Im Chirs Moore, and this is a story about barbershop.

You know, this hair cut is developing to be, this might be the best hair cut I ever did.

You know what I am saying.

It is about style, tradition and what sometimes is an all too painful, rich It's about what men talk about when only men are around.

Here's the thing you can't have no standards on where or how you meet woman.

I'm saying love don't have no.

You know what I'm saying?

Okay.

I'm gonna meet a girl at the library.

I'm a meet a girl, a church.

I'm a meet a girl.

Come on, man, that's bold man You might find your woman out for one night stand.

I'm sorry.

She might be She might be like that.

It's about looking your best.

You go back in the bag and you put the memories in, and you're whack, whack, whack.

Put it back and make your hair go back.

And it gives you a little shine.

And stuff.

See, it's about the thing that can happen in a barbershop.

Make me beautiful.

She'll make that move.

There you go.

Hey, come on, back up the other side.

That right there.

That's called the plain blunt.

That is a club.

Yeah, Plain blunt.

Oh, yeah.

Man, that little kid had it out, so I had to use my creativity to lock him down so he can get it.

hair cut you get the lock down, locking down.

They got to be here, man.

I call they from out of town.

Some tow I need to get right straight up.

It's Friday.

Friday is the weekend.

Everybody all right?

Barbershop have always been an institution in the black community.

Black barbers were courted.

A status that may have seemed beyond their real station in life.

Many were called doc, renowned for their first aid ability to stop bleeding, treat asthma, or cure the vapors.

Barbershops were social centers.

The barbers were master of all styles of cutting hair.

They also became adept a listening and offering advice.

Many of the shops were popular hangouts and had other businesses associated with them, like the Crystal Barber Shop, owned by long time Pittsburgh numbers King Woogie Harris.

One of the modern day incarnations of those shops is Willie Tee's Barber Shop in Homewood.

It's owned by William Thomas, otherwise know as the King of the Tighten Up.

Willie Tee.

Hey.

What's up?

Hey, what's happening, Mr.

T?

How you doin, man?

Oh, it's a pleasure seeing you today, Willie Tees where I go to get my haircut, my hair, get a little long, man.

You mean.

Yeah, I know I saw you on the television.

that night, I looked.

I started to call in again.

You know me like I did befor and tell you I like the statue.

Yeah.

You want me to take your peepers off from you?

I'm in chair again.

Well, there's nine chairs up in there right now.

We got a couple of guys.

We got a school teacher who's who's not here today after he had an uncle passed away.

Usually here on the weekends to help us out.

We had another gentlema who was a welder, and they just.

He just passed his, welder, degree, and it's still him up in the mountains.

He used to lay back and look at the ceiling.

Right.

This is where I get a lot of my ideas.

A lot of people.

Right?

Right.

And I get the reflection of my ideas.

You know what I mean?

But, I used to lay there and look at the ceiling, and I used to envision.

I said, man, I want to have a nice, big, roomy shop.

Also, I want to have a nice, big, roomy shop with some diversification because, like I said, you know, damn 70s.

I swore I would never be, you know, fail because, you know, a lack of people getting a haircut.

I knew from the jump that a person would have to have to make sure that he was ready and that, you know, things change.

I feel not ready.

Oh, you pronounced in that business, man.

You going under?

Don't forget, I'm here to try to make myself feel better.

You got to make money.

You put at the same time I get a shot that you know that just coming back to the community, you know, trying to help create jobs.

I think we got approximately, say, 15 job people employed here on the corner.

Well, tell me about a barber shop.

Melton A what is a barber shop in the black community?

Well, the barber shop is like like the hub, if you will, is the hub is just like the center communication.

I mean, I know you hear them down the hall, the captain and lay up and down.

A rabbit can be seen at the rest.

You know, I said, you got a town pretty big.

Why don't you knoc somebody out for us right now?

You know, it's not a good place for communicators.

It's also a place for yo to come find out about the job.

Just open it up.

It's a place where you could come and socialize.

It's a place you can come and get you hair cut Funny You didn't name it first.

Isnt it funny because there's so many other things that you can do as opposed to just come in and get the hair cut.

This is what we call a phrase here, that it's not just a haircut, it's an adventure.

Oh yeah.

Black horizons producer Minette Seate decided she would have her first barbershop adventure and have picked are her eyebrows.

It's like hanging out at home.

You know, I'm here sometimes 10-15 hours a day.

You know, it's out there in one spot.

So at night, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

But, as you can see you know, a lot of people come in, get service, like family, get your family, you get to interact with people you know.

So I'm very impressed with what you do.

I'm glad you liked it.

I'm getting some.

Like the look quite a few of Willie Tees customers are women beautiful, Thank you Oh, yeah.

Why do you go to Willie Tee?

Oh, I want my haircut.

I was, you know I ain't get my haircut in years.

And I want to, do a little change, and I'm glad I like this.

This is your first time here?

Yes.

Yes it is.

So you're impressed?

