March 18, 2025 • 40 mins
Zane Keys: "Barbershops aren’t just about looking fresh—they’re where conversations happen, where connections are made. You might walk in for a cut, but you leave with advice, support, and a sense of belonging. That’s why I started hosting a free men’s mental health group every month. It’s about creating a space where people feel seen, heard, and valued."
The humble barbershop has always been more than just a place for haircuts – it's a cultural institution, a sanctuary for conversation, and in many communities, the beating heart of local connection. In this fascinating conversation with Zane Keyes, owner of Keycuts on Church Street in Montclair, we dive deep into the rich history and evolving future of barbershop culture.
Zane's journey from a 14-year-old boy shaping his own hairline between professional cuts to becoming a pillar of Montclair's business community reflects the very essence of his entrepreneurial spirit. Raised by a single mother who instilled creativity and work ethic in everything he did, Zane transformed necessity into passion, cutting friends' hair throughout high school before perfecting his craft at Rutgers University where he serviced everyone from professors to future NFL stars from his dorm room.
What truly sets Key Cuts apart is how it honors barbershop traditions while innovating for today's community needs. As one of the first Black-owned businesses with a sustained presence on Church Street, the shop represents an important cultural milestone for Montclair. Beyond offering exceptional haircuts for all hair textures, Key Cuts uniquely combines traditional barbering with braiding and dreadlocking services under one roof. Most remarkably, Zane hosts free monthly men's mental health sessions with licensed therapists – a deeply personal initiative following his family's experience with suicide.
The conversation reveals how barbershops function as social anchors where lifelong relationships form, crucial conversations happen, and intergenerational wisdom is shared. From hosting whiskey tastings to mini-concerts with Broadway stars, Zane has reimagined what a modern barbershop can be while preserving its essential community-building function.
Visit Key Cuts on Instagram @keycuts or book your appointment at www.keycuts.co – where you might just leave with more than a fresh cut.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi Rachel, hey Jeanette, so we just got off an
interview with Zane Keys.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
He has a barber.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
He has a barbershop in town and it's on Church
Street.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And it's called.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Key Cuts, key Cuts, and he you know we talked about
how we met, so listen in aminute.
But I want to also tell peopleabout the barbershop.
So it's on Church Street and hehas a team of people that's
working with him and I want togive them all a shout out
because, um, we shot out a lotof incredible people and I want
to make sure we get these peopleat CC who, um, is, uh, one of
(00:33):
the barber braiders there, andthen Charlie, who is a master
barber, rob, who is a barber,and Kathy, who's an apprentice,
and Ariel, who's also anapprentice, and Yonry's is a
skill for braider there as well.
So he has a whole team thereand including himself Zany,
(00:53):
who's been cutting hair since hewas 14 years old.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
He grew up in Seattle but then he also moved around a
bit and then, starting inmiddle school on, he's been a
Montclair resident and it issuch a wonderful interview
because he gives us the historyand the importance of the
barbershop community inMontclair.
It's just such a heartwarming,exciting, educational, inspiring
(01:20):
interview.
I'm on a high after talking tohim yeah, it's, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's not just about barbershop, you know, it's about
it's about community and it'sabout um things that are
important in life.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So really enjoy this special interview.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Zane, thank you so much for joining us on Lost in
Jersey.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Thanks for having me, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So, okay, we'd like to tell people how we know each
other, and I do want to say howwe know each other, but I also
don't want to say completely howwe know each other because I
don't want to like be negative,right, like cause, cause we met.
I, rachel, I think I told you Iwas on Instagram and you know
how, like when you're inInstagram, they have this new
(02:07):
little notice thing by yourprofile, you can type in
something.
Anyway, Zane, you wrotesomething and I saw it.
It was like on my back end ofmy messaging thing and I saw
your little comment and I thumbsupped it.
And when I thumbs upped it, itseemed a little off.
It's almost like you know, I'msorry, you know how, like when
(02:28):
people say that somebody'spassed away and you like it,
you're like right, it's, it's.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
it doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's not right.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
You're like a different icon Right.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's out of context it was out of context.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So you, you did that and then, as soon as I hit, like
it burst into smiley face,likes, and I was like oh God
that seemed off and you textedme right away.
You're like you like that.
I was like no, oh my god,that's.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
I just related and I'm pretty quick with my replies
on social media.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was great.
And I was like, oh my God, youwere like I was wondering, that
seemed really off.
And I was like, yeah, anyway.
So then I go, hey, you shouldcome on, we should talk about
how we met.
And then you go, I have a lotof barbershop history I could
share with you.
I would love to come on.
So here we are.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And then I started looking, taking a deep dive,
into who and what you do, andit's really fantastic.
Your barbershop is so great.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I really appreciate that compliment.
That means a lot to me.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
We'd love to hear your background, like where did
you grow up If you're a Jerseyboy, if you're not when you got
here and just like, lead up tohow you came upon becoming a
barber and opening a shop andhow it's exploded.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yes, I'll give you the quick synopsis and the bio.
Quick bio of me.
I was born in Seattle,washington.
I've been raised by my mothersince birth.
Her name is Tammy keys.
She's an amazing spirit, veryopen-minded and worldly woman
who always instilled hard workin me and whatever I got into.
So, whether it be basketball,drumming or all the things that
(04:11):
I always tried to get myselfinto, my mom pushed creativity,
the arts, sports, whatever itwas.
And once you get to the youngteenage years, you want to start
looking sharper, especially foryoung women that you're
pursuing, or whoever you'repursuing, right.
So, being in a single parenthousehold.
After we moved from Seattle, wemoved to Colorado for a couple
(04:35):
of years, but Montclair, weended up in to start middle
school.
I flourished there.
I flourished there.
I start to use some trimmersthat I asked my mom to buy me
because I wanted to shape myselfup between haircuts, basically
doing my hairline.
Now I wasn't bald then.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I had hair.
I had beautiful hair.
It looks good, though it looksgood.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I had a dark buzz cut .
We call it a dark Caesar whenthe hair is dark, but it still
lays flat and you get a crispylineup.
So with a single parenthousehold my mom she couldn't
afford to pay for a haircutevery week, sometimes every two
weeks.
So I wanted some trimmers tokeep myself lined up.
So I'm getting haircuts in thehistoric South end of Montclair.
(05:19):
I'm going to Young's Barbershop,3d's Barbershop, mahir's
Barbershop.
You go to these barbershopsbecause you see what the wait is
for a walk-in.
You're sitting down there onSaturday morning.
You're learning about culture,learning about life, listening
(05:40):
to at one second it's Jadakissand Styles P with a new
freestyle which is theirhardcore hip-hop, and the next
second luther vandross or algreen is playing.
So the history and culture inthe barbershop is a huge deal,
not only in the history of theblack community all around the
united states, but in montclairspecifically, because that south
end area is where I'm going toget haircuts.
(06:02):
Hang with my friends, get somechinese food or Caribbean touch
which is a historical spot inSouth and Montclair and hang out
after we got our haircuts andthen go up to Nishwayne Park or
Glenfield for local basketballcompetition.
So in that area and learning inthere.
I'm getting haircuts from mybarber and asking him how to cut
(06:22):
my hair, how to do things, andhe's like, why don't you just
try it?
You know, because he's gettingtired of me asking.
And I start asking my friends,let me cut your hair.
I'm starting to do mine.
They're like are you doingdecent, you can cut my hair.
And from that I just try totell people like that interest
turns into a passion becauseit's exciting as I'm learning
(06:44):
and seeking to get better.
And that is how your passioncomes about is because you start
to find things you'reinterested in and you act on it.
And you see, if you like,continuing to act on it.
And this was something thatorganically just started.
I started to move forward withand do for myself to keep myself
sharp.
But then my friends startedsaying all right, can you cut me
(07:06):
in two weeks, can you cut me onthis day?
Prom's coming up, et cetera.
So I started doing that around14 years old, just experimenting
with it.
I'm 31 now.
I'll be 32 in a couple of weeks, on March 24th, young's World
of Beauty, where Mr Young openedhis shop.
That wasn't his originallocation.
He used to be on Bloomfield Ave.
(07:27):
He moved over to South Endlater on and he used to come
from Brooklyn and open the shopat 5 am.
Patrick Ewing would come whilehe was on the New York Knicks
wow, he had he had cut Dr King'shair before he, he had cut
Minister Farrakhan ElijahMuhammad.
I'm not sure if Malcolm X hadcome, but Mr Young was Muslim
(07:50):
and he was in the Nation ofIslam during those civil rights
activist years.
He had been around for decades.
He passed a couple years ago Iwant to say right before the
pandemic but he was an amazingpillar in the community and he
taught a tree of barbers Mark,who owns Young's World of Beauty
, and he's a retired firefighterfrom town.
