Ep. 9: How I Became a Celebrity Barber with Fah da Barber
On this episode of Self Inventory, your Host Brandon Chastang sits down in the barber’s chair to talk with Faheem Alexander (Fah da Barber), a legendary barber who cuts hair for The Roots. Fah da Barber has owned his South Philly shop, Faheem’s Hands of Precision, for over 20 years and has a sponsorship with Gillette Razors. Brandon and Fah da Barber discuss his early passion for barbery, riding his bike past the shop as a kid in 1995, paying homage to his mentors, and the value of paying it forward. For more info, visit his instagram, @fahdabarber1, or his website, Faheems Hands of Precision
Picture credit: Bevelcode
Listen:
Self Inventory is a podcast produced by Brandon Chastang and Studio D Podcast Production. You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts. If you’d like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a review, and tell everyone you know about Self Inventory.
Transcript:
Brandon: [00:00:00] A Self Inventory report is the type of psychological tests in which a person fills out a survey about personal interests, values, symptoms, behaviors, and traits. Self Inventories are different from tests and that there is no objective, correct answer. Self-inventory is the podcast where we investigate the issues of society that don't seem to have any correct answer.
Brandon Chastang blends together history lessons, current events, and talks with people of all backgrounds to provide us as a society with a Self Inventory in order to move forward. We need to look at where we've been and where we are now. It's time for Self Inventory.
You're now listening to the Self Inventory. I'm your host, Brandon Chastang, [00:01:00] AKA B McFly and yes, B McFly stands for being motivated comes from loving yourself. You got to love yourself, man. When you love yourself, you're more motivated to do more. I have a special guests, man. This guy right here, I met this gentlemen like almost three years ago.
I met him on social media and you know, we just took off ever since, man. So he goes by the name of Fah da Barber. Let's give a warm welcome to Fah da Barber man. What's going on?
Fah da Barber: [00:01:31] Hey Man, this was in the making man. Um, you had this one video that was up on social media on Facebook, just taking flight man and this was creative. It was you in a bathroom, like you were in prison and you told this story, man, you know what I mean? This is what happen in prison. And it's like, it was touching, you know, my brother, you know, he did like 10 years in prison. So, you know, I share, you know, I shared that. I have never [00:02:00] been to that, you know, distinct of, you know, being incarcerated, anything like that, I just felt it, man.
I said, man, I gotta meet this brother. You know what I mean? And um, we just connected on social media. It's the power of social media when you meeting, you know, individuals like, you know, y'all can share, you know, a common space man, and just been love ever since then, you know, we're going on three, three years, you know, a friendship and this is where it led.
You know, to, uh, you know, a podcast you know, everybody's having conversations, everybody's talking about platforms and that nature, and this is definitely going to be a great show. This is one is going to be for the, the record, just one is going to be rap. You know what I mean? We can retire our jerseys
Brandon Chastang: [00:02:38] Retire our jerseys. Well, you heard it from Fah, you heard it from Fah da Barber, man. We, we retiring our jerseys. So listen, can you tell the viewers and the listeners, where are we at right now? What city are we in and what part of the city are we in right now?
Fah da Barber: [00:02:51] Uh, right now we in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, uh, this is section of South Philadelphia and Philadelphia. Uh, we at my barbershop at [00:03:00] 20th and Snyder. I've been in this place for 20 years. Last year would be the 21st year. This year ,and this place has always been legendary for myself as well as the community. You know, when I was 15 years old. I'm from South Philadelphia. Okay. So, you know, I would ride past this building, you know, uh, on my bike actually, but you know, a book bag full of Clippers, you know what I mean?
As a young man going to do a mobile cut, cut somebody's hair. So, you know, I stopped and I just said, one, one day that, you know, I want this building. One day, this is in 1995, you know, wishful thinking, this is for real. So it was all right to wish and think, and ask God for an opportunity because it will happen.
Brandon Chastang: [00:03:41] How old were you when you were riding your bike passing this building?