Yes, I am, and I like the way you did my eyebrows.

He's good.

He's very good.

So, do you feel good being a woman and being in this man's barbershop?

Yes, I do very much so.

Despite that I had to bury my son in October.

And now I'm here now, and I'm trying to, you know, get myself together.

Is it a good place to come when you're kind of feeling like maybe.

Yes.

By yourself?

Yes.

That's why I said, Kim, jus go here and get your hair done.

You need to change.

I need a change in my life, you know?

And, and I'm.

And I'm doing it to on it.

You look good.

But thank you, thank you.

I really look good once my hair is done.

I'm serious.

Oh, for sure.

I want to thank yo very much on these cards, too.

Maybe it could be.

Willie Tees Barbers like Steve are also equipped to deal with a little more.

Sometimes we have the ones that come in here and like to fight a lot.

Fight the barber.

Not to get a haircut, but otherwise.

And that is okay.

Yeah.

So once you actually look like you can go, oh yeah, man, that little kid had it out.

So I had to use my creativity to lock him down so I can get his hair cut.

Locking down a barbershop Had a life of his own.

Where the bandit community.

How you hear down in a community.

It's a meeting place where community members gather to come get their hair cut.

It's a networking, a lot of networking going on in the barbershop.

Peopl find out what other people doing entrepreneurs.

The business venture that is going on in its community.

And the barbershop is like the radio, the mouthpiece of the community, the barber shop and the beauty shop.

So my idea of a barber shop is a respectable barber shop.

Clean.

Nice air conditioned barber shop.

When it's hot outside.

And all of the other amenities that a barber that comes along with a barber shop and mainly it, the customers come in for a pleasant atmosphere.

That's one thing that's good about Willie Tee Barber shop.

We and we have all kind of people from all walks of life that comes in here.

As you can see, Mr.

Angelo has done he had a little allergies right now, but he's all right.

Right.

Angela, give him a thumb and to the camera.

You can come in this barber shop and don't worry about all that stuff going on.

Yeah.

It's a the ladies are treated with respect.

So, kids, it's like a family more obviously.

Yeah, yeah.

You feel comfortable?

Yeah.

Not only is the temperature o the atmosphere there, you've got Mr.

and a big people, they get, they get, pictures let me get you book.

Let me see the hair.

That's what I just like to see what I'm saying.

Now I'm arguing.

We want this.

We're going to go film straight.

Yeah.

There you go.

film the stream.

You enjoy that?

This big people box here.

That's that's, Good Lord, I have to get that up.

Oh, that's a nice car.

Yeah, that's a real nice, sport.

Hubcaps in the headlights.

The headlights ain't nothin wrong with the chrome, either.

I like to wait that the rear in.

You know we got a lot of different things that you to do her in the barber shop outside of.

Just give you a haircut.

Now there's, there's Carl Mills.

There's there's this whole looseness that come in here.

There's other a whole lot of other.

But it has judges that come in here, you know what I mean?

I guess, you know, they might want to com and get a a grass roots touch.

My name is Doctor Michael Fussell.

I'm from, Macon, Georgia.

You know, my residency up here at, Mercy Hospital and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

One of the first things you ever do when you go over every young going to medicsl school was find a good barber shop.

Oh, yeah.

I went to a couple before I got to this one.

went through a couple of barbers here from Old man's 80, you know?

You know, it's all right.

Did you get a cameo back there behind me?

Okay.

Got.

You know, it's i all right to find a good barber.

You know, somebody to cut it like you ask.

You know, once you find somebody to cut it and, you know, you always stick with them, you know, that just might be the best haircut you ever get.

The is the best one, man.

I think so, yeah of course it beats the last one.

Yeah.

It's a good bet.

All you have to do is come on in two more weeks, and I'm going to show you a better one than that.

You know what I'm saying?

All right.

Let me put a little, little stuff on your hea to make it grow a little faster.

So you get a blanket here.

So you know what?

You get a job.

They say too many people don't know how to use a straight razor, you know, is this a skill?

What?

Barber skill.

This when you.

Whe you can use this straight away.

The man is good.

Man is good.

Once was he focused on glasses.

Now he should I cut him before you know me.

Never.

Never cut it.

Never got.

Did you see?

Look at that cream.

Hey!

Why?

There's nothing.

No there isn't.

That's not the moon.

You know.

Now, if you want a side of I read.

If you want to see a moon, look right here.

I figure I can touch the moon.

Nobody ever touched the moon before.

I'm the first black man to touch the moon.

The focus through his lens is Saturn.

Right there.

See the line?

That's Saturn right there.

See the line?

You know, saying, oh, man, man, you like in your head shave.

Is this where you come to get your head?

Come I love it.

Say cheese.

Great, great barber Got a lot of sugar jab with winning.

But, The finishing touch is great.

You gotta take a lot of heat when you coming in.

He always comes.

I mean, if you get me on the chair about 20 here, that'll be okay on the test.

