January 10, 2019

Check out Kenny Leone’s Artwork

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kenny Leone.

Kenny, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
My story started as young child in East Boston. I would receive terrible haircuts from neighborhood salons and the occasional cousin or uncle in times of desperate need for one. When I was twelve, I learned to take the bus out of the city. I would get on the bus and head to a barbershop where I can have a choice over my barber and hairstyle, even if this meant traveling far out of the city without my family knowing. As my young mind saw it, I didn’t have to specify what barbershop I was going to when I said i was going to one. A group of my friends and I would make the journey every few weeks, we thought it was the coolest thing.

Shortly after, my mother bought a pair of cheap clippers so that she can cut my younger brother’s hair. I insisted that she let me do it instead. Once I started using the clippers, I knew I was obsessed. I bragged to all my friends about my new skill and believe it or not, most of them let me cut their hair.

Eager to learn more, I started hanging around the barbershop where the older kids in my neighborhood worked and began asking questions, I wanted to learn fades. I believed I could be just as good of a barber as anyone else, so I bought a salon chair and placed it in my basement, along with a makeshift work station. This is when I knew that I wanted to turn my passion into a career.

I made the official decision to pursue my dream job in my junior year in high school. I dropped out when I was sixteen and wasted no time to sign up for a three week GED prep course, within the month I had my GED and was enrolled in the New England Hair Academy.
By the age of seventeen, I received my barbering license and was working full time before I was even supposed to graduate high school.

That first job only lasted about a year, and over time I worked at a few different shops, ranging from ethnic fade shops to your average grandfather’s barbershop. In these ventures, I have gained valuable knowledge on different hairstyles and added them to my skill set. I learned how to cut a vast array of hair textures with an obsession for the straight edge razor. I have perfected the mild, classics and enjoy creating custom designs with lines and shapes.

In 2009, I began a job in the heart of Boston. It was a little different than what I was used to, more fast paced with clients ranging from college students, to people from all around the world stopping in to get their hair cut. This is where I met Mike Baldino who I worked with for a couple years until he offered me a job at his his salon, currently 333 Salon and Barbershop.

When you love what you do, your work becomes art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a barber at 333 Salon and Barbershop. I use peoples heads as a canvas, replicating design and look with finesse and suggestions. When clients come into the salon, I take what they want for a style and I bring it to the max in the best way possible, such as tapered back, razored edges, and shaping to the head. A motto I like to live by is “You’re only as good as your last haircut”, which is why I will always make sure my clients leave confident and happy.

What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
My advice is to never limit yourself. It is always good to break out of your comfort zone and try new things. Try to experiment with your art, because you never know when you could discover something amazing. Don’t doubt yourself or your capabilities.

Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you?
I showcase my work on my Instagram @5starkenny, where clients can browse and get inspiration for their next cut by me. Support by booking online at 333boston.com under Kenny Leone, for any barber style haircut you would desire.

Contact Info: