فيلي بيرد ..... Philly Beard

Quote: The long reach of the Philly beard The styles on display on the streets of Philadelphia point to a rich cultural past January 17, 2015 2:00AM ET by Hisham Aidi @UptownBerber On Dec. 30, Philadelphia-based hip-hop artist Freeway launched his own line of facial hair cream called Best Beard. Made from shea and mango butters, beeswax and organic oils, the cream comes in different scents, including blueberry and nutmeg. Freeway, who achieved fame in the early 2000s recording with Jay-Z and Beanie Segal on Roc-a-Fella Records, is synonymous with the long, scraggly Philly beard that is now popular in the hip-hop world and beyond. Freeway is aware of his role as a trendsetter and authority in global beard culture. “It’s taken me years to master the art of facial hair,” he says in a hilarious promotional video for his “man beard” lotion. Dabbing kiwi fruit pulp on his whiskered chin, he explains, “I’ve traveled to the farthest corners of the earth, and I’ve spoken to and mentored some of the most renowned, respected bearded legends of our time, [and] I’ve harnessed all of my wisdom into this little bottle.” The rapper, a Muslim, says he wears his beard for religious reasons but is delighted to see how the Sunnah — as the beard is called in Philly — has caught on even among non-Muslims.