Fah da Barber: [00:03:45] Uh, 15 years old.
Brandon Chastang: [00:03:46] 15 years old?
Fah da Barber: [00:03:47] 15 years old. So, uh, so this was in 1995. It was always like a barber shop here, a gentleman by the name of Ali ran it, you know, the 10 minute man, he cut hair for, cut hair in 10 minutes. Oh. So I was like, Whoa. So I [00:04:00] was like, you know, uh, I want this place, you know, to be epic.
Uh, I want this place to be a pillar of the community. Structure, foundation, you know, these words are, I'm really big on, so, you know, I want this to be that place. So fast forward, you know, five years later in 2000. A new landlord took the building over, uh, he was upstairs, you know, um, cleaning up, you know, getting ready for new tenants and stuff like that.
And I ask, Hey, you know, is this place, you know, down here as a, for rent? And he said, yeah. So I was like bet. So I was like, you know, um, can I give you my information? He said sure. You know, I'm, I'm looking at, you know, potential people to take this place over. So I said, great. God is good, man. God is amazing.
The New landlord contacted me seven days later. He said, you know, come to meet me, meet me at my lawyer's office in broad street, wow, to come in and sign the lease. Now I know this man from a can of paint, but. You know, uh, [00:05:00] one thing he told me is that, you know, I'm a give you this place of a faith and I'm going to trust you.
We going to build a relationship. He just said, one thing, he said, just, just don't sell no drugs out of here. So I said, sir, you know, them days are over for me. I'm not interested in selling no drugs. Um, I just want to cut here and I want to build a platform just like the Italians did for so many years in South Philadelphia. I want to pattern myself behind how the Italians did it in South Philadelphia.
Brandon Chastang: [00:05:27] You know, it's amazing because a lot of people, they only see what they see right now. They don't understand the story behind where you at right now. You said 15, you roll past this building and said, one day, you're going to be in here cutting hair. When did you start cutting hair? When did you, like, when was cutting hair for you like your something that was like your passion?
Fah da Barber: [00:05:53] Um, I started cutting here like 1990. Okay. You know, I was 12, 13 years old. Wow. Uh that's [00:06:00] around the time when a young man, you know, start to discover kind of like what he, even a young woman, what he or she wants to do in life? Correct. So, you know, it was one of the things I approached my mom, you know, she came and got me from the youth study center. I got in trouble. I said, mom, listen, you know, buy me a pair of Clippers, mommy, and I'm gonna take care of us. Wow.
What, I mean, us, us as a whole. You know, us as a community, you know, my family, you know what I mean? Just being, you know, a pillar in the community and our promise to that and, you know, uh, lost her in 01 from kidney failure, but definitely the it's still there. You know what I mean? The passion, you know, the promise, you know, everything that I told my mother that I would do is still here in and be going on 20 years now.
Brandon Chastang: [00:06:44] So did you find your passion in the youth study center as well, or was it more?
Fah da Barber: [00:06:50] Part of it, it was because I'm in the youth study center overnight, you know, I didn't spend no time in here. Yeah. Um.
Brandon Chastang: [00:06:57] For those who don't know what you study center is real [00:07:00] quick, that is a place is, is a, it's a, it's a detention center for children, for juveniles juveniles with, you know, some would behavior issues mainly with behavior issues.
Fah da Barber: [00:07:11] Right. So, you know, I'm in there for one night and I'm like, dang, like, you know, this is, you know, what jail would be like. You know, someone telling you when to get up, uh, when to go to sleep, uh, when they eat, you know, when to do activities and stuff, it's a controlled environment. I say, why let somebody control me, when I can control the problem?
I can control just before the we're using the word narrative, you know, I can control the problem, problem I can control. I can do whatever I want. You know, I can, you know, help my community that I can do. You know what I mean? I can show people and you know, that's what I set out to do to do that.
Brandon Chastang: [00:07:54] Wow, man. Even through troubling times, you still found something [00:08:00] to target your energy.
Fah da Barber: [00:08:01] Yes. I mean, I mean barbery did it, man, you know what I mean? And like I said, wishful thinking. Same thing, you know, I've got, had an opportunity to work for The Roots, the band, you know, Grammy award-winning band in Philadelphia. Um, you know, I service them for 20 years. Same thing, you know, with Black Thought, you know, he blessed me, you know, he showed me the world, he opened the door. I was able to do amazing things with barbery.
Brandon Chastang: [00:08:24] Yeah. You said The Roots, right. And before we get into the Roots, I want to jump into that 20 year old young man that took on the responsibility, that stepped up and said, you know what, I'm going to be a businessman, a business owner. But that first relationship was the gentleman that owned this building. 20 years old, you sat down and you signed the lease.
Fah da Barber: [00:08:51] Right at 20, my first piece of property.
Brandon Chastang: [00:08:53] Your first piece of property at 20 years old. And I definitely want to talk about the Roots, but I want to jump into that [00:09:00] 20 year old young men. Now, was that scary for you? Was that like, like, because you, you know, you gotta, I mean, you, you believed in your hand, right? Cutting hair, but you still had to make sure you live to what you had to do to pay for this building and pay the bills. Right. How was that? Take us that, take us there.
Fah da Barber: [00:09:20] I mean, how was that? I was always willing to help individuals. Basically let me reproduce myself or clone or copy myself so there were other young men that were just as talented as me or more that I gave opportunities to.
You know, I looked at them, this is real estate, right? My mentor is Jazz. You know, Jazz is, we can talk about him too. Awesome dude. I looked at an individual as real estate. Distressed property. Young men want it like I want it, right. So let me teach you the few things that was already out the gate. I was already [00:10:00] off the step. I've already been places. Let me teach you what I know.
At 20, let me move you, wow to success and which I was able to do with other young men, you know, that worked for me at the time at 20 years old. Like, listen, let me give you the game. You know, you tell them that your bag because hair, great isn't making from it, you know, but let me give you some game.
So, you know, I was able to train a few for maybe about six, seven, eight years. And you know, they rode with me. I rode with them, you know, um, even I was like only one with a car. Like I used to go to these guys' houses and pick them up and bring them to work and take them home after work. Wow. You know, building, you know, building. And that's me and to the day I still do the same exact thing. I will pick anybody up at the edge of earth just to bring them to work.
Brandon Chastang: [00:10:50] So at 20 years old, you are, first of all, we live in a, in a, an environment that's aggressive.
Fah da Barber: [00:10:59] [00:11:00] And it was rougher back then what it is today.
Brandon Chastang: [00:11:03] Right? It was, I mean, a 20 year old young man taking on the responsibility of leadership, at a time where it was even more aggressive,
Fah da Barber: [00:11:14] it was very, very aggressive.
Brandon Chastang: [00:11:16] And for you to say, I am the leader and I'm going to teach my peers how to do what I'm doing at a young age like that, man, I commend you man. Like, like that's, that's amazing.
Fah da Barber: [00:11:30] We need, you know, more individuals such as myself, like these days, like be a leader. You know, be someone, stand for something, you know what I mean? Um, reach for the stars, get people to believe in you. You know what I mean? Real estate, real estate is important.
You know, this podcast is called Self Inventory correct. Why not transfer it into this is real estate. Right. in your mind. Right. You know, like, cause you physically own your intellect in your, your mind so [00:12:00] it's electrical, intellectual. Can't get the word out. Intellectual property can get the word out, which I know what I'm saying. Right, right, right. Intellecutual property. Right. And your bread.
Brandon Chastang: [00:12:11] That's funny. We all get some twisted sometimes.
Fah da Barber: [00:12:15] But you own it. You know what I mean? So you can also lease that so that's what I did at a young age. I leased that to other young men that bought into it, they rented it and, you know, they hit the lottery, you know, they went on, you know, to be successful businessmen. You know, they have their own shops and stuff like that. I would hope they're doing well.