Okay.

Thank you sir.

Yeah.

How you been?

I'm not too bad at school.

Taking the bad with the bad.

My bad with the It wasn't for my woman.

I never make it through this.

I was telling her right the other night.

Oh.

All right, well, I mean, my woman.

I'm sorry.

Oh, man, your woman, wrong?

Ha ha ha ha.

I was telling my girl that, Ha ha ha ha ha!

Because you got the clippers.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Oh, you know, you want it anyway.

It doesn't matter.

Youre gonna do what you wanna do.

Cool.

Hang tight, man, hang tight.

You sure you listen, Bush, just call me up.

Oh, okay.

No, no, no.

Just call.

Trying to get the way thing.

And you know, we get I got Indian type not things.

Oh don't play around with rockets.

He hit the block and everybody take off.

Run.

It's the cops.

Jesus chicos There she goes.

He know where Grady is Mr.

Grady from?

Oh, yeah.

San Francisco I thought I knew what Grady was.

They've been looking for Grady a long, about ten years now.

I thought it was very cheap, so no more.

Yeah.

Oh, yeah.

You know where he's buried?

He's up the station.

Jitney.

Y'all in here to make me uncomfortable?

I was glad now it's been this.

Maybe I'm just like anybody else, but, man, you know, the main thing that I like about it is just, well, making the money and then getting a chance to say, well, okay, I'm not taken away from that.

Come on.

You know, I mean, I didn't go downtow and try to buy an old building I didn't go with it, you know doing that, what do you call it?

Urban redevelopment and all.

Okay, okay.

Righ here, right here on the corner.

Willie Tee is much more than a barber.

Like the old barber shops that were surrounded by plenty of businesses.

Willie Tees complex, is constantly growing.

On the corner.

We have the Homewood market that's run by, Mr.

Shuman, and, his, his entourage there.

And then we have next door we have to my left, we have the Homewood Devils nuts run by Gus and Sam.

Those two gentlemen used to have a business downtown.

The job was shop downtown on sixth Street.

And, after talking to them and negotiating with them.

And one of my tenants upstairs was related to, the other side of the family.

So they decided to come to Homewood and give it a try out here.

the gyro store just opened, and it's doing good business.

But Willie Tee has a visio to help as well as make money.

That's why I call him my hero.

We when we.

When we love him too much.

But what we have here is like units, single people, single men, single women.

And, like, just trying to keep this up together.

This is one for you.

So it's like the most modern of equipment, but you can come in and you can cook, you know, a conventional avenue to, heat your stuff up on a microwave oven keep your stuff in the refrigerator, and it's three people and three rooms up here, and they share the bath, like community living, so to speak.

How do you feel helping people out like that, man.

Well, it feels pretty good.

First of all, you know, I must be truthful.

You know, it feels good to have the income coming in.

That feels good because it lets me know, you know, that, that my ideas work.

And then second of all, it like I said before, it gives me a chance to give something back to the community, and that's always a good feeling.

There's a couple of, what do you call it?

Pitfalls here and there, but nonetheless, you know, overall feels pretty good feels.

And it feels real good when you come up and tell me I'm your hero so you can't beat that feeling.

I'm a good looking forward ahead.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

This is the Homewood market.

Now.

This is part of the facility on the Willie Tee's barbershop complex.

It used to be Fast Lane Communications, and they used to just do the telephones and do the pages and stuff.

So what they're doing now, they do, as you see a wide variety of services and stuff in here now they do telephones.

Wow.

Heck, maybe I'll have Lu tell you something about it.

Lu, how long you been in business?

Manager?

Stand right here.

Five months.

How's it going so far?

We guys are on pretty good.

Yeah.

What's it like working with my man?

Willie Tee, he is a good guy.

You know, we get along.

It's a good fella to work with.

I have the people been treating, you know, people are pretty good.

Yeah, yeah, the business good?

Business good, people good.

You know, just like any other neighborhood.

And this is like the crossroads of Homewood, friends down Homewood Ave, down the street is the college, Theres the community service center down there.

There's a family.

Family service center down there.

The hills.

Family stuff.

There's the Y down there.

There's also a secondhand store up.

Bank is down the street right here.

Run at Homewood Ave.

And we got 2 or 3 businesses, four businesses here.

Just the fried chicken is across the street.

This used to be a hustling, bustling, you know, neighborhood in there.

And I think it could be again.

2448859 come to Willie Tees where the seats recline.

Yeah.

Get a haircut.

Maybe get a she shine or bring your gi for a brand new hair design.

You can test one Bring the family consistently.

We impress them for quality dependability.

7205 Franks town.

Now, who are we?

Willie Tees.

is that black enough for you?

On a nice day tree lined street, Fred Tait's barbershop looks like a quiet oasis.

And inside, Fred does much more than cut hair.

He counsels and comforts, laughs and talks and provides a refuge for friends and customers looking for a nice trim, some conversation, or just a good listener?