(08:11):
You have Mahir, who ownsMahir's Unisex Barbershop.
On the other side of the street.
You have JT we call him Boo inthe community.
He owns 3D's Barbershop.
So all three of those shops hadyour disc jockeys from
Breakfast Club, had John Starks,had Patrick Ewing, had DJ Envy.
(08:33):
All these people used to cometo that specific South End area
and some of them still go there.
But I come from that barbertree because I apprenticed under
Mahir, who gave me my firstshot in a barber shop
professionally.
I was raised here.
Middle school and high schoolin the public school system was
the most diverse area I'd everlived in besides Seattle, right,
(08:57):
but in Seattle it was moresegregated and not legally right
, but just hey, this district isknown to have.
I was one of the lightest kidsin my school when I was in
seattle, you know I was in it'scalled uh, the central district.
But then when I was in colorado, I was one of the darkest kids
in my school.
So I come to montclair and theamount of diversity we have here
(09:20):
etc is like beautiful and it'saffluent, but we used to have a
much larger middle class yeahand that's what this town was
really uh, uh, bragged about andwanted and like it was.
It's always been a destinationtown and still is.
But like that's the part thatlike being here and seeing like
community figures at NAACP intown.
(09:41):
My principal in middle schooland high school were black, you
know, my vice principal was awoman, you know, and so on and
so forth Like here my mom waslike we are going to settle down
here.
My godparents lived in town, mygodfather was a jazz musician,
my godmother worked in aviationinsurance in the city, so you
(10:03):
know I had community here, I hadfamily and that's how I got
started in barbering and that'swhere it kicked off.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
What a legacy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
It's all about inclusivity, right, so making
sure that there's support foreverybody's walk of life, race,
ethnicity and all celebrationsright, but it's also having all
of that organized Like.
The jazz festival is gettingbigger, the pride festival is
amazing.
You know, heritage festivalstill needs to be organized and
(10:35):
be a big part of town and not inthe parking lot of almost
abandoned Lackawanna Plaza Right, and I can't wait till that
gets developed, because peopleneed to stop being content with
only having Popeyes andPineapple Express, and I'm great
friends with my client, davePlacic, who's trying to get that
(10:59):
all forward.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
And.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I'm all for it, because more jobs, more
opportunities.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Bring everything, but people in town are going to be
people in town, right.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Believe me, we've had that conversation with a lot of
different guests and everybodysort of has a different opinion.
But you know, as Montclairianswe love to have strong opinions
and yell them from some peoplelove to yell them from this, you
know rooftop.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
The context of that is us kids who grew up here I'm
not a kid anymore and it's justlike we used to walk home from
school, go through lakawanaplaza, go to the grocery store,
go to the pizza shop, thatbeauty supply that was in in
there was the first place whereI got my Andes Grey T-liners
(11:47):
that I was doing my lineups with, where my mom and my godfather
bought me shears from, etc.
So the history in there therewas a laundromat, there was a
small jewelry shop, there wereall these places that added more
community going in and it'sjust like when you cut off those
grocery resources for peopleexcuse me who live in Fourth
(12:11):
Ward and South End, it's like itspecifically does that to a
section of town that is morediverse you know, specifically
with people of color, but wedon't have to stay on that topic
.
It's just like they're havingmore of a place that adds more
jobs.
More community is always greatfor a town, especially a town
(12:33):
like ours.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Okay, let's talk about your barbershop.
So yesterday I stopped intoyour barbershop, which I
recommend everybody.
Just pop in, cause you do takewalk-ins, right.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
We do take walk-ins.
It's take walk-ins.
It's best to book appointments.
We have a very modern andamazing system.
I use a square site through ourwebsite, wwwkeycutsco um, and
on the website you just clickbook.
Now it's going to show you thebarbers, the level of each
barber, how many yearsexperience we have, so then you
(13:04):
can also choose.
There's varied prices.
I'm the owner of the shop andthe master barber.
My prices are a little higher.
Most of my staff is myprofessional staff, another four
people.
They charge at theirprofessional staff level and
then we have a lower standardone price for our apprentices,
which are like our babies of theshop.
(13:25):
They're in or just out of acosmetology or barber school, so
they're licensed or permittedand they charge one level price.
They take way more walk-insbecause they're not as booked up
.
But you know that's how I runmy shop with my tiers of barbers
.
But my shop used to be onGlenridge Ave and Bay Street.
So we were down on GlenridgeAve and Bay Street, which is the
(13:47):
bottom of Montclair Diesel, andDuke was our next door neighbor
.
Also, urban Chicken was acrossthe street from us, so we were
on the corner over there andit's, you know, just like small
beginnings, and working hardallows you to elevate once you
build up enough of a demand.
Hard allows you to elevate onceyou build up enough of a demand
.
So when you get a spot firstyou're looking for.
You know, ok, I need enoughspace, but I want the lowest
(14:10):
overhead possible, right, andthat's part of the learning
curve as you grow your businessand you scale it Right.
So when we first get in, youknow twelve hundred dollars a
month in rent.
Where are you going to findcommercial space rent for that a
month in rent?
Where are you going to findcommercial space rent for that?
You know, but it's, it was 440square feet, those you know 449.
So it was just under me beingable to have another chair for
(14:32):
the board of cosmetology.
You have to have 50 square feeton top of every three.
So 350 square feet in generalfor a barbershop and then 50
square feet add-on per chair.
So that's another part ofbusiness I had to learn.
Cool history about that is DaveCusimano owns Diesel Duke.
Dave Cusimano's four yearsolder than me.
(14:54):
He went to the high school withme.
He also opened the first DieselDuke on Rutgers campus, where I
graduated from in New Brunswick.
Oh, wow.
So I got to see that open andstart and got to say hi to him
and be happy for him when he didit down there while I was a
student.
Then he opens this location inMontclair Me and him are next
(15:15):
door neighbors dealing with thesame landlord.
Then I go looking because I'mlike man when our lease ends, I
got people who want to come workfor me.
I'm like man when our leasecomes ends, I got people who
want to come work for me, I'msuccessful.
So I need to be able to hostevents and be more, have more
community involvement.
One day after I saw 15different spaces with my
(15:37):
childhood friend, pierce Conwayyes, I'm plugging you in right
now, pierce.
He's a top tier realtor in town.
He's amazing.
He knows this Essex County areabut, like Montclair, west
Orange, bloomfield very well.
Pierce and me grew up eachother.
We knew each other since sixthgrade.
We go look at 15 differentspots but randomly, when I'm
(15:59):
walking Oreo on Church Street, Isee Dobbs Limited closing sale
50% off everything.
And I go man, let me go talk tothem because I'm way better in
person with people.
I go in Dobbs and I see thiselderly woman with a bob silver
(16:22):
hair.
I go hi, how you doing?
I just wanted to inquire areyou really closing?
Do I talk to you?
Would I talk to the landlord?
She goes oh, if you want toknow, his office is right
upstairs.
You can talk to him.
Jonathan Goulden and I say hiswhole name because I'm so
(16:42):
grateful for this man Becausewhen I tell you I saw 15
commercial spaces in Montclair,I know people like to act like
it's 2025,.
Times have changed.
People like to act like it's2025, times have changed.
But the amount of uhinteractions I had with people
and ignorant and inappropriatethings that they would say, even
when I came in my suit and tieor my turtleneck and khakis,
(17:06):
with my folder, with mystatistics with pierce alongside
me.
I dealt with some very, veryignorant interactions in my
process and I'm not going to saythose people's names, but I
know some of these landlords ofsome of these buildings and some
of these agencies, thesedevelopment or realty agencies,
(17:30):
and one day I'm going to put outa list of you all.
Seriously, Call them out.
Yeah, I saw a place where theysaid we don't want to do
anything with the plumbing, youknow, etc.
and, like we know, barbershopsbring bad crowds and uh, in
three weeks I saw a plumbingpermit on the wall of that.
That place is on walnut rightnow, you know.
(17:52):
That's just to give you anexample.
But I go and talk to this woman.
She tells me to go upstairs.
I have Oreo.
I'm walking in, I hit thebuzzer and I'm like the
receptionist goes hi, how can wehelp you?
Anastasia, she's amazing, shegoes.
I go, I'd like to inquire aboutthe space downstairs.
(18:12):
The owner of the business toldme to come talk to the landlord,
like would he be able to talkor how could I get his info?
My name is Zane Keys and shelike talks.
You could hear a whisperingover the intercom and she goes
yes, my boss says he thinks heknows you, so you come on up.
I said I have my puppy, is thatokay?
(18:32):
Like this is a lawyer officeupstairs.
Yeah, bring him on up.