Brandon Chastang: [00:12:32] And not to cut your wisdom on that. Right. But see, I tell people you're not a boss until you're able to put people in position will absolutely become their own boss.
Fah da Barber: [00:12:44] Absolutely. That's the key, you know, I don't want to keep nobody forever, like I really, really don't, but at the same time, don't be negative. Don't have no ill will towards myself.
You know, don't mess the relationship. [00:13:00] Don't do it. You know what I mean? Because it's like, you're going to always need somebody. He will always need me. So it was like, just for a conversation, may not need me for money because you're making money. Right. Cause I taught you. But conversation is important these days and times.
Brandon Chastang: [00:13:16] So speaking of conversation now, you're in South Philly, you're cutting hair. It's a lot of people from South Philly, a lot of famous people from South Philly. You spoke on The Roots.
Fah da Barber: [00:13:30] Yeah, that's they, they, my guys, they were always.
Brandon Chastang: [00:13:33] When I first seen you. I'm like, yo, why he gave me Black Thought vibes. Yeah.
Fah da Barber: [00:13:39] Yeah. I mean, you know, he's a good brother. You know, I've been around him, um, since 1997 or we up until the Jimmy Fallon show, which was last year, 2020, you know, I kinda, you know, was ready to, you know, fly, fly on my, my own wings you know? Um, thank, thank you to him. Thank you to The Roots, you know, um, NBC [00:14:00] Jimmy Fallon show, uh, thanks for all the, you know, wonderful connections and relationships there, you know? Um,
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:07] wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold up. So you're saying you cut, you cut Black Thought's hair, say you cut some of these people. Yeah. Okay. Everybody from The Roots or some people from The Roots?
Fah da Barber: [00:14:17] Some people from The Roots, I cut them. Um, some other entertainers.
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:21] I mean, cause you could see them all over it. I mean, if you come to his barbershop on 21st and Snyder. 20th and Snyder's sorry. Sorry. 20th and Snyder. You're going to see a lot of celebrities that, you know, people that he was cutting, but you said Jimmy Fallon.
Fah da Barber: [00:14:37] Yeah, The Jimmy Fallon show.
Brandon Chastang: [00:14:38] The Jimmy Fallon Show.
Fah da Barber: [00:14:40] The tonight show. It wasn't clear. It was late night. Right. But then he got the big show after uh, was it Cohen, con things Cohen right. Cohon O'Brien, he stepped away and then they awarded Jimmy Fallon, the tonight show, the biggest show, you know, talking Johnny Carson. Yes. [00:15:00] You know what I mean? Um.
Brandon Chastang: [00:15:01] And you were up there cutting hair.
Fah da Barber: [00:15:02] I was up there cutting hair, you know, for 10 years. And I met so many people. Um, I made a lot of relationships. It was real good. It was very good. The Roots were very good to me. Um, so, you know, I learned and you know, like I said, I'm getting older. You know, I have children, I have families, family, and, you know, I had to take care of my family.
Brandon Chastang: [00:15:21] Absolutely.
Fah da Barber: [00:15:21] So, you know, I use what I learned, you know, from that platform and in barbering and, you know, I made it one, I took the clay and I molded it. So, you know, I made it one, yo that's listen, be, you know, just successful. You know what I mean?
Brandon Chastang: [00:15:39] You know, Philadelphia is known for barbers, I'm talking about sharp razor. You had, remember, I'm quite sure you do, back in the day where they used to have the, the sh the hair shows?
Fah da Barber: [00:15:56] Oh yeah, definitely in Philadelphia. Yes. The hair shows were definitely popular [00:16:00] in Philadelphia. Maybe we can even go all way back. I wasn't, I was born in 78, but even before then you can go back to Teddy Pendergrass. Teddy Pendergrass, he was, you know, he was fired, you know, all the women loved him, you know, they threw their panties on the stage for him. Yeah.
