Nassau News

After one of young James’ friends spent all of his money preparing for a dance, he remembered that he still needed a haircut. Afraid that this could ruin all of his preparations, he turned to James for help.

“He forgot to get his hair cut,” the barber now known as 'Masta Peace' said. “That isn’t good. You need a fresh haircut to make sure you look good. He knew this, so he came to me with a pair of clippers and asked me to give him a cut.”

James took the clippers and began to cut. This was the beginning of his career as a barber.

“I had no training. I just cut his hair because he was my friend and needed a haircut,” Smith said. “I looked at it when I was finished and realized I was good at it.”

It did not take others long to realize the boy was good, too. He started giving fades (a haircut where the hair gets shorter from top to bottom), and then began to learn other styles. “I got better at it,” he said. “And then people were lining up to get my cuts.”

At this point, he began charging $5 for his haircuts, a lower price than the regular $12 to $15 haircuts in most barbershops. At age 15, his dad decided to test his talents. “My dad saw me giving cuts for $5 and then he went out and got me a pair of clippers,” Smith said. “He came up to me, handed me the clippers and said ‘If you mess me up I’m gonna bust your ass,’ so I gave my dad a cut.”

His father approved, so Smith began to expand. He moved from $5 cuts for friends and neighbors, to $10 cuts, and then finally into barbershops. “I never went to barber school, but I had an old guy who took me under his wing,” he said. “He put me into the shop. He taught me everything you need to know---but when it comes down to it, it all depends on you.”

Eventually, Smith also gave himself a new name. “It came about one day when I was driving from New York City to Long Island.” he said. “I was eating a bag of Wise potato chips and I saw it on the bag and it fit me. I just changed the spelling and went with it.” The word Smith took from the bag was “masterpiece.”

Today, Masta Peace has been cutting hair for 22 years. “Phew,” he said, “I have cut at a ton of shops, probably about 12. I began running shops at 16 and had my own place at 17.”

Masta Peace is currently a barber at S&S Hair Care Studio, 684 Fulton Ave., Hempstead. He is one of six barbers on staff. He is constantly joking with customers or the barbers. The atmosphere within the shop is welcoming and very light hearted.

“He is a 100 percent sociable dude,” fellow barber Ty said. “He draws people to his chair. People come in and talk to him and they are drawn into his chair.”

Masta Peace is also not shy about getting new business. On occasion he will stand outside the barbershop and hand out flyers. He will even cross the busy street to get business.

“He is out there selling himself, making people want to come in. He is selling himself all day.” Ty said. “He has been doing it for so long he knows how to make people want to come in. When you’re a barber people have to like you. If they don’t like you they won’t give you their money and let you cut their hair.”

Masta Peace does all he can to make people like him. As soon as people step in the door he welcomes them with a smile and starts to talk. He will pause during a haircut to make jokes or talk to his customer. If the other barbers are talking, he will jump right in and ask the customers what they think.

After a day's work, Masta Peace Smith returns home to his wife and three children in Roosevelt, Long Island.

At age 34, with 22 years on the job, Masta Peace still enjoys his work. “I love to cut,” he said. “I cut hair for the love of it.”