I come upstairs, go into theconference room and I see
Jonathan, who I had cut the hairof a couple of times at a
barbershop I worked at where Ifirst moved back to the
Montclair area after Rutgers,and I go you look familiar.
(18:53):
He goes yeah, you cut my hair acouple of times and I heard you
open your own shop.
Are you opening a second or areyou looking to move?
Come talk to me.
I go into his conference room.
We talk about the space, etcetera.
He says you're the secondperson who came to talk to me.
The other people are talkingabout food spaces.
(19:15):
I'm going to divide it into twospaces.
She had one on one side, whichis mine now, and the other on
the other side, right, and hegoes.
You know like I'd rather keepthe food in the bigger space,
but I think you would be perfectfor the slimmer space.
You know it's still close to athousand square feet because it
has a basement.
I said I'd appreciate that.
(19:37):
I'm going to hold you to that.
He said absolutely, you'renumber two and that was the most
fair and immediate interaction,also with somebody that I knew.
But I talked to other landlordsthat I knew around town, but it
was the most fair interactionof this.
Is your spot in line.
I'm talking to you next week.
Let's go over logistics.
He did his interviews.
(19:58):
He brought me back in.
We started doing negotiationsover the next 30, 45 days.
I signed a lease while I was atmy other spot.
It's all about what younegotiate.
Because I told him.
We have 40,000 people who havevisited my business.
We're bringing them to any ofyour businesses that are here
All of it.
Yeah, I'm going to beadvertising.
(20:18):
I'm the most modernized socialmedia influencer who owns a
business in your area On thewhole street.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
I'm active every day and on my shop page.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
So we're going to bring businesses?
Yeah, I love your social mediapresence.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Thank, so we're going to bring business.
Yeah, I love your social mediapresence.
I appreciate that.
Thank you so much.
It's just fun to go throughyour social media posts and then
it's like you're not just abarber.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Actually, thank you for bringing that up.
That's what I wanted to talkabout, because for people who
don't understand the barber shopculture or maybe they they've
seen it in movies like coming toAmerica or barbershop or stuff
like that it looks like you knowthe best type of.
It's like church, but it'scommunity and it's fun and it's
(21:03):
a place to meet and it's socialand it's therapeutic, which then
I see you actually do offertherapy.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So let's talk about that.
Yeah, let's talk about it.
First.
I don't know if all barbersoffer what you offer you're
offering.
Um, I think it's every Sundayyou do a men's therapy or mental
health.
Uh, get together.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
So I'll give you, I'll give you all those.
So, firstly, coming into thebarbershop, you're going to be
greeted by Oreo, my littleFrenchie puppy that I was
talking about Unless you'rescared of dogs, which we will
put him away if you are, buttheir day flushes down.
They're in the energy of theshop.
We either have music playing orwe have something on the
(21:50):
television that everybody's alittle interested in, right um,
you're greeted by everybody.
Everybody's saying hi to youwhen you first walk into the
shop.
I'm adamant about that with mybarbers.
But we have six chairs.
We have refurbished old takarabelmont chairs and, uh, the
whole look that I wanted for myshop.
I wanted white walls so that youcould see the hair against the
(22:13):
white backdrop to see anymistakes sculpting the haircut.
I wanted to be modern,industrial, but the comfort of
an apartment.
So that's how I wanted my shopto look.
We take card and cash, but onthe website, when you book an
appointment, you have to prepayfor your service and we do that
to make sure people don'tno-show and play time with our
(22:35):
schedule.
So in my shop we not only dohaircuts, we do haircuts,
facials.
We also do dreadlock andbraiding services.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Why did I really?
Speaker 3 (22:45):
want to do that Because one I wanted to keep the
culture on Church Street whereit never had been before.
Now we're the first Black-ownedbusiness to really be here
multi-years, et cetera and a lotof people see us as the first
Black business on Church Street.
There have been a couple.
I know of two Black businessowners that have been on the
(23:07):
street but nobody really knewabout them and they owned and
operated from behind.
But I'm at the front of mybusiness, I'm at the front of
the window, I'm there every dayand I own and operate in my
business, right?
So it's a big deal for me tohave braids and dreadlocks
coming out of my business everyday.
And I do that for anotherreason because historically in a
(23:30):
black community you've had togo to two different places to
get your shape up, your lineup,your haircut, along with your
braids and dreadlocks.
So now you could come here andclick both of those when you're
booking online, check the boxeson both and have it either
before or after your appointmentwith whatever person you want
servicing each of those services.
(23:52):
So that's a huge deal in thebarbershop community.
And then you asked what else wedo in the shop.
You said you hinted on mentalhealth.
That's a very personal topicfor me, especially in my family
and with myself.
So we do every first Sunday ofthe month we have a men's mental
health group, a wellness check,if you'd say so.
(24:13):
But we have two licensedtherapists and they're black men
, but they're licensedtherapists and they lead a group
discussion and icebreakers andworkshop for anywhere from 60 to
90 minutes every first Sunday.
It doesn't matter if you visitthe shop and financially support
, I don't care if you've nevergotten a haircut or anything.
(24:36):
You can come and get that men'smental health wellness check
with us every first Sunday.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
That seems like a natural progression for a
community-based barbershop wherepeople, people talk and, like
you know, talk to yourhairstylist and you know, people
in the next chair.
Did it just feel natural to youto start that, or was there
something specific thattriggered you to say, hey, I can
use this space for thisspecifically?
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Specifically, I've been in therapy and at different
phases of my life, fordepression, multiple times of my
life just dealing withchildhood things, having a
father who abandoned me, etc.
Those are personal topics forme.
And then most recently you knowmy family my mother lost
(25:33):
somebody to suicide and we bothlost my baby cousin who was 15
years old, and that struck evenharder within this last year.
So I knew I needed to not onlystart I do care about other
people but not just take care ofmy mental but see if I could
(25:54):
open the door for some otherpeople to start going into
therapy themselves and thismight be the introduction for
them.
This might make them feelcomfortable enough where they
become clients of these licensedtherapists I have there or
somebody else.
But for me it's one hand washesthe other, without expecting too
(26:15):
much from each other.
You understand what I'm sayingso like I'm also promoting
another black man and anotherblack man's business, but we're
doing our duty towards eachother at the same time, and
that's very important to me.
You know and I have.
It's not just me onlysupporting black businesses, you
know and I have.
It's not just me onlysupporting black businesses.
I have tons of friends around,friends around town of all other
(26:37):
races, who I love and supporttheir businesses.
Right, but specifically in thisday and age, with the political
climate and how I'm also mixedmy mother's white and my dad's
black but when I walk in a room,I'm a black man every single
time.
That's how I'm viewed, that'show I come across and that's
(27:01):
most of my culture.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You understand what I'm saying, so that's why I keep
it at the forefront.
It's, it's, I mean I don't know.
I just I don't.
I haven't seen anything likethat.
People can just walk in and sitaround in a circle and just
chat.
You know right, I mean it'slike, and it doesn't, do you
have to reserve a space or canyou just kind of no, you just
show up every first Sunday ofthe month.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
We will be doing it.
If you want to keep up, youknow, ask to join our mailing
list.
Uh, on our website.
Uh email us at keycutsbarber atgmailcom or just follow our
Instagram, because we post everyevent we're having and when
that's coming back up, and youknow reminders for when it's
coming back up.
So it's just at key cuts onInstagram.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Okay, We'll put that on our yeah, we'll put all of
these in our show notes.
You do other events likewhiskey tasting and other kind
of things.
What are some other things andalso what's the story with the
boxing connection?
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Yes, we need to know that.
Yeah, what's up with the boxing?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
So what was the first thing you said?
You said I do other events.
Yeah, we just had our firstticketed event with a black
whiskey podcast during BlackHistory Month with Andrew
Cousins and some of his comrades.
They run a podcast called ASteady Pour.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I just followed them.
I saw them.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
They're awesome.
They're amazing.
Maybe y'all could collab in thefuture.
But they wanted to go down thatspace because during the
shutdown they fell in love.
They talked about theirinterest in life for Whiskey,
but they all started to go witheach other on trips to Kentucky,
to Tennessee, to go and see anddo more research on what their
(28:42):
passion became right.
And then they were like, hey,all these podcasts and all these
spaces I'm not hearing theinterpretations or the witty
banter how we talk.
So they just wanted to go downa lane and create a lane for
themselves and for people whothey were seeing along these
tours and in these distilleriesand really get the info out for
(29:04):
everybody else.
So it was a great collaborativeidea.
Andrew's a longtime friend, theCousins family.
I know his youngest.
I cut his youngest brother, hisyoungest brother, his middle
brother, him as the oldestbrother.
I gave his first haircuts toboth of his sons and still cut
their hair.
I've cut his, his father, rightand I've cut all of his cousins
(29:24):
at his middle brother's wedding.
