Rockaway Queens and is of Sierra Leone descent. An old soul, William came to barbering late in life when he realized that few, if any, of the barbering experiences that he’d had in his life were memorable. He decided to become that barber for his clients. William strives to give his clients an attentive, caring, stress-free transformative experience. Committed to the craft like the master that he is, he approaches every haircut with only one goal in his mind: this will be the best haircut of their lives. William is also an accountant by day so he's good to check out before tax day. He specializes in all haircuts, but especially in giving haircuts to children and to the elderly.  
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Dame is a Brooklyn native and Queens resident who enjoys all the levels (pun intended) of barbering.  His interest in cutting began in 2007, and he has been barbering professionally for two years.  Dame's favorite part of cutting is blending.  He loves to create sizzling blends and sharp lines.  You can easily spot Dame by his signature skin fade. When he isn't keeping his clients' hair tight, Dame enjoys listening to and writing music.  His ears enjoy hip-hop, neo-soul, and reggae.  Dame is constantly perfecting his craft while exemplifying the rich legacy of the art form of barbering.

Erma is a Brooklyn native who entered the barbering world through her love of hair products, specifically pomade.  She loves pomade so much that she created an online pomade shop.  A beauty traditionalist at heart, Erma prefers low haircuts like Caesars and tapers.  In addition to cutting hair, Erma loves to write.  She writes songs, poems, fiction and non-fiction stories, academic articles, and hair blogs.

 Windsor HWY. (Hudson Valley) Barbers

April Intrigue is a multi-dynamic element that slips into your soul gently but captures it deeply. Once captured, your soul becomes a tensile thread that glides between palpable and imperceptible realities. When April was 15 years old, she watched her uncle cut his own hair. To April, the way that he used liners to give himself a perfectly sharp and straight line while holding a mirror was similar to the way that sculptors mold their creations. His intricate precision captivated April so much that she had to become a barber. Her soul wouldn’t let her do anything else. April’s personal love of art has anchored her in the barbering industry for more than a decade. In particular, she loves flattops because of the sculpting involved in creating them. “I like flattops because the sculpting involved in creating them lets me tap into my artistic skills more,” April said. She also enjoys cutting the South of France, a favorite of Levels’ clients, for the same reason. “The South of France is very artsy and every client is a new canvas, so I get to make a new creation every time I do it,” she added. More than anything, the Brooklyn native likes to make her clients smile. “It’s so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces after they see themselves in the mirror at the end of the cut,” April said. Smiles plus a clean cut? That’s a powerful all-around win!

  Nostrand Ave. (Brooklyn) Barbers

Cassim AKA MasterFaderOne Have you ever had a glass of water after being thirsty for hours? It’s like your whole mouth changes. Your taste buds become perkier, your tongue becomes more mobile, and your throat becomes able to handle more octaves. Souls become thirsty too. For souls that crave independence, barbering is a thirst-quencher. That certainly was the case with Cassim. He very candidly admits that his more-than-three decade barbering career started because of his desire for autonomy. “I was really attracted to barbering because I don’t like working for anybody, and I don’t like taking orders from anybody,” he said. However, Cassim didn’t let his urgency for independence stop him from asking for help when necessary—like after his first haircut. Cassim’s first haircut was a flair-less flattop fade. “It looked like a cereal bowl,” Cassim recalled. “I didn’t know how to blend.” Despite his initial result, Cassim kept pushing forward with barbering. He kept cutting hair and seeking assistance along the way. Eventually, barbering grew on him. “The more I cut hair, the more I fell in love with it,” he said. Over time, Cassim’s haircutting improved—so much so that he is now the self-proclaimed “Master Fader.” His advice to future barbers is to have a passion for barbering. “It has to be in your heart,” he advises. You have to do it for the love.” In addition to barbering, Cassim also teaches Barbering Theory and Practical. One of his key teaching principles is what he calls the “Three H’s of Barbering: the head, the hand, and the heart.” He teaches this principle to his students as a guiding rule for barbering. From Cassim’s journey, it is clear that intense motivation and purposeful passion are winning elements for barbering and beyond.

Donald As humans we all have basic senses that guide us through life.  The interesting thing is that sometimes; basic can be the beginning of something big.  Such is the case with the spectacular sense of sight.  It gives us glimpses into what can be and is often the first step to enlarging our world. Donald’s barber beginnings are the centerpiece of this framework. Donald used to play dominoes with his friend.  During the games, Donald’s friend used to count his money. The constant wad of cash activated Donald’s curiosity.  When Donald’s friend said that he was a barber, Donald was intrigued. His initial interest soon grew after his son received a bad haircut and wanted him to fix it.  Donald told his son that he couldn’t fix it because he wasn’t a barber.  His son’s response was, “Go to barber school.” Donald swiftly followed that advice. Through the process, the Haitian Brooklynite fell in love with cutting hair.  That love intensifies with each passing year. “Barbering is a challenging thrill,” he excitedly shared. “I love being challenged with styles that I don’t typically do.  
Plus, Donald enjoys the dual benefit of making people look and feel good while doing what makes him happy. “I love helping people because helping them helps me.” Donald’s barbering journey is consistent with a key aspect of barbering:  grooming for good.  

Amanda We all have supernatural oxygen sources that make us, “us.” They breathe life into us and help us to elevate our natural talents. For Amanda, it’s hair cutting.  Her ability to conceptualize a haircut and recreate the vision is her sweet spot, but her prowess at filling needs in the marketplace propels her to new heights in barbering and business. Amanda was already a cosmetologist, but she decided to add master barber to her resume after clients kept coming to the salon where she worked for barbering services and no one was able to serve them. What started as fulfilling a need turned into a newfound calling. While Amanda loves both cosmetology and barbering, she does admit that barbering has a fiery edge. “I like barbering because it’s simple, but it’s not simple,” she said. “It keeps me on my toes, and I love anything that challenges me.” The Bronx native encourages potential barbers to join the industry for the love of the craft. “If you do what you love, you’ll never work another day in your life.”

Madison Ave. (Manhattan) Barbers

Norman A beard like finely-bundled wheat. A demeanor like electric current flowing through a light bulb. Attire like freshly-washed linen that has been ironed by the sun. Those are the subtle intricacies of Levels barber Norman. 
His haircutting journey did not begin with a surge towards the clippers, but a bolt in the opposite direction. “My dad tried to teach me how to cut hair when I was 19 years old, but I wasn’t interested,” Norman said.
However, disinterest shifted to curiosity when Norman had trouble finding a job after he left the Army. Encountering a series of closed doors led Norman to create his own entry into barbering. “I was tired of all the ‘no’s’ and no answers in my job search, so I pursued barbering.”
Little did Norman know that his pursuit of barbering would be the match that ignited his roaring passion for cutting hair. “It took some time for it to grow on me, but I love cutting hair,” Norman said. “That smile they [clients] give me through the mirror after I’ve given them a haircut is worth all the mistakes I’ve made to reach this point,” he added with a gleeful grin. 
As for making mistakes while cutting hair, Norman encourages new barbers to face them fearlessly. “The best lessons you learn are from making mistakes,” he knowingly shared.
Norman’s implementation of his time-tested advice is the rendering of his barbering philosophy: professionalism with exquisite execution.

Deron

Namel