| A Loc Chat With Raymon and daez |
 |
| daez: Hi Raymon...what made you decide to loc your hair? Raymon: Deciding to loc my hair was a long thought out process....I wanted to be sure that it was something that, once I decided to do it, I would do it all the way....so I pondered the idea once I saw you start your locs...then I just started to see locs on more and more people. Then, my man Bilal (the singer), came out wit the "Soul Sister" song and video, and I saw the way he looked with his locs...I could visualize how MY locs would look...a twenty sac later and I was ready to loc....lol daez: What is your loc maintaince routine? Raymon: My loc maintaince routine consists of getting a monthly palm rolling of my teenage locs by Sly or Gwendolyn at "Sly's Salon"...other than that, I put on some oil with zero petroleum, preferably olive oil or something like that...I kinda like that African 6 Oil too...I use it sometimes also... daez: So Raymon, I know your scalp was giving you FITS for many months...are you still having problems, and if so why do you think this is? |
| Raymon: HELL YEAH daez...my stuff used to REALLY itch when it was shorter and I was just starting my locs!!! My scalp is ALREADY an itchy one anyway, but when I started to twist...OH MAN it ITCHED!! Now I have no real problems...it's back to the normal MANAGEABLE itching!! I kinda think it was from the product I was originally using before going to Sly's Salon...which was beeswax (OH NO!!...not THAT!!)...Sly originally used Princess Kayla's Nattycream and it was great! He went to a hair show, and now has a new product that I really like...I don't know the name of it right now, but I'll get it and update ya on it...I also have some flaking, but chalk that up to the 0% humidity we have here...and with the light greases that I use sometimes, the flakes beat the oil...if it's REALLY bad, Sly will give me an oil treatment... daez: You KNOW I would have loved to take care of your locs, but you just don't trust me, huh?...lol... Raymon: It ain't that I don't trust you...but you have to understand the rock and hard place I'm in here....my loctician doesn't want ANYONE else to do my hair!!...Ya'll know how that is...and hey, I did let you re-twist it once, remember?...and you know what else??? ...and this shit is ill...that n***** KNEW someone else did my hair!!! ... DAMN, braa (brother), how did ya know??? I guess it was some metaphysical shiznit.....lol daez: Do you have any problem with people touching your locs? Raymon: daez, ya know, a LOT of people have trouble letting people touch their locs..ya know, "no negative energy"...but if the vibe is good, and they are really interested and are one of those people who just want to learn something new, then I go ahead and let them....ya know, it's mostly "the others" anyway...and it truly amazes them that I go to a salon to get them done!! daez: Have you had any negative comments regarding your locs? If so, how have you responded? Raymon: Hey, I remember one day when I was first twisting my hair, probably my second week wearin' them... we went to the movies to see "Pootie Tang", and while we were going in, a group of "gentlemen", straight African descendants, no doubt... one asked his homies, not so much pointing in my direction, "WHAT the shit is THAT??"... And that was ok, because when you start your locs with short hair, your stuff can look "fadiculous!!"...I found out then that I can never let my hair look like that again...and if it does?...put on a kofi or something...lol...Here recently, a guy told me "If you want the good jobs, you need to cut off your locs so they won't think you smoke marijuana".... WHAT!!!!....he was STRAIGHT trippin'!!!...I'm one year down with this mug, and ain't about to cut NOTHING, ya know???....all the stuff I went thru to get here....STOP IT!!! That was Black on Black crime!!!!! daez: You have a professional job...how have your co-workers and employers adapted to your locs? Raymon: Being a professional AND a Black man working in healthcare, I work with a lot of white women. They are NOT going to make negative comments to ME. I told my employer I was planning to grow locs, and he asked to see them...his only comment was keep them nice and neat...it was cool.... daez: Raymon, you are moving to Oklahoma very soon. You will be looking for a new job. You've made it thru the frizzies, and your locs are looking good. So do you think being in a new environment with locs you will have problems finding a job? Will your locs be an issue for a prospective employer? Raymon: Well daez, you know that in the business world some people aren't ready for locs in the workplace... so on initial contact, it may sway them...but I feel once they get me in the meat of the interview they will see I am a man about business...Shout out to all my PHI BETA SIGMA Frats out there!! Ya'll know what I'm about!...and if they don't hire me because of my hairstyle choice, then they lost a damn good employee....that's all there is to it!! Plus, just to make my locs more business like, I wear a stocking cap before interviews to lay them down on my head and make them look more "FAVORABLE"... daez: You know Corey and I have "hand in loc disease"...we play with our locs all the time!! Do you have that problem, and if not, how did you avoid it? Raymon: I do find myself touching my locs at times..but you have to!!...After all, it's all new to me, so I want to know what they feel like, how they look individually...ya know, stuff like that..but the difference is, I just ADMIRE them, not TWIST them!! I let Sly or Gwen handle the twisting part....lol...although I HAVE twisted in the PAST, just to get one that was loose tight again...but I wet it down first...Sly is ALWAYS trying to get me to twist the ones that need re-twisting before the month comes again, but I'm janky....I just let them chill until I see him.... daez: Raymon, you've heard the comments about locs being nasty and dirty...do you believe this is fact or fiction? Raymon: Locs? Nasty??? Depends on the wearer...locs reflect YOU....so if yo' ass is nasty...then yo' locs will be nasty....lol.. daez: So you know I love to take pictures of your locs...and you have been so patient with me doing it...are you going to keep taking pictures and send them to me when you move to Oklahoma? Raymon: Well of course!! I would be doing it now if I had a digital camera, but I thought, why buy a camera for your "recycled" computer...when we move, we are going to take a step up in technology, and we'll have all the toys and trinkets too...so we will send all KINDS of pictures...ya know, kids, grandkids, kids recitals, games....all that and the kitchen sink...lol daez: So, Popi, do you have anything else you would like to add? Raymon: Well ya know Black people...we gots to do some shout outs...Naw, I ain't got nothing to say....except... Al-hamdu li-llah "All praise is due to Allah"...and hey SHAWNA, my heart...without you I could not breathe...you are my rib....I LOVE YOU...to my kids, ya'll know that love runs deep thru us, so don't forget....I LOVE YOU...to the one who growed me up into the man I am...MOMS..I just can't put into words the love and respect I have for you!! So, I'll just say this..I LOVE YOU...what up!! To the members of PHI BETA SIGMA Fraternity INC., Blue, White And Blue There is NOTHING For You I Wouldn't Do....Zetas..I love each and every one of ya'll....Z-phi-B. To all my other loved ones and friends...One LOVE.... daez: Well, thank you for always being so sweet to me...you know I love you soooo much! I am going to miss you boo!! Raymon: daez....daez....daez...I have NO problem being sweet to you....look at what you have given ME....for HER (Shawna), I am eternally grateful...and just know that I love you too...fa' sho'...and I'll definetly miss ya!....like a leg....you know, life is just more interesting with you around..... |
 |
 |