I've traveled for the weddings.
You know what I'm saying likeyeah, we're, we're in town love,
and it's like doing events likethat.
I was a little hesitant aboutdoing a ticketed event because
everything I do is free, but wehad to be able to have the money
(29:46):
to do that event To pay for thewhiskey?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Yeah, so I wasn't even looking for profit.
Yeah, it's free.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, I wasn't even looking for profit.
I was looking for building morecommunity it's free.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah, I was looking for profit.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I was looking for building more community,
covering the cost and lettingthem have their first event and
it was amazing, it sold out.
They were all couples thatreally came, married couples
because it was Valentine'sweekend and it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
That's so cool, so we did that.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
We've also done our version of a tiny desk.
Joshua Henry is a localresident now who's a Broadway
superstar.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
He's been working with Vanguard.
Yeah, I love Vanguard His.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Instagram is Joshua Henry Official.
He's been in Hamilton Ragtime.
He was just in the Bob Dylanbiopic with.
Timothee Chalamet.
He's in that movie and hedidn't tell me and I just see
him start singing and performing.
My barber, charlie, cuts hishair and his sons has three
(30:42):
amazing boys.
They come to the shop but it'slike we did a version of our
tiny desk and we just said, hey,we're going to have 30 chairs
in the six barber chairs.
Show up, sit down and enjoy himand his mini concert.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
I love that He'll do his bamboo for donations, if
people want.
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
He's amazing in himself.
That's a brother who isinclined in the arts.
He's amazing.
Oh, I'm going to tell him abouty'all.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
And the other person I want you guys to look into?
He's right in Bloomfield.
Yeah, and the other person Iwant you guys to look into he's
right in Bloomfield, but he is aMontclair staple.
Ayo.
Ayo owns Rise Fitness anamazing group fitness studio
that's in Bloomfield.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I've heard of it yeah .
Speaker 3 (31:25):
He has big time clientele If you look at their
Instagram.
You'll be impressed, but notjust that, it's affordable, it's
inclusive and it's a hell of aworkout.
I was just there this morningbefore this podcast.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Cool.
Also that boxing stuff thatyou're involved in?
Where is that at?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I'm curious.
You made it sound like we'regoing.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I've been learning boxing for the last seven years,
on and off.
I have my three, four months.
Your boy starts to look inshape.
Then I go back to dad bod forfour or five months.
But I love boxing.
I love the chess match that itis, the intelligence that it
(32:10):
takes.
Everybody looks at it as aphysical sport.
It is a mental percent, Mentalsport 90%.
The other 10% is making sureyou're staying in shape and on
top of your muscle memory.
I just fell in love with it.
Seven years ago I started doingmorning workouts with somebody
who practiced boxing most of hislife.
(32:31):
His name's Khalil Malamud.
He owns four barbershops now, Ithink, throughout New Jersey.
He's from the Piscataway area.
So me going to Rutgers, I'mrocking with him.
I'm cutting people out of mydorm room.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I didn't tell y'all that I love that.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
That's what really blew me up All right, I'll say
really quickly, at Rutgers, whenI left here and already had
been trying to cut every year,my price went up $5 a cut, $10
with beer, $10 a cut $15 withbeer, $20 for a cut, $25 with
beer.
In my dorm room I was an RA, Iwas cutting hair, I was selling
(33:07):
a little weed, I was taking careof everybody, from professors
to football players, basketballplayers, coaches, staff members.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
See, we talked to the president of MSU a while back
and we were talking about likeit's not all about the education
you're getting when you go tocollege, like what, all the
things that you get out of goingto college, and this is such a
good example.
It is a great point out ofgoing to college and this is
such a good example.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
It is a great point.
Yeah, I cut a lot of people whowent to the NFL and that really
blew me up on campus.
So some of those dudes like,shout out to Mohamed Sanu, tim
Wright, keith Lumpkin, who is alocal from Montclair, a St
Peter's prep star and a Rutgersstar at left tackle.
He's my best friend.
I went there because him andMuhammad Sanu and Savon Huggins,
(33:56):
my other best friend, were someof the biggest recruits all
time at Rutgers.
So them allowing me to cuttheir hair blew me up even more
and took me to another level inmy career.
And that you know, being in thatarea, I met Khalil.
He put me on to boxing and thatyou know, being in that area.
I met Khalil, he put me on toboxing.
Then I go, start seeking formyself.
Then I have another client upat Church Street Boxing.
(34:20):
His name was Lee McConnell.
He starts getting me into likethe real technical parts of it
and the real strength andconditioning of it and I just
start to meet stars from him andsome other people.
And one of my clients was aboxing promoter and I was
actually the barber for TeofimoLopez for two years when I was
his North Jersey tri-state areabarber for two years.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I don't know who that is.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
So Teofimo Lopez is a two-time lineal champ, right,
so that means that he held allfour belts at the weight class
of two different divisions, 135and 140.
And that's like historical andHall of Fame.
So he's a star still now.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
I wanted to tell you this.
At some point it came to myhead when you were doing this
interview and actually it's beenjust such a pleasure to get to
know you.
Yes, actually it's been justsuch a pleasure to get to know
you.
And yes, and I woke up reallyearly this morning and I had I
think it was LinkedIn orInstagram and I just clicked it
on and I saw, you know like aquote from some like guru.
(35:24):
You know one of these quotesand it said surround yourself
with people that will say yourname in public and promote you
and call and give you your propsin public.
It was something to that effectand I thought, wow, that's
really cool.
You know, you're right, youknow people.
And I was like thinking, doRachel and I do that for each
other?
(35:44):
And I was like I think we do.
You know, like I was like youknow thinking that and I was
like feeling like I identifiedwith that, like I was that
person.
But damn, you are that person.
Yes, you have given so manypeople.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Yes, so many shout outs and acknowledgements to all
the people in your life, butit's important.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
That was passed down to me, my mentor, didier White,
who was my guidance counselor atMount Hebron.
I'm trying not to get emotional.
He passed away right before Iopened my shop on Glen Ridge
Avenue.
He beat cancer three times buteventually it got him.
He was 69 years old.
(36:28):
Every single time.
All right, here's the number toblah, blah, blah.
Make sure you contact them,make sure you say my name.
He was a mason in town.
He created the robotics andengineering programs in the
Montclair public school system.
He studied that engineering atBoston, boston College, boston
(36:57):
College.
He's an amazing man.
He's a dittier white, mr White.
He's a 6'6" dark-skinned blackman with a tiny white afro and
he was just a presence and apresent to everybody he came
across.
You talk to people who grew upin Montclair and went to Mount
Hebron and he passed 2019.
So I always remember him and Iremember those things.
He inst 2019.
So you know, I always rememberhim and I remember those things
he instilled in me and how mymom instilled my work ethic in
(37:20):
those things.
And you know my big brother,mentor Darnell Wallace.
All those people do exactlywhat you're saying I do.
I didn't just create that andstart doing that.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
You get that from people.
Yeah, I appreciate how muchyou've shared with us about you
personally, but also about yourjourney and the history of
barbershops.
We've learned so much and it'ssuch a valuable part of our
whole community and to be aBlack business owner on Church
Street and be so welcoming andinviting and show all the
(37:54):
businesses in town that it'simportant we're part of the
community absolutely, and uh, weyou know, the real pride on my
shop is we are a black ownedbusiness and there's a lot of
culture in our shop, right, butwe're master barbers, the top
three of us.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
We cut all hair and I don't tell people because I
tell people and like this is mebeing a master barber and
knowing my craft right.
Like some races of people andethnicities have the same hair
texture.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
You understand what I'm saying oh yeah, my husband,
my husband has that.
He yeah, he's iranian, so hehas a certain curly texture to
his hair.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
I know some Irish people who I can't shave under
their neck, how I can't shave ona lot of black men, because
they get ingrow hairs and bumpsfrom how curly and flat to the
skin their hair grows Right.
So that's how you get ingrownhairs and not from being dirty,
it's just from us having curlyhair, which goes back to a lot
of stuff Like why did you makeus shave Not you guys, right,
(38:58):
but like in history?
Why would you make black menshave their face every day for
these positions of beingprofessionals in the workforce
when that creates so muchirritation for us?
You know, or police academyshaving your head with a big
straight razor and like you'redoing that same thing and making
people get welts and all theselike calloused uh follicles on
(39:19):
the top of their head.
So I go back to say um, youknow, it's been a pleasure to
talk to both of you this wholetime.
Um, people are gonna watch andthey're gonna watch every second
because we're nonstop talking.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
I keep the energy you do.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
But my shop we have master barbers.
We cut all hair textures.
If they look on our Instagram,they're going to see every walk
of life, every race of personand every hair texture being cut
on our page.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Well, it's great to see you.
You're an inspiration.
