Gaia Earthpeace – Barber and Lyricist, She’s got Shear Talent

Everybody say Hi to Gaia (Hi Gaiaaaa!) – Gaia Earthpeace is a barber by day, rhymer by night. About a year ago, I decided to give my sugar bush the axe during a journey down to Gullah land, in efforts to free my mind, literally and figuratively.

Of course, after taking a pair of scissors purchased from the local Wal-mart to one’s head, a sister such as myself needed to get a fresh shape up from a barber IMMEDIATELY (pronounced with a gee sound, not a “d” just for emphasis.)

I had always admired the diagonal Mohawk design of my homegirl Arin Maya (who will be featured soon come) so I asked her who cut her hair. I was then referred to the artist known as Gaia Earthpeace.

Upon first meeting Gaia, I knew right away that she was well suited for grooming me back into my fresh fade persona. Her own loc’ed hawk was super fresh and her overall mannerisms reminded me very much so of home...she had “southern sensibilities” about herself.

Maybe that has something to do with the fact that she was raised in the DC metro area, right in northern Virginia, which is arguably the northernmost point of the Dirty. Or maybe it has something to do with the time she spent in Baltimore before moving to BK. Either way, Gaia approaches cutting hair as an art and the curator in me, really appreciates what she does to her canvases.

The barbershop where Gaia works, KJ Styles, has a Sankofa air about itself. Not in the sense that the barbers are garbed down with dashikis and kufis like that one continental brother in Ice Cuba’s Black Cult Classic. Rather, it’s a return to the traditional barbershops of yester-year. 

If you get a hair cut at KJ Styles, despite the fact that everybody is younger than 50, there won’t be any Waka Flocka busting from the speakers (wait, is he even still relevant?), brothers talking about the size of women’s asses (or even a severe case of whiplash happening if a sister happens to walk past on the sidewalk) and folks just have plain ole’ good manners.

I asked Gaia if she thought her presence changed the atmosphere of the shop at all. The laughter that broke out from everybody, including from its owner Kelly, lets me know that although the shop is very much so a throwback to a classic neighborhood institution, the barbershop is still at its core, a gentleman’s club.

But, this club is owned by a husband and wife duo and has a quality that is very communal and definitely creates a positive energy on the little strip of Throop between Hancock and Halsey where it is situated.

It’s been a few years that Gaia has been cutting professionally. She first started experimenting with cutting hair back when she was in college at Washington & Lee University. A few of her homeboys let her hook them up with new fades.

However, it wasn’t until she was older that she realized that cutting hair could become an invaluable tool that would prevent her from being a struggling artist and allow her to pursue her true passion – music.

Although, she’s superb at it, cutting hair isn’t the art form that drives Gaia to wake up in the morning. It’s actually her music. She credits Salt-N-Pepa for inspiring her to first pick up a microphone and putting together synthesized lyrics that draw from her college prep literature courses in high school.

Also inspired by life itself, this barber/lyricist also draws inspiration from the everyday commentary that happens during her 9-5 gig at the shop. Hold a conversation with her and you can tell that she’s a sister that is grounded in the earth yet there is something ethereal about her being.

She rhymes to save lives and engage the minds of her fans. Her subjects range from woman’s issues, to environmental consciousness, and varied existential musings. I’m anxiously awaiting her upcoming EP, The New Reign, which is scheduled for release this summer. 

In addition to showing off her production skills, the content is promised to include themes of liberation, enlightenment, self-awareness and the return of women to their seat of universal power.
Make sure  you check out my girl Gaia. Tell her I sent you.

Appointments at KJ Styles are run by a first-come/first-serve basis.

But for more information: KJ Styles  347.787.0436
547 Throop Ave. (between Throop and Thompkins)

For more info about Gaia’s music:
Reverb Nation
Myspace
Or look her up on Facebook