DeNorval Parks, AKA Six, The Book of Knowledge, the Six-million Dollar Barber forms the soul of the Levels triumvirate along with Kamal Nuru and Larry Wilson. A Desert Storm veteran who was hit by a car when he was twenty-two, he would eventually come to lose his two legs as a result of the complications that arose from that accident. However, Six is so much more than a double-amputee: he is a true tonsorial artist capable of standing on his two prosthetics longer than most on their natural legs. He approaches barbering with the belief that the barbering experience is a spiritual experience where two people come together and share of themselves. He listens, he dishes out advice, he strives to be whatever you need him to be. Six has been barbering for over eighteen years and brings to the profession a curiosity, both for the profession and for life. (Just ask him about apple cider vinegar.) DeNorval has invested his life into Levels and the profession and is, “the driving force behind all the fly shit.”
Larry Wilson, is a partner of Levels and was there at the beginning—literally helping to rip off the old plastered walls to exposed the brick, and put in the wood floors that would come to represent the Levels aesthetic at the Levels-125th shop and beyond. Larry and fellow partner Kamal Nuru have been working together for almost thirty years, carefully shaping the Levels franchise and distinguishing Levels from all the other barbershops in New York City. Larry prides himself in giving his clients a calm and collected, laid back, kind of experience, one in which both he and his clients feel open to talk about anything. As such, he boasts a clientele ranging from local folk to celebrities that have been going to Larry for years. He is the premier Levels athlete and is a sports guy. He specializes in conservative cuts, afros, and tapers.
Edgar, AKA “The Underground Barber” is Levels-Lexington’s oldest barber and has been cutting and grooming for over 28 years. He started by cutting his own hair and today has clients that have been coming to him—and only him—for years. Edgar brings to Levels a kind of “Dominican-in-a-Black-Barbershop” kind of uniqueness and prides himself in creating a no-judgement zone for his clients. He is also an avid runner and a personal trainer. He is a connoisseur of the classic, timeless cut—the sort of haircut that almost appears to not even be a haircut, but that requires the attention to detail that only an expert is capable of.
See Him In Action
See Him In Action
Tamaine Everything evolves, but the purpose of evolution is to advance while retaining core values. In barbering, the evolutionary formula is classic and current. These units work together to produce a solid foundation for others to build upon and model.
Such an invention requires a visionary who is tenacious enough to maintain structure while being flexible enough to allow for natural and sometimes unpredictable shifts in progress. For Levels Barbershop that visionary is Tamaine, the general manager. Tamaine’s management style is a combination of self-crafted drive and familial leadership abilities. As the nephew of Levels Barbershop proprietor Kamal Nuru, Tamaine (whose birthday is one day after Kamal’s), shares many of his uncle’s personality traits—namely, a determination to succeed and a knack for relating to people of diverse backgrounds. Tamaine relies heavily on these talents when he is overseeing six out of eight Levels' branches. In addition to making sure that the handbook guidelines are being implemented, Tamaine also holds meetings with the managers to ensure that the standard for the Levels' brand is upheld. His latter role is instrumental to the growth of Levels because it sets the tone of trendy sophistication for the barbershops. As Tamaine points out, Levels is more than a barbershop. "It's a family-oriented, stress-relieving hub," he said. "People come to Levels for the great haircuts, but they come back for those atmospheric elements that accent the Levels' brand: the conversations between the clients and barbers, the music that makes their heads bop, the consistent attention to detail throughout each part of the haircut," he added.
When asked about his hobbies, Tamaine said, "I like learning and motivating myself and others.”
Such an invention requires a visionary who is tenacious enough to maintain structure while being flexible enough to allow for natural and sometimes unpredictable shifts in progress. For Levels Barbershop that visionary is Tamaine, the general manager. Tamaine’s management style is a combination of self-crafted drive and familial leadership abilities. As the nephew of Levels Barbershop proprietor Kamal Nuru, Tamaine (whose birthday is one day after Kamal’s), shares many of his uncle’s personality traits—namely, a determination to succeed and a knack for relating to people of diverse backgrounds. Tamaine relies heavily on these talents when he is overseeing six out of eight Levels' branches. In addition to making sure that the handbook guidelines are being implemented, Tamaine also holds meetings with the managers to ensure that the standard for the Levels' brand is upheld. His latter role is instrumental to the growth of Levels because it sets the tone of trendy sophistication for the barbershops. As Tamaine points out, Levels is more than a barbershop. "It's a family-oriented, stress-relieving hub," he said. "People come to Levels for the great haircuts, but they come back for those atmospheric elements that accent the Levels' brand: the conversations between the clients and barbers, the music that makes their heads bop, the consistent attention to detail throughout each part of the haircut," he added.
When asked about his hobbies, Tamaine said, "I like learning and motivating myself and others.”