It's really.
Your story is incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
I appreciate that.
You guys are awesome hosts.
I appreciate you telling meyeah, we'll have you on for an
episode.
That was very inviting.
I really appreciate you guysalso giving me this platform to
also advertise my business andtalk a little more about me.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Our pleasure, our pleasure.
Well, it's been an honor totalk to you too, and so we
really, um, we, appreciate youand wish you continued success.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yes, yes, thank you so much thank you this podcast
was produced by rachel martensand jeanette afsharian.
You can find us on spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
Hi Rachel, hey Jeanette, so we just got off an
interview with Zane Keys.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
He has a barber.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
He has a barbershop in town and it's on Church
Street.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
And it's called.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Key Cuts, key Cuts, and he you know we talked about
how we met, so listen in aminute.
But I want to also tell peopleabout the barbershop.
So it's on Church Street and hehas a team of people that's
working with him and I want togive them all a shout out
because, um, we shot out a lotof incredible people and I want
to make sure we get these peopleat CC who, um, is, uh, one of
(00:33):
the barber braiders there, andthen Charlie, who is a master
barber, rob, who is a barber,and Kathy, who's an apprentice,
and Ariel, who's also anapprentice, and Yonry's is a
skill for braider there as well.
So he has a whole team thereand including himself Zany,
(00:53):
who's been cutting hair since hewas 14 years old.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
He grew up in Seattle but then he also moved around a
bit and then, starting inmiddle school on, he's been a
Montclair resident and it issuch a wonderful interview
because he gives us the historyand the importance of the
barbershop community inMontclair.
It's just such a heartwarming,exciting, educational, inspiring
(01:20):
interview.
I'm on a high after talking tohim yeah, it's, it's.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
It's not just about barbershop, you know, it's about
it's about community and it'sabout um things that are
important in life.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
So really enjoy this special interview.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
Zane, thank you so much for joining us on Lost in
Jersey.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
Thanks for having me, thank you.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
So, okay, we'd like to tell people how we know each
other, and I do want to say howwe know each other, but I also
don't want to say completely howwe know each other because I
don't want to like be negative,right, like cause, cause we met.
I, rachel, I think I told you Iwas on Instagram and you know
how, like when you're inInstagram, they have this new
(02:07):
little notice thing by yourprofile, you can type in
something.
Anyway, Zane, you wrotesomething and I saw it.
It was like on my back end ofmy messaging thing and I saw
your little comment and I thumbsupped it.
And when I thumbs upped it, itseemed a little off.
It's almost like you know, I'msorry, you know how, like when
(02:28):
people say that somebody'spassed away and you like it,
you're like right, it's, it's.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
it doesn't work.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's not right.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
You're like a different icon Right.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
It's out of context it was out of context.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
So you, you did that and then, as soon as I hit, like
it burst into smiley face,likes, and I was like oh God
that seemed off and you textedme right away.
You're like you like that.
I was like no, oh my god,that's.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
I just related and I'm pretty quick with my replies
on social media.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
It was great.
And I was like, oh my God, youwere like I was wondering, that
seemed really off.
And I was like, yeah, anyway.
So then I go, hey, you shouldcome on, we should talk about
how we met.
And then you go, I have a lotof barbershop history I could
share with you.
I would love to come on.
So here we are.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
And then I started looking, taking a deep dive,
into who and what you do, andit's really fantastic.
Your barbershop is so great.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I really appreciate that compliment.
That means a lot to me.
Speaker 2 (03:34):
We'd love to hear your background, like where did
you grow up If you're a Jerseyboy, if you're not when you got
here and just like, lead up tohow you came upon becoming a
barber and opening a shop andhow it's exploded.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yes, I'll give you the quick synopsis and the bio.
Quick bio of me.
I was born in Seattle,washington.
I've been raised by my mothersince birth.
Her name is Tammy keys.
She's an amazing spirit, veryopen-minded and worldly woman
who always instilled hard workin me and whatever I got into.
So, whether it be basketball,drumming or all the things that
(04:11):
I always tried to get myselfinto, my mom pushed creativity,
the arts, sports, whatever itwas.
And once you get to the youngteenage years, you want to start
looking sharper, especially foryoung women that you're
pursuing, or whoever you'repursuing, right.
So, being in a single parenthousehold.
After we moved from Seattle, wemoved to Colorado for a couple
(04:35):
of years, but Montclair, weended up in to start middle
school.
I flourished there.
I flourished there.
I start to use some trimmersthat I asked my mom to buy me
because I wanted to shape myselfup between haircuts, basically
doing my hairline.
Now I wasn't bald then.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
I had hair.
I had beautiful hair.
It looks good, though it looksgood.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
I had a dark buzz cut .
We call it a dark Caesar whenthe hair is dark, but it still
lays flat and you get a crispylineup.
So with a single parenthousehold my mom she couldn't
afford to pay for a haircutevery week, sometimes every two
weeks.
So I wanted some trimmers tokeep myself lined up.
So I'm getting haircuts in thehistoric South end of Montclair.
(05:19):
I'm going to Young's Barbershop,3d's Barbershop, mahir's
Barbershop.
You go to these barbershopsbecause you see what the wait is
for a walk-in.
You're sitting down there onSaturday morning.
You're learning about culture,learning about life, listening
(05:40):
to at one second it's Jadakissand Styles P with a new
freestyle which is theirhardcore hip-hop, and the next
second luther vandross or algreen is playing.
So the history and culture inthe barbershop is a huge deal,
not only in the history of theblack community all around the
united states, but in montclairspecifically, because that south
end area is where I'm going toget haircuts.
(06:02):
Hang with my friends, get somechinese food or Caribbean touch
which is a historical spot inSouth and Montclair and hang out
after we got our haircuts andthen go up to Nishwayne Park or
Glenfield for local basketballcompetition.
So in that area and learning inthere.
I'm getting haircuts from mybarber and asking him how to cut
(06:22):
my hair, how to do things, andhe's like, why don't you just
try it?
You know, because he's gettingtired of me asking.
And I start asking my friends,let me cut your hair.
I'm starting to do mine.
They're like are you doingdecent, you can cut my hair.
And from that I just try totell people like that interest
turns into a passion becauseit's exciting as I'm learning
(06:44):
and seeking to get better.
And that is how your passioncomes about is because you start
to find things you'reinterested in and you act on it.
And you see, if you like,continuing to act on it.
And this was something thatorganically just started.
I started to move forward withand do for myself to keep myself
sharp.
But then my friends startedsaying all right, can you cut me
(07:06):
in two weeks, can you cut me onthis day?
Prom's coming up, et cetera.
So I started doing that around14 years old, just experimenting
with it.
I'm 31 now.
I'll be 32 in a couple of weeks, on March 24th, young's World
of Beauty, where Mr Young openedhis shop.
That wasn't his originallocation.
He used to be on Bloomfield Ave.
(07:27):
He moved over to South Endlater on and he used to come
from Brooklyn and open the shopat 5 am.
Patrick Ewing would come whilehe was on the New York Knicks
wow, he had he had cut Dr King'shair before he, he had cut
Minister Farrakhan ElijahMuhammad.
I'm not sure if Malcolm X hadcome, but Mr Young was Muslim
(07:50):
and he was in the Nation ofIslam during those civil rights
activist years.
He had been around for decades.
He passed a couple years ago Iwant to say right before the
pandemic but he was an amazingpillar in the community and he
taught a tree of barbers Mark,who owns Young's World of Beauty
, and he's a retired firefighterfrom town.
(08:11):
You have Mahir, who ownsMahir's Unisex Barbershop.
On the other side of the street.
You have JT we call him Boo inthe community.
He owns 3D's Barbershop.
So all three of those shops hadyour disc jockeys from
Breakfast Club, had John Starks,had Patrick Ewing, had DJ Envy.
(08:33):
All these people used to cometo that specific South End area
and some of them still go there.
But I come from that barbertree because I apprenticed under
Mahir, who gave me my firstshot in a barber shop
professionally.
I was raised here.
Middle school and high schoolin the public school system was
the most diverse area I'd everlived in besides Seattle, right,
(08:57):
but in Seattle it was moresegregated and not legally right
, but just hey, this district isknown to have.
I was one of the lightest kidsin my school when I was in
seattle, you know I was in it'scalled uh, the central district.
But then when I was in colorado, I was one of the darkest kids
in my school.
So I come to montclair and theamount of diversity we have here
(09:20):
etc is like beautiful and it'saffluent, but we used to have a
much larger middle class yeahand that's what this town was
really uh, uh, bragged about andwanted and like it was.
It's always been a destinationtown and still is.
But like that's the part thatlike being here and seeing like
community figures at NAACP intown.
(09:41):
My principal in middle schooland high school were black, you
know, my vice principal was awoman, you know, and so on and
so forth Like here my mom waslike we are going to settle down
here.
My godparents lived in town, mygodfather was a jazz musician,
my godmother worked in aviationinsurance in the city, so you
(10:03):
know I had community here, I hadfamily and that's how I got
started in barbering and that'swhere it kicked off.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
What a legacy.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
It's all about inclusivity, right, so making
sure that there's support foreverybody's walk of life, race,
ethnicity and all celebrationsright, but it's also having all
of that organized Like.
The jazz festival is gettingbigger, the pride festival is
amazing.
You know, heritage festivalstill needs to be organized and
(10:35):
be a big part of town and not inthe parking lot of almost
abandoned Lackawanna Plaza Right, and I can't wait till that
gets developed, because peopleneed to stop being content with
only having Popeyes andPineapple Express, and I'm great
friends with my client, davePlacic, who's trying to get that
(10:59):
all forward.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
And.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I'm all for it, because more jobs, more
opportunities.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
I agree.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Bring everything, but people in town are going to be
people in town, right.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
Believe me, we've had that conversation with a lot of
different guests and everybodysort of has a different opinion.
But you know, as Montclairianswe love to have strong opinions
and yell them from some peoplelove to yell them from this, you
know rooftop.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
The context of that is us kids who grew up here I'm
not a kid anymore and it's justlike we used to walk home from
school, go through lakawanaplaza, go to the grocery store,
go to the pizza shop, thatbeauty supply that was in in
there was the first place whereI got my Andes Grey T-liners
(11:47):
that I was doing my lineups with, where my mom and my godfather
bought me shears from, etc.
So the history in there therewas a laundromat, there was a
small jewelry shop, there wereall these places that added more
community going in and it'sjust like when you cut off those
grocery resources for peopleexcuse me who live in Fourth
(12:11):
Ward and South End, it's like itspecifically does that to a
section of town that is morediverse you know, specifically
with people of color, but wedon't have to stay on that topic
.
It's just like they're havingmore of a place that adds more
jobs.
More community is always greatfor a town, especially a town
(12:33):
like ours.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Okay, let's talk about your barbershop.
So yesterday I stopped intoyour barbershop, which I
recommend everybody.
Just pop in, cause you do takewalk-ins, right.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
We do take walk-ins.
It's take walk-ins.
It's best to book appointments.
We have a very modern andamazing system.
I use a square site through ourwebsite, wwwkeycutsco um, and
on the website you just clickbook.
Now it's going to show you thebarbers, the level of each
barber, how many yearsexperience we have, so then you
(13:04):
can also choose.
There's varied prices.
I'm the owner of the shop andthe master barber.
My prices are a little higher.
Most of my staff is myprofessional staff, another four
people.
They charge at theirprofessional staff level and
then we have a lower standardone price for our apprentices,
which are like our babies of theshop.
(13:25):
They're in or just out of acosmetology or barber school, so
they're licensed or permittedand they charge one level price.
They take way more walk-insbecause they're not as booked up
.
But you know that's how I runmy shop with my tiers of barbers
.
But my shop used to be onGlenridge Ave and Bay Street.
So we were down on GlenridgeAve and Bay Street, which is the
(13:47):
bottom of Montclair Diesel, andDuke was our next door neighbor
.
Also, urban Chicken was acrossthe street from us, so we were
on the corner over there andit's, you know, just like small
beginnings, and working hardallows you to elevate once you
build up enough of a demand.
Hard allows you to elevate onceyou build up enough of a demand
.
So when you get a spot firstyou're looking for.
You know, ok, I need enoughspace, but I want the lowest
(14:10):
overhead possible, right, andthat's part of the learning
curve as you grow your businessand you scale it Right.
So when we first get in, youknow twelve hundred dollars a
month in rent.
Where are you going to findcommercial space rent for that a
month in rent?
Where are you going to findcommercial space rent for that?
You know, but it's, it was 440square feet, those you know 449.
So it was just under me beingable to have another chair for
(14:32):
the board of cosmetology.
You have to have 50 square feeton top of every three.
So 350 square feet in generalfor a barbershop and then 50
square feet add-on per chair.
So that's another part ofbusiness I had to learn.
Cool history about that is DaveCusimano owns Diesel Duke.
Dave Cusimano's four yearsolder than me.
(14:54):
He went to the high school withme.
He also opened the first DieselDuke on Rutgers campus, where I
graduated from in New Brunswick.
Oh, wow.
So I got to see that open andstart and got to say hi to him
and be happy for him when he didit down there while I was a
student.
Then he opens this location inMontclair Me and him are next
(15:15):
door neighbors dealing with thesame landlord.
Then I go looking because I'mlike man when our lease ends, I
got people who want to come workfor me.
I'm like man when our leasecomes ends, I got people who
want to come work for me, I'msuccessful.
So I need to be able to hostevents and be more, have more
community involvement.
One day after I saw 15different spaces with my
(15:37):
childhood friend, pierce Conwayyes, I'm plugging you in right
now, pierce.
He's a top tier realtor in town.
He's amazing.
He knows this Essex County areabut, like Montclair, west
Orange, bloomfield very well.
Pierce and me grew up eachother.
We knew each other since sixthgrade.
We go look at 15 differentspots but randomly, when I'm
(15:59):
walking Oreo on Church Street, Isee Dobbs Limited closing sale
50% off everything.
And I go man, let me go talk tothem because I'm way better in
person with people.
I go in Dobbs and I see thiselderly woman with a bob silver
(16:22):
hair.
I go hi, how you doing?
I just wanted to inquire areyou really closing?
Do I talk to you?
Would I talk to the landlord?
She goes oh, if you want toknow, his office is right
upstairs.
You can talk to him.
Jonathan Goulden and I say hiswhole name because I'm so
(16:42):
grateful for this man Becausewhen I tell you I saw 15
commercial spaces in Montclair,I know people like to act like
it's 2025,.
Times have changed.
People like to act like it's2025, times have changed.
But the amount of uhinteractions I had with people
and ignorant and inappropriatethings that they would say, even
when I came in my suit and tieor my turtleneck and khakis,
(17:06):
with my folder, with mystatistics with pierce alongside
me.
I dealt with some very, veryignorant interactions in my
process and I'm not going to saythose people's names, but I
know some of these landlords ofsome of these buildings and some
of these agencies, thesedevelopment or realty agencies,
(17:30):
and one day I'm going to put outa list of you all.
Seriously, Call them out.
Yeah, I saw a place where theysaid we don't want to do
anything with the plumbing, youknow, etc.
and, like we know, barbershopsbring bad crowds and uh, in
three weeks I saw a plumbingpermit on the wall of that.
That place is on walnut rightnow, you know.
(17:52):
That's just to give you anexample.
But I go and talk to this woman.
She tells me to go upstairs.
I have Oreo.
I'm walking in, I hit thebuzzer and I'm like the
receptionist goes hi, how can wehelp you?
Anastasia, she's amazing, shegoes.
I go, I'd like to inquire aboutthe space downstairs.
(18:12):
The owner of the business toldme to come talk to the landlord,
like would he be able to talkor how could I get his info?
My name is Zane Keys and shelike talks.
You could hear a whisperingover the intercom and she goes
yes, my boss says he thinks heknows you, so you come on up.
I said I have my puppy, is thatokay?
(18:32):
Like this is a lawyer officeupstairs.
Yeah, bring him on up.
I come upstairs, go into theconference room and I see
Jonathan, who I had cut the hairof a couple of times at a
barbershop I worked at where Ifirst moved back to the
Montclair area after Rutgers,and I go you look familiar.
(18:53):
He goes yeah, you cut my hair acouple of times and I heard you
open your own shop.
Are you opening a second or areyou looking to move?
Come talk to me.
I go into his conference room.
We talk about the space, etcetera.
He says you're the secondperson who came to talk to me.
The other people are talkingabout food spaces.
(19:15):
I'm going to divide it into twospaces.
She had one on one side, whichis mine now, and the other on
the other side, right, and hegoes.
You know like I'd rather keepthe food in the bigger space,
but I think you would be perfectfor the slimmer space.
You know it's still close to athousand square feet because it
has a basement.
I said I'd appreciate that.
(19:37):
I'm going to hold you to that.
He said absolutely, you'renumber two and that was the most
fair and immediate interaction,also with somebody that I knew.
But I talked to other landlordsthat I knew around town, but it
was the most fair interactionof this.
Is your spot in line.
I'm talking to you next week.
Let's go over logistics.
He did his interviews.
(19:58):
He brought me back in.
We started doing negotiationsover the next 30, 45 days.
I signed a lease while I was atmy other spot.
It's all about what younegotiate.
Because I told him.
We have 40,000 people who havevisited my business.
We're bringing them to any ofyour businesses that are here
All of it.
Yeah, I'm going to beadvertising.
(20:18):
I'm the most modernized socialmedia influencer who owns a
business in your area On thewhole street.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Oh, for sure.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
I'm active every day and on my shop page.
Speaker 2 (20:29):
So we're going to bring businesses?
Yeah, I love your social mediapresence.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (20:36):
Thank, so we're going to bring business.
Yeah, I love your social mediapresence.
I appreciate that.
Thank you so much.
It's just fun to go throughyour social media posts and then
it's like you're not just abarber.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Actually, thank you for bringing that up.
That's what I wanted to talkabout, because for people who
don't understand the barber shopculture or maybe they they've
seen it in movies like coming toAmerica or barbershop or stuff
like that it looks like you knowthe best type of.
It's like church, but it'scommunity and it's fun and it's
(21:03):
a place to meet and it's socialand it's therapeutic, which then
I see you actually do offertherapy.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
So let's talk about that.
Yeah, let's talk about it.
First.
I don't know if all barbersoffer what you offer you're
offering.
Um, I think it's every Sundayyou do a men's therapy or mental
health.
Uh, get together.
Speaker 3 (21:28):
So I'll give you, I'll give you all those.
So, firstly, coming into thebarbershop, you're going to be
greeted by Oreo, my littleFrenchie puppy that I was
talking about Unless you'rescared of dogs, which we will
put him away if you are, buttheir day flushes down.
They're in the energy of theshop.
We either have music playing orwe have something on the
(21:50):
television that everybody's alittle interested in, right um,
you're greeted by everybody.
Everybody's saying hi to youwhen you first walk into the
shop.
I'm adamant about that with mybarbers.
But we have six chairs.
We have refurbished old takarabelmont chairs and, uh, the
whole look that I wanted for myshop.
I wanted white walls so that youcould see the hair against the
(22:13):
white backdrop to see anymistakes sculpting the haircut.
I wanted to be modern,industrial, but the comfort of
an apartment.
So that's how I wanted my shopto look.
We take card and cash, but onthe website, when you book an
appointment, you have to prepayfor your service and we do that
to make sure people don'tno-show and play time with our
(22:35):
schedule.
So in my shop we not only dohaircuts, we do haircuts,
facials.
We also do dreadlock andbraiding services.
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Why did I really?
Speaker 3 (22:45):
want to do that Because one I wanted to keep the
culture on Church Street whereit never had been before.
Now we're the first Black-ownedbusiness to really be here
multi-years, et cetera and a lotof people see us as the first
Black business on Church Street.
There have been a couple.
I know of two Black businessowners that have been on the
(23:07):
street but nobody really knewabout them and they owned and
operated from behind.
But I'm at the front of mybusiness, I'm at the front of
the window, I'm there every dayand I own and operate in my
business, right?
So it's a big deal for me tohave braids and dreadlocks
coming out of my business everyday.
And I do that for anotherreason because historically in a
(23:30):
black community you've had togo to two different places to
get your shape up, your lineup,your haircut, along with your
braids and dreadlocks.
So now you could come here andclick both of those when you're
booking online, check the boxeson both and have it either
before or after your appointmentwith whatever person you want
servicing each of those services.
(23:52):
So that's a huge deal in thebarbershop community.
And then you asked what else wedo in the shop.
You said you hinted on mentalhealth.
That's a very personal topicfor me, especially in my family
and with myself.
So we do every first Sunday ofthe month we have a men's mental
health group, a wellness check,if you'd say so.
(24:13):
But we have two licensedtherapists and they're black men
, but they're licensedtherapists and they lead a group
discussion and icebreakers andworkshop for anywhere from 60 to
90 minutes every first Sunday.
It doesn't matter if you visitthe shop and financially support
, I don't care if you've nevergotten a haircut or anything.
(24:36):
You can come and get that men'smental health wellness check
with us every first Sunday.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
That seems like a natural progression for a
community-based barbershop wherepeople, people talk and, like
you know, talk to yourhairstylist and you know, people
in the next chair.
Did it just feel natural to youto start that, or was there
something specific thattriggered you to say, hey, I can
use this space for thisspecifically?
Speaker 3 (25:09):
Specifically, I've been in therapy and at different
phases of my life, fordepression, multiple times of my
life just dealing withchildhood things, having a
father who abandoned me, etc.
Those are personal topics forme.
And then most recently you knowmy family my mother lost
(25:33):
somebody to suicide and we bothlost my baby cousin who was 15
years old, and that struck evenharder within this last year.
So I knew I needed to not onlystart I do care about other
people but not just take care ofmy mental but see if I could
(25:54):
open the door for some otherpeople to start going into
therapy themselves and thismight be the introduction for
them.
This might make them feelcomfortable enough where they
become clients of these licensedtherapists I have there or
somebody else.
But for me it's one hand washesthe other, without expecting too
(26:15):
much from each other.
You understand what I'm sayingso like I'm also promoting
another black man and anotherblack man's business, but we're
doing our duty towards eachother at the same time, and
that's very important to me.
You know and I have.
It's not just me onlysupporting black businesses, you
know and I have.
It's not just me onlysupporting black businesses.
I have tons of friends around,friends around town of all other
(26:37):
races, who I love and supporttheir businesses.
Right, but specifically in thisday and age, with the political
climate and how I'm also mixedmy mother's white and my dad's
black but when I walk in a room,I'm a black man every single
time.
That's how I'm viewed, that'show I come across and that's
(27:01):
most of my culture.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
You understand what I'm saying, so that's why I keep
it at the forefront.
It's, it's, I mean I don't know.
I just I don't.
I haven't seen anything likethat.
People can just walk in and sitaround in a circle and just
chat.
You know right, I mean it'slike, and it doesn't, do you
have to reserve a space or canyou just kind of no, you just
show up every first Sunday ofthe month.
Speaker 3 (27:24):
We will be doing it.
If you want to keep up, youknow, ask to join our mailing
list.
Uh, on our website.
Uh email us at keycutsbarber atgmailcom or just follow our
Instagram, because we post everyevent we're having and when
that's coming back up, and youknow reminders for when it's
coming back up.
So it's just at key cuts onInstagram.
Speaker 1 (27:47):
Okay, We'll put that on our yeah, we'll put all of
these in our show notes.
You do other events likewhiskey tasting and other kind
of things.
What are some other things andalso what's the story with the
boxing connection?
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Yes, we need to know that.
Yeah, what's up with the boxing?
Speaker 3 (28:02):
So what was the first thing you said?
You said I do other events.
Yeah, we just had our firstticketed event with a black
whiskey podcast during BlackHistory Month with Andrew
Cousins and some of his comrades.
They run a podcast called ASteady Pour.
Speaker 1 (28:19):
I just followed them.
I saw them.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
They're awesome.
They're amazing.
Maybe y'all could collab in thefuture.
But they wanted to go down thatspace because during the
shutdown they fell in love.
They talked about theirinterest in life for Whiskey,
but they all started to go witheach other on trips to Kentucky,
to Tennessee, to go and see anddo more research on what their
(28:42):
passion became right.
And then they were like, hey,all these podcasts and all these
spaces I'm not hearing theinterpretations or the witty
banter how we talk.
So they just wanted to go downa lane and create a lane for
themselves and for people whothey were seeing along these
tours and in these distilleriesand really get the info out for
(29:04):
everybody else.
So it was a great collaborativeidea.
Andrew's a longtime friend, theCousins family.
I know his youngest.
I cut his youngest brother, hisyoungest brother, his middle
brother, him as the oldestbrother.
I gave his first haircuts toboth of his sons and still cut
their hair.
I've cut his, his father, rightand I've cut all of his cousins
(29:24):
at his middle brother's wedding.
I've traveled for the weddings.
You know what I'm saying likeyeah, we're, we're in town love,
and it's like doing events likethat.
I was a little hesitant aboutdoing a ticketed event because
everything I do is free, but wehad to be able to have the money
(29:46):
to do that event To pay for thewhiskey?
Speaker 1 (29:48):
Yeah, so I wasn't even looking for profit.
Yeah, it's free.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah, I wasn't even looking for profit.
I was looking for building morecommunity it's free.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
Yeah, I was looking for profit.
Speaker 3 (29:54):
I was looking for building more community,
covering the cost and lettingthem have their first event and
it was amazing, it sold out.
They were all couples thatreally came, married couples
because it was Valentine'sweekend and it was awesome.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
That's so cool, so we did that.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
We've also done our version of a tiny desk.
Joshua Henry is a localresident now who's a Broadway
superstar.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
He's been working with Vanguard.
Yeah, I love Vanguard His.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
Instagram is Joshua Henry Official.
He's been in Hamilton Ragtime.
He was just in the Bob Dylanbiopic with.
Timothee Chalamet.
He's in that movie and hedidn't tell me and I just see
him start singing and performing.
My barber, charlie, cuts hishair and his sons has three
(30:42):
amazing boys.
They come to the shop but it'slike we did a version of our
tiny desk and we just said, hey,we're going to have 30 chairs
in the six barber chairs.
Show up, sit down and enjoy himand his mini concert.
Speaker 2 (30:56):
I love that He'll do his bamboo for donations, if
people want.
That's so cool.
Speaker 3 (31:01):
He's amazing in himself.
That's a brother who isinclined in the arts.
He's amazing.
Oh, I'm going to tell him abouty'all.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
And the other person I want you guys to look into?
He's right in Bloomfield.
Yeah, and the other person Iwant you guys to look into he's
right in Bloomfield, but he is aMontclair staple.
Ayo.
Ayo owns Rise Fitness anamazing group fitness studio
that's in Bloomfield.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
I've heard of it yeah .
Speaker 3 (31:25):
He has big time clientele If you look at their
Instagram.
You'll be impressed, but notjust that, it's affordable, it's
inclusive and it's a hell of aworkout.
I was just there this morningbefore this podcast.
Speaker 1 (31:37):
Cool.
Also that boxing stuff thatyou're involved in?
Where is that at?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
I'm curious.
You made it sound like we'regoing.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
I've been learning boxing for the last seven years,
on and off.
I have my three, four months.
Your boy starts to look inshape.
Then I go back to dad bod forfour or five months.
But I love boxing.
I love the chess match that itis, the intelligence that it
(32:10):
takes.
Everybody looks at it as aphysical sport.
It is a mental percent, Mentalsport 90%.
The other 10% is making sureyou're staying in shape and on
top of your muscle memory.
I just fell in love with it.
Seven years ago I started doingmorning workouts with somebody
who practiced boxing most of hislife.
(32:31):
His name's Khalil Malamud.
He owns four barbershops now, Ithink, throughout New Jersey.
He's from the Piscataway area.
So me going to Rutgers, I'mrocking with him.
I'm cutting people out of mydorm room.
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I didn't tell y'all that I love that.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
That's what really blew me up All right, I'll say
really quickly, at Rutgers, whenI left here and already had
been trying to cut every year,my price went up $5 a cut, $10
with beer, $10 a cut $15 withbeer, $20 for a cut, $25 with
beer.
In my dorm room I was an RA, Iwas cutting hair, I was selling
(33:07):
a little weed, I was taking careof everybody, from professors
to football players, basketballplayers, coaches, staff members.
Speaker 1 (33:17):
See, we talked to the president of MSU a while back
and we were talking about likeit's not all about the education
you're getting when you go tocollege, like what, all the
things that you get out of goingto college, and this is such a
good example.
It is a great point out ofgoing to college and this is
such a good example.
Speaker 3 (33:36):
It is a great point.
Yeah, I cut a lot of people whowent to the NFL and that really
blew me up on campus.
So some of those dudes like,shout out to Mohamed Sanu, tim
Wright, keith Lumpkin, who is alocal from Montclair, a St
Peter's prep star and a Rutgersstar at left tackle.
He's my best friend.
I went there because him andMuhammad Sanu and Savon Huggins,
(33:56):
my other best friend, were someof the biggest recruits all
time at Rutgers.
So them allowing me to cuttheir hair blew me up even more
and took me to another level inmy career.
And that you know, being in thatarea, I met Khalil.
He put me on to boxing and thatyou know, being in that area.
I met Khalil, he put me on toboxing.
Then I go, start seeking formyself.
Then I have another client upat Church Street Boxing.
(34:20):
His name was Lee McConnell.
He starts getting me into likethe real technical parts of it
and the real strength andconditioning of it and I just
start to meet stars from him andsome other people.
And one of my clients was aboxing promoter and I was
actually the barber for TeofimoLopez for two years when I was
his North Jersey tri-state areabarber for two years.
Speaker 1 (34:43):
I don't know who that is.
Speaker 3 (34:44):
So Teofimo Lopez is a two-time lineal champ, right,
so that means that he held allfour belts at the weight class
of two different divisions, 135and 140.
And that's like historical andHall of Fame.
So he's a star still now.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
I wanted to tell you this.
At some point it came to myhead when you were doing this
interview and actually it's beenjust such a pleasure to get to
know you.
Yes, actually it's been justsuch a pleasure to get to know
you.
And yes, and I woke up reallyearly this morning and I had I
think it was LinkedIn orInstagram and I just clicked it
on and I saw, you know like aquote from some like guru.
(35:24):
You know one of these quotesand it said surround yourself
with people that will say yourname in public and promote you
and call and give you your propsin public.
It was something to that effectand I thought, wow, that's
really cool.
You know, you're right, youknow people.
And I was like thinking, doRachel and I do that for each
other?
(35:44):
And I was like I think we do.
You know, like I was like youknow thinking that and I was
like feeling like I identifiedwith that, like I was that
person.
But damn, you are that person.
Yes, you have given so manypeople.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Yes, so many shout outs and acknowledgements to all
the people in your life, butit's important.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
That was passed down to me, my mentor, didier White,
who was my guidance counselor atMount Hebron.
I'm trying not to get emotional.
He passed away right before Iopened my shop on Glen Ridge
Avenue.
He beat cancer three times buteventually it got him.
He was 69 years old.
(36:28):
Every single time.
All right, here's the number toblah, blah, blah.
Make sure you contact them,make sure you say my name.
He was a mason in town.
He created the robotics andengineering programs in the
Montclair public school system.
He studied that engineering atBoston, boston College, boston
(36:57):
College.
He's an amazing man.
He's a dittier white, mr White.
He's a 6'6" dark-skinned blackman with a tiny white afro and
he was just a presence and apresent to everybody he came
across.
You talk to people who grew upin Montclair and went to Mount
Hebron and he passed 2019.
So I always remember him and Iremember those things.
He inst 2019.
So you know, I always rememberhim and I remember those things
he instilled in me and how mymom instilled my work ethic in
(37:20):
those things.
And you know my big brother,mentor Darnell Wallace.
All those people do exactlywhat you're saying I do.
I didn't just create that andstart doing that.
Speaker 2 (37:30):
You get that from people.
Yeah, I appreciate how muchyou've shared with us about you
personally, but also about yourjourney and the history of
barbershops.
We've learned so much and it'ssuch a valuable part of our
whole community and to be aBlack business owner on Church
Street and be so welcoming andinviting and show all the
(37:54):
businesses in town that it'simportant we're part of the
community absolutely, and uh, weyou know, the real pride on my
shop is we are a black ownedbusiness and there's a lot of
culture in our shop, right, butwe're master barbers, the top
three of us.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
We cut all hair and I don't tell people because I
tell people and like this is mebeing a master barber and
knowing my craft right.
Like some races of people andethnicities have the same hair
texture.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
You understand what I'm saying oh yeah, my husband,
my husband has that.
He yeah, he's iranian, so hehas a certain curly texture to
his hair.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
I know some Irish people who I can't shave under
their neck, how I can't shave ona lot of black men, because
they get ingrow hairs and bumpsfrom how curly and flat to the
skin their hair grows Right.
So that's how you get ingrownhairs and not from being dirty,
it's just from us having curlyhair, which goes back to a lot
of stuff Like why did you makeus shave Not you guys, right,
(38:58):
but like in history?
Why would you make black menshave their face every day for
these positions of beingprofessionals in the workforce
when that creates so muchirritation for us?
You know, or police academyshaving your head with a big
straight razor and like you'redoing that same thing and making
people get welts and all theselike calloused uh follicles on
(39:19):
the top of their head.
So I go back to say um, youknow, it's been a pleasure to
talk to both of you this wholetime.
Um, people are gonna watch andthey're gonna watch every second
because we're nonstop talking.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
I keep the energy you do.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
But my shop we have master barbers.
We cut all hair textures.
If they look on our Instagram,they're going to see every walk
of life, every race of personand every hair texture being cut
on our page.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Well, it's great to see you.
You're an inspiration.
It's really.
Your story is incredible.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
I appreciate that.
You guys are awesome hosts.
I appreciate you telling meyeah, we'll have you on for an
episode.
That was very inviting.
I really appreciate you guysalso giving me this platform to
also advertise my business andtalk a little more about me.
Speaker 1 (40:08):
Our pleasure, our pleasure.
Well, it's been an honor totalk to you too, and so we
really, um, we, appreciate youand wish you continued success.
Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yes, yes, thank you so much thank you this podcast
was produced by rachel martensand jeanette afsharian.
You can find us on spotify,itunes and Buzzsprout.
Thanks for listening.
See you next week.
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