Brandon Chastang: [00:16:16] I heard about that.
Fah da Barber: [00:16:17] Me too. I was saying, so, you know, he was well-groomed and his beard was always well-groomed, but it was always well-groomed. So, you know, Philadelphia has always been the leader, you know, of the male universe when it comes to grooming. So, you know, those are the things that I always knew, and I was just taking mental notes, even as a young man and, you know, being incarcerated, youth study center and, you know, practicing barbering, you know, uh, learning from my mentor, Jazz and, um, shout out to Jazz.
Oh, definitely man. You know, um, I'm just, I'm just, I'm just a chip off the old block from his block. Um, he was the barber in the eighties down here in South Philadelphia. He cut all the ballplayers, excuse me, cut all the ballplayers. You know, he cut all the, um, you know, all the professionals that were in the [00:17:00] streets, you know, uh, at the height of their games, you know, he was The Barber and, you know, he's coined, you know, his brother was Caesar.
He was, uh, a dancer back in, you know, seventies and eighties. And, you know, he would travel to New York city and stuff like that. And, um, that's where the box haircut. Jazz was like, you know what I, what I know, he was the creator of the box haircut. Oh, you know, you know, cut the four sides nice and even, top, tapered on the sides, you know, nice shape up stuff like that.
Jazz was the guy. And then, you know, he, you know, he was in high school, he was cutting new ballplayers in high school. He played ball himself and, um, He's just a wonderful person. He was ahead of his, his game and his lifetime man, just a head man. You know, of course he, you know, he took a low for maneuver drugs and drug abuse and stuff like that, you know, living in abandoned cars, but he just, he freaked it. Took a 390 degree turn around, man. He's doing better now. He's doing phenomenal. You know what I mean? He's, his histories etched in stone, here in Philadelphia.
[00:18:00] Brandon Chastang: [00:18:00] Shout out to Jazz, man because being a recovering addict, myself, having three years clean, I know the power of rebuilding.
Fah da Barber: [00:18:08] Oh he rebuilt it.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:09] And jumping back man, and be even stronger and better.
Fah da Barber: [00:18:12] He rebuild it. He, I mean, helped myself as well as other barbers and stuff like that. Even getting into the real estate business, which he, you know, did very well in. And, um, you know, I always watched him and, um, he was my hero, you know what I mean? My hero, you know, he was always tall, which, you know, over six foot and, you know, I always just look up to him, like really look up to him. And you know, our own pattern myself behind him use his life, use his struggles, you know, check. Like I said, a chip off the old block. I was able to learn a lot.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:46] You know, it's a blessing to know that a lot of people don't, a lot of people don't pay homage. They may pay homage, but I don't hear a lot of barbers paying homage to.
Fah da Barber: [00:18:58] Me neither. I don't know why.
Brandon Chastang: [00:18:59] Okay, [00:19:00] okay cause you're in the barber world.
Fah da Barber: [00:19:01] I really don't get a few. Matter of fact, it's strange, people support me outside of my own community, outside of Philadelphia for barbery and one of my own people. I don't know why it's like that. And it's like, I love everybody. I respect everybody. You know, I don't have, uh, ill will or bad bone about nobody or nothing. You know, any barbers or anything like that. I don't know why it's like that. Not at all
Brandon Chastang: [00:19:26] Philadelphia and today's where I think people respect Philadelphia barbers all over. I lived in New York for 10 years, man. And I remember one thing about Philadelphia. We always had beards, whether you w whether it was religious reasons or you know, Philadelphia was known for that beard city.
Fah da Barber: [00:19:47] Like I say, you know, taking it back to Teddy Pendegrass. He always had his beard always right. Always had a beard. All this was fly, man. The man can dress, he can sing. And he just cultivated everything in the 70's, from dress to [00:20:00] fashion, to what he taught, the way he act. Teddy was the man, you know, prior to his accident, his car accident he had in the eighties, you know what I mean? He was fly. He's a fly dude and he's from West Philly. Right.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:11] You know what I'm going to put it. I'm going to put it out there, man. Name your top five. barbers man.