Yeah, with Fred, you ca basically, touch on any subject.

He's very versed in a lot of things.

So, plus it's a good counselin and especially a good listener.

Right.

So, and he's like a fixture in the community, right?

That that gives you that downhome feeling when you come in.

Does he give a good haircut.

Yeah.

On occasions yeah It's a rocky road.

You got to roll up your friends.

The type of guy that when you come in and you feeling down and down or something by the time you get up out.

Is there any pictures that make this look better than Doc's?

Do you feel a lot better?

But it's out for that day.

You know, you picked your day.

You know, when you get to see.

And he's a good friend too as well.

And I think that's his gift.

He he makes everybody feel special.

He worked on it.

The hous is getting that house together.

I mean there's no that to them.

And they he the mama said because he doing what he want to do, what he wants to do is, you know, another way.

Hes not the little boy anymore.

No, no, he's not my grown, grown man.

I was only trying to.

I said, I know what you're trying to do.

No.

This is all you have do is look at you like Bobby.

And when he starte getting staring or not answered yes or no, you get to just be involved in it, you know?

And that's the way it works you know, you can't say, well, I feel bad today and I can deal the day.

You got to deal all the time, you know?

So it helps me a lot to me.

Customers help when to help me just as much as we you know, I help them and I think I think it helps.

It makes it feel like a family situation here.

You know, this is that, you know, the atmosphere I was trying to really, put out there.

You can feel comfortable, you can talk to people, people can talk to you, and you can do the things that you you know, I mean, you're not to give a lot.

You can get a lot of copies that way, you know, because everybody has something different to give, you know, and, you know, so everybody the student is game of life.

And I think it's important that we just, you know, sometime you can listen to those people, you know, mor so than anything else, you know, what's the best to give counsel to you back.

The best thing came out right that.

No, no, probably.

So the, love situation like.

Yeah, I talked a lot about I always consider trade like my bigger brother.

And, whenever I needed some, counseling in that direction, I would ask him, all right.

He was pretty.

Pretty good on his his direction.

All right.

Loved doctor, the love doctor.

That's a good word.

They can talk to you on any subject.

Fred Tait has been cutting hair for 43 years.

I do remember I used to cut at the house, but these all razor blades.

Little razor blades again.

Let's shave them guys up man.

Straight to say yeah yeah yeah.

They'll double A's and when I get them they had nicks all on their heads man.

But you know what they have my practices hair, they kept coming back for more I just I kept getting better and better.

Better and better.

And then all of a sudden they either pretty good here, but they get messed up.

On the razor blade.

But they kept coming.

Put a little Band-Aid up there, kept coming.

And after work and little better, little better.

Then I went up one.

Tait barbershop used to be a hangout for a lot of the Steelers players.

Some still get their haircut there during those 43 years.

Fred's honed his skills as a barber and an amateur psychologist.

He also has to be up on current events.

Right.

I got to ask you a question.

Yeah.

What do you think about the car?

The second car they got from the, wreck you know, we know whenever we come over here, we always got to talk because, you know, that's where we get controversial.

So I just want you to think.

What do you think about the cars?

And not everybody should go one family car.

They didn't make toilet paper out of them.

Well, we got two cars at the table.

Would he put it on the table?

He said that was put on the table.

On the table?

Yeah.

My question is that they find any of the money.

Well, how would you like to get one of the servicemen came from all that money?

They did fine.

Yeah, they did, but but you know what's really significant is that the artifacts that were stolen or that, you know, that they were all they were saying that that's you're talking about the beginning of time.

You're talking about the beginning of of a lot of the, you know, the history of, of all of us.

And, that was really, really, really, really a shame that, you know, history is just stolen like that.

You see they found a lot of an internet.

They found a lot of stuff already been out there.

Yeah I mean, as soon as they started.

Oh, yeah.

You're talking about stuff that goes back, you know, before Christ.

When you're looking for a lot of.

I think they found some of it.

But, you know, I mean, I'm waiting for the, mass destruction the weapons of mass destruction.

And so we decided to hold off.

We will fight.

I don't guarantee they will.

It's coming.

They're going to be there lon enough.

Yeah, no doubt about it.

They go fast.

They keep searching.

And they gonna put something down there.

Yeah.

Seek and ye shall find.

How can you go in somebody else's house and get a job?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming to your house.

Look, I what?

Especially when your own house is not insured, right?

Right.

They do.

They do it every day.

Mean, you know, it doesn't change.

What year?

I went to refrigerator, I went to the refrigerator, and I get the best bedroom this is the empire.

Who's the strongest?

That's not right.

It's this one, right?

Done.

You know.

All right?

Don't apply.

Right don't apply Make right.

No But right don't apply.

You know, they in charge.

But, you know, there was a concept, I think it was a Saturday Night Live concept that.

If you let the leaders do oversight, you have to train for six months to give them time, you know, because when you train and you go to that mountain scene and you, you get it, right.

Right.

Well then they get ready to war with all of you, right?

And, let them fight it out.

Then it did change.

got to get his heart right.

I better stop it up like this.

Rather like getting a visit from the CIA.

Because, you know, you ain't talking bad.

That's right.

You don't come to see.

You dont come to see it.

Come on.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

They let the man eat, though.

Let the man eat.

Interesting cause it's like the leaders fight.

Yeah, like the people with the people that want to fight is.

See what the the people I know, that's all they wanted to do is go to Wendy's.

Yeah.

Or you know, I mean, girl gets up to eat Red lobster.

You know, Go to giant eagles.

Thats what your brother was doing over to folks over there, ma when they went over there.

Man.

That's what you're thinking abo going to Wendy's and girlfriends It's a different game over here.

I'm like, looking fo the most money to rebuild them, When money is to provide kids for a program.

Yeah, that is a mess.

Because when you go take care of other people, you got people over here starving, you know?

And our busines is going out of out of business because, you know.

Wait, what?

Netflix goes out of business you know, that's real bad.

And Netflix it's like the fabric of Americans.

It took a lot of money over there, man.

Yeah, but you wonder now, they said Mr.

Chaney went over there if he was like the first guy to go over course, each one of the ones is supposed to be getting businesses overexposed to openin the businesses over here to help rebuild our.

And I mean, you know, you wonder.

If I had a business that can help over here and you know what I get a good spot here.

America.

Unless you really, really understand Patrick Henry and said, look, give me liberty.

Give me death for my goodness.

Let me be able to say something without getting, you know, you know, that that's that's crazy.

Know that's what America is about.

You should be able to, you know, have freedom and be able to voice your your mind.

In your opinion, red tape shop is also a place where black men feel free to show black boys that fatherly discipline that many children may be missing.

It's amazing how.

There'll be families and families that are single parents, or they need to have some of this will just drop off here at Fred and Fred.

Just tell him, say conducted on I'm gonna punch you in your head razor strap, a razor strap, razors strap Fred has no problem.

It's amazing.

They'll be cutting up with mom.

Come over to Fred's, and it' like they seen a divine light.

And I think that a lot of times in a black barbershop, you do get some type.

These young boys do get a little bit of discipline, because not only, you know, they know framebuffer hit him in the head with the strap or whatever punch you when you have a friend I don't know, sit on down over there.

Sit on.

Your mom will be back and you let them know that you know that they're love by people that don't even know.

You know, that's what we say.

We all take care.

We all watch out for the kids when they're here, you know.

So it's it's a, it's a, it's a melting pot of people and and trust.

What about the heck.

Yeah.

What about the quality of service, the internal structure of experience can be the quality.

You know, the phrase left handed broke, He can cut with the right.

You just say that because you do the job.

You guys.

Well, you know, I'm not a dumbass.

That's right.

That's right thing.

But then he's done.

That's right, that's right.

That's a true story.

I know that's that's true.

I agree with you.

And I'm not in the chair that you.

How do I have to be?

Just kidding with regret is a great thing you have.

And if you mess around, he will catch you.

I think you get a little hole in the air, right?

You know, that's a that's all you can see.

My my attitude to the whole I'm like, this is not so deep.

Black.

Okay, let me look at a soccer ball right here on second ball a soccer ball.

He wasn't, you know, rubbing u and down, squeezing over here.

And then yeah that's what's good.

It's good.

I love it.

Okay.

You got to put the Murrays in.

You go back in the back, you put the Murray's in and you're whack, whack, whack.

Put it back and it make your hair go bac and it gives you a little shine and stuff.

See, that's points.

Whack, whack.

And you guys can have your.

Joint Mexican family with friend.

So go ahead and make your hair.

Go back here and see who has the great.

Trip.

Okay.

I love you man.

Okay.

All right.

Mr.

Moore, always a pleasure to see you.

Take care.

I'm athletic director of two Athletic Association was down in Manchester.

So it's a matter of right now trying to, get funding, you know, to provide for the kids and everything.

And I'm running into all types of schools.

Yeah, we're, you know, parents don't want them.

Well, they don't want to pay their, registration fee or.

Problems.

So a lot of them are on medication and.

A lot of, you know, a lot of them, three fourths of the don't have no type of stability in, within their home.

So I come here and the my pops more cousin some of the, some get some of the wisdom to get me through the day.

I got this one kid friend that, now his grandfathers raised me, took him from the grandmother because the grandma you know she she was failing.

And so now, grandpa come to me and said, look, I know you have problem with him in the past, but, I'm rolling like a man fist.

Will you accept him?

I said, oh, you came to me and, you know, confronted me like that.

I have no alternative but to.

How old is he?

He's 11 years old.

Meanwhile, this is the same ki there was drug down the street at six.

Father.

Dad, as a gang banger.

Mother contracted the HIV and all that, and.

Yeah, that's something that might help him down the line, you know, down the road.

You know, I'm also I'm trying to d because, you know, before now, I mean, he didn't have no type of stability.

Might be a little harder, you know, because he's been through them changes.

Yeah.

But that's why you got to maybe, you know, stretch a little harder for them sometimes just to reach out to the ones that need it most.

You know, that's what Im on.

So that's what you have to do sometimes because, you know, it's like there's no way an adult or any human should have to contend with the amount of tragedy that he did contend with in that short span of time.

But it's a good thing he survived that, you know?

Yeah.

So, I mean, I like the young man you got.

You got a chance, man, is opportunit to do something different, man.

Great.

So, you know, you get to show him some what you know you know and turn.

And that's what I'm trying to tell me.

Yeah.

The them tournament is something else.

And turn something else to turn a provider soon tells us about the choices they make, regardless to the idea that desire and another want to do something else.

Oh, there it is.

You know, you know, start some steps in a game you know, through to, you know, like I told him yesterday, I said, you know, you can do something, not make a decision, a bad decision.

Right now that it could affect you the rest of your entire life.

You don't take much.

I don't take much.

I mean, you know, some things they look for for you to keep yourself, keep a nose clean, start doing some forms of living.

Check.

You know, make them work on something.

You just have to make them work, man.

And, you know, the thing is like a lot of kids, man, a lot of kids say something to a man would like you to attack them in certain ways.

You know, for me, you know, and let them kno that you care about them, man.

You know, and I think that makes a difference, man.

I think they're not just kids.

That's his people.

And, you know.

Yeah, you know, because, you know it's like like most of the kids that I hav are on some type of medication.

And the only thing that kids need is actually love and attention.

I'm on medication.

Well, I'm not talking.

I'm.

Shoe man, you know?

So, me that off with, this one kid last year.

Okay.

This boy, when I first met him, the first four times, I walked up to the kid and tried to tell him different things.

He would just urinate on us.

The parents, they were so concerned.

I heard them outside the door arguing abou who was going to roll the block and who was going to go get the next 40.

Well the thing is, I mean, you know, so then I took it upon myself to just deal with him.

What have you got to do?

You got to deal with him.

The kid couldn't do nothing.

At the end of the season, he got a base hit, jumped up for joy, almost got thrown ou on first base, jumping for joy.

That he hit the ball.

He stopped me all night.

Now he.

You know, he comes.

Knock, knock on my door early in the morning.

Or testy thing.

Yeah.

Well see that's the whole thing.

But we changed the game around a little bit.

You know who somebody can depend on and somebody can you can anybody somebody depend on that?

You know, it's hard to find somebody you can depend on.

Boys usually people.

Man.

That's, Please.

Yeah.

You think you can depend on them?

I will make I'll let you cry.

I know, please.

Yeah.

I want to see no sauce.

Please please do not believe.

Please.

Okay, I know I am.

I'm gonna make him cry.

For real.

I put this hot stuff on him.

I had to come see the doctor.

And what do you it.

You break it out.

I want you to cry.

Now.

You cry?

Yeah.

This day stuff we got cry a little bit.

See you are crying.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

Tell me something to.

Come on, boy.

That's right.

Oh.

Dogs hurt.

Yeah.

Okay.

You don't have to, you know you don't have to do no running.

So that's the reason why you take your shoes off.

Take your shoes off.

Here in the neighborhood barbershop.

You might have to know to run Fred knows how to cut here.

Young people today don't know how to cut here.

You go in here and say you, I want this, I want that, and I want that you come up with that.

You say, I want this and tha and you just come out with that.

None of this.

Thats number one.

Number two, you don't know what's going to jump off.

You know, sir, between a young, I mean a young barbershops, you know, you don't know what's going to jump off.

You don't know what's going on, Yankee guys, because you know what's going on around you.

So here you go.

Like I said, this is the atmosphere.

You can sit, you relax.

That's what I want to do is relax.

Yeah.

That's that's what's important.

That's that' what I'm cutting here for them.

I'm not you know, really not for myself.

But I want make them happy.

So they they they come back.

They want to shag or diamond or star.

I'll try to give it to them.

I'll try to put it right here.

They.

Now you got a funny hair.

Say it's hard because youve to cut around all these here now here the funny hair.

You see that just looking at it.

How it here, how it there.

You call me free.

Well, you know, what are you trying to in?

And if I had to pick this share and blend it all down.

So it fit.

Oh, thats a Mando.

It's always that type of talk.

Always this type of play.

Or.

You know what I mea is the input that we have here and then the shop itself people do come to just to relax.

Some people come to, to to let things go and kick it for a while.

You know, some people want to hear what you got to say.

Some people don't hear anything you have to say.

They just want you to hear what they got to say.

And so, you know, you just try to give them what they want, you know?

And, but think it works very, very well because then find times where they, they're doing all the talkin and I'm doing all the listening.

And I think it's, I think in most cases, most people don't want yo to say nothing to them at all.

They just want to hear me out.

I want let this problem off, or I'm going to get this off my chest and leave it with you.

