Today we’d like to introduce you to Marshall Paskel.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Marshall. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I am a barber today because my cousin that I most admired as a kid is one. Becoming a barber kinda happened out of necessity. My mother wasn’t paying our neighborhood barber so he would put my brother and I dead last and wouldn’t give us the fresh haircuts that we saw in the videos. I decided to trace the haircuts that my cousin gave us when we visited him in Mississippi. Soon after, I was cutting all the kids on the block and making money at an early age. Being a barber, I had to keep up with the trends that I saw on tv which fueled my flame for music and entertainment. The shop that I was working in was nestled right in the heart of a community that was a hotbed for emerging rappers such as Doe or Die and Psycho Drama, plus two of my high school classmates were with Twista and the Speedknot Mobstas. Being around that energy led me to pursue music, that particular shop on Harrison and California is where I met Ish and Andre who would later become my partners in the rap group Project Mayhem. We would go on to create classic music and discover two of the dopest MC’s in the city; MC Tree and Chris Crack! I later expanded to creating nightlife culture with a series of parties called The Dope Party and managing other artists like Brian Fresco. These things and my new venture; Coronation Creatives wouldn’t be possible without the artistic and financial freedom that being a barber allowed me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being in a barbershop in the hood is always a challenge, especially one that was located in a highly gang infested neighborhood. There were times when gang ways are would slow your business down completely and sometimes put you in danger. Watching little Black boys grow up to be killers or not even grow up at all is mainly the reason why I would put together basketball teams and pay for studio time. There are so many talented kids but very few outlets.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Coronation Creatives – what should we know?
Coronation Creatives is a barbershop in nature but also a think tank where like minded individuals can bounce ideas around. I specialize in haircuts but I may be best known for my contributions to music and nightlife, it all depends on who you ask in the city. My biggest accomplishment is when I see kids that had a small chance at success actually succeed! My proudest moment was when one of my kids (young customer) who’s a successful journalist in New York, told me that I was his role model.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
The owner of the first shop i worked at deserves a lot of credit, it’s ironic because he’s not known as a good guy and is actually in trouble with the law now but he was like a uncle to me and gave me advice and opportunities that made me the man I am today. I also draw inspiration from my clients such as Brian and Autumn from Sir and Madame, Rello from Vita Morte, Brandon Rials and Regular Ty inspire me because these are some of the leading fashion creatives and they rely on me to keep them fresh! Drew the Barber, Razor Red, Leon Joshua and Rod inspire me because they unknowingly made me open up my own shop, these among other barbers are my peers and inspire me to be better. Enstumental Drew inspires me artistically and socially, when he comes in we talk about the much needed work we can do as far as pushing the arts forward to the youth and developing the artist in every black child. Fashion Geek Zo and Dante from the Fashion Firm are the guys that I feel like I’m in the struggle with the most besides my Mayhem – Dope Party brothers, these are the guys that I feel see things the way I see them and want the same results; Certified FlyGuys. Last but not least is every customer that sits in my chair, they all inspire me to make them look their best so that they can go out into the world and have the confidence to be the best person they can be!
Contact Info:
- Address: 735 S Western ave, Chicago Ill 60623
- Email: Iennon@thedopeparty
- Instagram: 1twin_niwt1 , ll_leno
- Twitter: projectmayhemil
Image Credit:
Marc Moran, Rob Washington
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