Fah da Barber: [00:20:14] My top five Barbara's of all time in Philadelphia?
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:17] Of all time, I want to say right now, but if you want to make it easy.
Fah da Barber: [00:20:21] If, we go all the time, I gotta go with my mates.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:23] Go all time.
Fah da Barber: [00:20:23] I got to go with my mentor Jazz. Okay.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:25] And Jazz was from South Philly?
Fah da Barber: [00:20:26] Jazz was from South Philly. Cool. That's my number one guy.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:29] Okay. That's cool. I can respect that. Shout out to Jazz, again.
Fah da Barber: [00:20:33] Uh, you gotta go with Mark Lightfoot. Okay. Philadelphia Hair Company. Okay.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:36] Where's he, where's he, you know where he from?
Fah da Barber: [00:20:38] 5800 block in Germantown avenue.
Brandon Chastang: [00:20:40] Alright, alright shout out.
He was like the first I know of celebrity barber. Okay. Okay. Okay. You know, I heard he, you know, he used to cut Bob Johnson was on the BAT, you know what I mean? He used to cut them on his private jet. Oh, wow. So, you know, uh, definitely him, Mark Lightfoot would be harmless to him. He got Wild Styles, you know, Nori and Naji. They would dominate, [00:21:00] you know, with the designs and stuff like that. Pretty good. You know, uh, Mr. Kenny Duncan.
Shout out to my guy, Kenny.
Fah da Barber: [00:21:05] Kenny's definitely a dope, dope dude.
Brandon Chastang: [00:21:07] Big Overbrook man, overbook side.
Fah da Barber: [00:21:09] West Philly guy. That's my main, um, Then this other brother, uh, I have two, um, Bornin June. It was really good in nineties, came down from West Philly, came to South Florida, taught up, uh, a brother named LA that I learned from critiquing and stuff like that far as barbering. Um, he was from the West coast, Los Angeles when he moved to South Philly, he did his thing. So, um, so those, those guys, you know, definitely, uh, phenomenal, uh, far as barbering.
Brandon Chastang: [00:21:39] And you heard it from, you heard it from the horse's mouth, not me.
Fah da Barber: [00:21:43] In Philadelphia. You know what I mean? Not argue with anybody, you know what I'm saying? Anybody arguing, anybody, those names that I just named definitely, you know what I mean? Uh, what makes Faheem Alexander, Faheem the Barber, FahdaBarber1, you know.
There's a couple more that's [00:22:00] out there, especially like my North side barbers, Scooby Doo's, uh, J Fresh, uh, uh, Jake, them guys were great. You know, my North Philly Barbers, you know, super, super, super, super dope. You know, I love them too.
Brandon Chastang: [00:22:13] So let's jump into it. You got, you. You've worked with, so you work with the roots, you work with everybody on Jimmy Fallon tonight show, which is the biggest show on television. What other people did you work with? I know I seen, I know when you Google your name um, Gillette?
Fah da Barber: [00:22:33] Yes. I have a, um, a sponsorship. I have an endorsement deal with Gillette razors. Wow. Um, wow. I mean, I mean, for years, you know, Gillette has always been associated and apart from the arber world, like I said, wishful thinking is real. I said, I always wanted to work for them. Uh, had an opportunity to meet them, they reps, you know, out Los Angeles, California at a barber event, uh, definitely invest in yourself as a barber. [00:23:00] Travel outside your barbershop, if you want to be successful. You know what I mean?
So these are things that I learned from the roots. Get outside of Philadelphia, moving outside your comfort zone. I was able to meet the reps from Gillette and pitched them an idea, you know, a Barber team for Gillette. And we have a Barber team called the, The Barber council, you know, at Gillette razors and, um, uh, Boston, Massachusetts, individually.