So you had to learn how to take it and throw it off to good, you know?

So, get it out.

Right.

Go this way.

Hit it that way.

He had to get it to take up.

Oh, this is the hip hop barbershop.

So I would like to say, I mean, well, the shop in the city.

Well, the shop period.

Did you know to get the turntables in there, you know, say live music, hip hop, R&B all the time.

So good atmosphere, right?

On the college campuses.

The stars.

It is a hip hop barbershop.

The natural choice is a perfect combination of old schoo skills and cutting edge style.

That's what we do here you know, besides just haircuts, the locks, braids, the natural choice, anything natural.

It's co-owned by Nate Mitchell, aka Nate the Fat Barber, who serves as barber, older brother and king of the turntables.

I come here, you figure I got to spend 80% of my time in this place, so it has to be comfortable to me.

That's why I put the DJ booth in it, you know what I mean?

That's.

I put the records up on the wall, make me feel it's just something to look at.

Making me feel good.

Like, you know, part of me, other than just the hair.

They got to be here.

May I call Nate from out of town some time?

I need to get right straight up.

Call me from the airport.

I'm on my way.

Is this every Friday ritual for me?

Every Friday?

And, Nate, I hear we loud fall out, man.

It's Friday.

Friday is the weekend.

Everybody will look right before the barbers.

And the patrons kno there's more to good barbering than knowin how to use a pair of clippers.

I mean, sometimes a barber is like a therapist, a babysitter, therapist, hairdresser all in one.

Kids, get in a chair you got a babysitter on because their parents are not a chest has them.

Right.

So they really don't know how to conduct yourself.

When I get a haircut.

Half of the time they don't bring them enough so they could get used to the idea of of getting it done.

So all you young ladies out there every week very week.

One week for shave, but one week for a cut so they can get used to it.

Then you can break them down every two weeks.

This is less than two.

The heart of the fade.

Object that of blend that is to get a smooth yet even transition from light to dark.

Notice.

Okay, freeze.

Telegram.

I thought you guys If you call yourself a barber, you've got to master all styles.

The types of hair curly, wavy, straight sort of recipe to the point.

No matter who walk through the door and ask for a chat, you should be able to cut the hair.

I don't get a lot of old people in here at all.

I think that's the only thing that we miss from the atmosphere, the whole, you know, some of that age sometimes coming in here, you know, some of that elder wisdom and we only get from every now and then or some of my customers that I've had for years.

They only come in maybe once every two weeks or something like that.

But like most shop, you always get like some old folk sitting in there playing chess.

Yeah, I mean, I try anything I can, you know, we've been to, attract, you know, age friendly clientele, you know, I mean, I even put a chess board over it, and, I mean, but, you know, just the area.

It's the hip hop shop.

People come in here like some people don't, you know?

And you can't please everybody.

I wish you could, but you just can't.

Yeah, I got it.

I got a one of.

Oh, yeah.

You heard of one?

Yeah, that's about it.

Because, you know, when you get an electric chair They cut your hair out off.

That's one of the reasons why they call it.

and the ball fade.

Dont be stealing my method.

You you could just tell when it late cut.

You know what I'm saying?

Because it's got that special touch.

Yeah.

I'm saying there's really no any specific style of haircut.

It's just that touch this at that.

That's on that haircut.

You know what I'm saying?

And you can see the same thing with Breeze of Rain.

They got their own special touch signature.

Little signature.

Yeah.

I mean, without actually signing your name in the back of the head like a piece of art.

That's exactly what it is, you know?

Yeah, they wouldn't even know.

Playing tape.

I get no nothing.

I like they maybe they go late.

I'm cutting it, man.

It's that time of year again.

Just a little.

I want a little bit.

Half now.

like on a hold of seven inches gone.

I'm just watching it.

You know, that little picture I don't, you know, I gotta go all the don't know.

If he doesn't, he's going to cut.

Oh, just like that.

Like oh he said oh no.

Oh you gotta keep on the right.

Yeah.

You got to keep it down I gotta say.

Well you could get, high, low.

I'll take it back.

I'll pay for you.

if you get a high and low.

That's tha will go back for a day and just.

And just come back tomorrow.

I pay for your cut hand next week, please.

Its cool.

It work for the remaining part.

In a hip hop shop with a young crowd.

A natural choic of conversation is sports, man.

You getting paid?

You play man.

Still get paid to the team that it's not like back in the 70s, they go so they feel they supposed to get paid.

They should get paid.

Though.

He's talking about how muc money he's also making on them.

They should get paid and caused by to get paid to.

They want to.

Right Like attendance be so damn low.

A lot of these games between baseball and basketball and baseball players, man, they just can't wait for getting them damn games.

No more baseball players.

They make way too much money.

They make way too much money for doing nothing.

I'm not a big fan.

They all back home we had a man who tried to stand at 100 mile block of flats.

I could do it for $1 million.

Right now we're not.

On the ball.

That ball goes pass.