They're very, very good people up there. You know what I mean? We talking a fortune 500 company. When I got finished my interview, when I got finished talking to them, you know, at their headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, they said we never met nobody like you. And I was like, like me, like what you mean?
You know, you know, African-American that can speak really well with sense. And, you know, I said, you got the right person to represent your company because when you think of Gillette, you know, you think of the Caucasian male, but African-Americans use razors too. So it was always a stigma. You know, an African-American community don't, you know, use, you know, [00:24:00] razors on your head, but, you know, they had this one product called the skin rod, you know, it was a razor and, you know, I used it on myself and I got, truly loved it.
Uh, my body was smooth and he's like, you know, I started promoting the product so you definitely can Google it. And, you know, um, you know, I'll pop up with a lot of content. You know, working with this product,
Brandon Chastang: [00:24:19] you know, put some respect on his brother's name, man. I really want people to understand that. And I tell people, right, people have this thing about a person being humble. This man is definitely humble, but do we ask Colby to be humble when it's time for him to talk on the podium? Do we ask any of the greats to be humble when it's time for them to talk about their craft? We don't. And this is why I honor this man, because we're talking about a man coming from Philadelphia aggressive neighborhood, raised by his mother and grandparents,
Fah da Barber: [00:24:55] my grandparents, grandfather.
Brandon Chastang: [00:24:57] Grandfather, [00:25:00] and he chased his dream. He believed in his dream now. You're looking good.
Fah da Barber: [00:25:07] Hey man. You know what I mean?
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:10] He was telling me I was going to be on your show.
Fah da Barber: [00:25:13] This is my guy, Big Snoop.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:16] Shout out to Big Snoop.
Fah da Barber: [00:25:17] That's my man, you know, we, uh, you know, go back, you know, the nineties, you know, that was my, that was my get in trouble partner. Right, right, right,
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:25] right. You know, Snoop is a stupid smart guy.
Fah da Barber: [00:25:28] Yeah. So, uh, that's my dude. Um, you know, he changed his life around, you know, he has his own clothing line and it's popping, you know what I mean? Definitely a, you know, check him out, man.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:39] That beard is looking nice, brother.
Fah da Barber: [00:25:41] I'm on the beard King.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:43] I see. I see, man. I see. So now we, at the end of the show where,.I tell everybody this show is called Self Inventory right?
Fah da Barber: [00:25:57] I love the topic.
Brandon Chastang: [00:25:58] And self [00:26:00] inventory for me, I had to get myself together. I had to figure out who I am as a person, the things that I like about myself, the things that I don't like about myself, the things that can make me better working with other people and it took me awhile.
Fah da Barber: [00:26:17] Hey, man, you still, you still work. We're still working, man. You still, you still, you got it right? Um, you're a very successful young man, uh, in Philadelphia. I know. I call you to CB Kimmins of Philadelphia, the community activists.He just missing his hard hat and my heart with all the stickers on. He has a hard hat. Used to come out of school back in the eighties, he had the hard hand with all the stickers on it. He was a community activist.
Brandon Chastang: [00:26:45] What schools you went to? What high school?
Fah da Barber: [00:26:48] I went to Bartram. Southwest Philadelphia, it's 67th and Hemworth.
Brandon Chastang: [00:26:52] Um, how's that are you from South Philly from South West?
Fah da Barber: [00:26:55] It was different, it is, but you know, got some trouble. I was at of the high school down here, got into some [00:27:00] trouble. Um, my mom moved me out of there. You know, I went over, I had family over in Southwest Philadelphia, so it was what I'm talking, you can use your family address, to go to another school. So, you know, I finished my last three years at Bartram, 10,11th and 12th.
Okay. And that was a great time, you know, uh, got a chance to meet so many people outside of South Philadelphia. Good people in Southwest and West Philadelphia who were really good people and we're still good friends until today. You know, I cut the kids here, you know what I mean? My friends from high school. I cut their kids. So, you know what I mean? Um, it was, it was just, it was a dope look.
Brandon Chastang: [00:27:32] Right, no disrespect to South Philly. I'm a West Philly guy. You know what I mean? I never, the only time I came to South Philly was to go to South street. I know, but it's like South Philly had its own entity. It was like its own city.
Fah da Barber: [00:27:48] It's like everyone, part of South Philly, excuse me of Philadelphia has his own part. True. Y'all got 69th street. So, so we had to get on the L to go to 69th street, right. [00:28:00] Either to go to the movies or go shopping. What was up, the Sears was up there. Yeah. Fricking 69 street was always pop popular. Right, right. But no, we had South street South down here, all the little boutiques and Assad shops and stuff like that, you know, what was it? Doctor Denim, you know, back in the day.
Brandon Chastang: [00:28:17] So, you know, um, Dr. Denim was one of those popular stores too.
Fah da Barber: [00:28:20] So we had that and, you know, we shared downtown Philadelphia with everybody. Cause Chestnut St ain't hit uh, North Philly, we shared downtown with everybody. The movies, the movie theaters. Right, right. I mean, you know, Easter and stuff like that, you know what I mean? Everybody hung out, everybody hung out downtown. So, you know, that was always, uh, cool too mean, growing up in Philadelphia, you know, the gallery and all of that. The real Gallery Mall, you know, the one that, uh, Will Smith wapped about.
Brandon Chastang: [00:28:52] Right, right, right, right. The real gallery, now it's called what the, um, which is
Fah da Barber: [00:28:56] really nice. It's really dope in there. Right. They should have kept the gallery name there. The
[00:29:00] Brandon Chastang: [00:28:59] gallery, probably because of the fashion district. For me, it was like, okay. Yeah, that's what it'll give me New Yorkish stores. Like it just like, it's a dope name, fashion district.
Fah da Barber: [00:29:12] So they should have kept that the gallery.
Brandon Chastang: [00:29:14] The gallery probably. I mean, yeah. It's history.
Fah da Barber: [00:29:16] It's history, Philadelphia, and um the super dope down there.
Brandon Chastang: [00:29:19] So what is your Self Inventory like, you tell the people, what is your Self Inventory? What are you working on everyday to be, to make yourself better? Because like forms, they re they upgrade. Everybody's upgrading everyday, technologies upgrading. We have to upgrade ourselves.
Fah da Barber: [00:29:36] I mean, I'm just, you know, my intellect, upgrading that. Okay. That's, you know, far as, um, just wanting to be successful, wanting to learn more, uh, relationships. Like, you know, uh, building with Fortune 500 companies, which I have the opportunity to do. So, you know, brands, big brains that, you know, um, they actually sending me emails and talking to me. You know, asking me, you know, input, [00:30:00] something I always wanted to do. And I have that respect, you know, um, in my inventory.
Brandon Chastang: [00:30:06] Well, since we know Fah da Barber's inventory, his self inventory, next up, I saved my hair just for this segment to get a cut man. We want to see how sharp you are. I mean, we want the viewers to see how sharp you are, man. So, you think you could do something to this man?
Fah da Barber: [00:30:26] Oh yeah, we gonna get that.
Brandon Chastang: [00:30:28] We gonna get this done. And with that being said, we about to show you all the skills of Fah da Barber and how he gets down, man. He say he going to bring the waves back so got I got my way. We going to see if we can bring these waves back in order, man, and let's get into them and let's get into it, man.
B McFly. Top motivator in the world and your sober messenger. B McFly, B. MC F L Y_ .
Fah da Barber: [00:30:51] Google, Brandon Chastang. Google.
You can find me at, uh, FahdaBarber1. That's F A H [00:31:00] D A Barber number one. You could Google me, Faheem Alexander if you wanna know more about me.
Brandon Chastang: [00:31:12] Self-inventory is a podcast produced by Brandon Chastang and Studio D Podcast Production. You can listen anywhere you get your podcasts. If you'd like to support the show, please subscribe, leave a review and tell everyone you know about Self Inventory.