But he got skew.

Ill strike!

Come on, come on.

That's what you really.

He played one year baseball.

I got too much respect.

You know, I'm saying with no.

And he played Game play one here strong hits underhand I play baseball.

But that's part of watching baseball is if the team get into a fight, if a pitcher hit like that's a the best part to watch a baseball game.

Is watching a fight.

I can get in the Yeah.

Get in that.

What's in the back and forth because it's constant motion like basketball plus to hit all the time plus exactly.

Oh man.

In that it's not like it's not like yeah it's not like football.

Well regardless these tickets it's too much money.

That's wh people dont go to a game man.

Yeah.

It's because they get in trouble for I mean, even it's still a ticket.

It's just like what the cheapest seat is like 52 bucks?

Yeah.

It's worth what you got to pay for.

Sometimes the destruction of the sitting in front of the TV at the crater.

Not more of nothing bette than some of the crater.

Yeah.

Not embarrassed.

Well, not.

I've been to a couple of.

I haven't tailgated I've tailgating.

No.

And I didn't go into the game and then have fun.

This had been a sunny day.

You would have then been able to enjoy the other half of the barber is the size.

You don't see too much.

What you do is take a break from cutting and do what we call poster.

This is poster.

So intent to post is to catch every young tender that may walk up and down the street.

And the people theres no tender is out here right now.

So we cannot post.

He's had to wait for a sunny day.

And get the idea what it's about.

Being as though this is like a, a post in an vain.

So I'm going back inside because I'm wasting valuable post time.

I'm going back inside.

There are female stylists at The Natural Choice who are expert at the intricacies of braiding working on her hea since we got here this morning, it takes a while.

This?

Yeah, that's only 5 or 7 hours.

These are work.

Yes.

I won't have to do it for a while How long have you come here.

I haven't this is my second time here.

Ten plays.

Example and natural choice.

Yes.

What you like about where you get your braids done.

I just like the way Kia does my hair.

While women are gettin their hair braided on one side, the men next door are talking about women.

You know I've been worked in barbershops where we had, like heated discussions on politics, women, religion, you know what I mean?

Sometimes we get into that in here, but I play moderator and I tr to keep everything to a minimum because it just gets too much.

What I mean, especially whe we get to start talking about, you know what I'm saying women Maybe not in Pittsburgh so much, but in general, you know, I' saying that's 7 to 1 is seven.

It's less.

I say it's more like six, si qualified women to one qualified man.

That's not how it works out No, because one of those qualified women got two kids, the other one gets one on the way.

Amen.

I ain't got no kids.

You ain't got no kids.

I mean, they get all ready to have that, straight down.

What?

They don't have kids these days, you fool.

That's wh when you find that you keep her, you don't play around, man.

Because I just First you find a girl when you dance Yeah.

You just.

That's not true.

You don't get.

No what I'm saying.

What you all is all.

Here's the thing.

You can't have no standards on where how you meet woman.

Yeah, I'm saying love don't.

No.

You know what I'm saying?

Okay.

I' going to meet a girl at a Librar I'm a meet a girl at church.

I'm gonna meet a girl.

Come on, boy, but you gotta have you.

You might find your woman out for one night stand.

I'm sorry.

You might be.

She might be like, oh, my.

I'm gonna tell you what You know, I'm saying I know some of the coldest girl that I went with was girls that I just met right away.

You know what I'm saying?

It was.

Yeah.

I mean, that was the one that was down to earth.

That's what society is like.

Because everybody live, regardless of where they live.

If I live for the day, that's reckless, man.

That's why we don't have no rules and everything is like it is.

it is safe.

And I'm sorry.

Yeah, I'm has an opinion and people say there's no such thing as longevity anymore.

No.

Now, now.

But a lot of kids you got marriage i marriage is lasting like a month and a half, two or three months.

Getting married.

Yeah.

Nobody I ain't been with four or five y That's the bottom line.

I can be with you for five years.

I could be with you the rest of my life.

Five years?

Five years.

should be like three, five years before I by officer.

You got to know who likes to talk.

Who don't like to talk.

Yeah.

I mean, you got to know who likes this.

You like that because you want them to feel comfortable when they come in something.

They just want to come sit still, listen.

They don't want to say nothing.

You got to know that.

So you just got to sit an cut their hair, let them listen.

Maybe chuckles a little bit.

And I said sit dont talk too mu Get it on, cuz That's how you get paid Got married hard at all Now you can scratch some scratch to your heart's kid Let's go get you some candy.

You a price you out o a critters in here real close.

You know she looking like that.

I don't know.

You know what I mean, right, Roscoe?

Okay, well, he missed a couple.

They still had tights and stalagmites.

Don't get all excited with that raisin.

Yeah I don't want no problems I'm a I'm a peace loving gas I take my time.

And we ready, take two.

So now Willie Tees, how can I help you Oh, you got to do this.

Come on in.

There you go I cant help you with the telephone.

God bless America.