Q: On a recent episode of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the comedic actor Marlon Wayans tugged at your beard and said, “I’m so jealous of this. I want to rob your face.” What did you think of that?

A: I thought it was funny.

Philadelphia, specifically among black men, was way ahead of the curve in terms of the popularity of wearing a beard. Rocking a beard in Philly is like wearing a chin crown. To what do you attribute the popularity? I know that there is a large percentage of African-American men in Philadelphia who are followers of the Islamic faith. Do you think that is a factor?

I do. I was raised as a Muslim. I think the beard, and specifically long facial hair, is indicative of a sense of wisdom, strength and royalty, and not just in Islamic. In most of the religious books, when men of faith or kings are described, they are usually described wearing long facial hair. The beard is a reflection of both wisdom and royalty.

I also think the barbers from Philly are the best when it comes to the beard game. I made the mistake of going to a barber who was not from Philly, and let’s just say, I would never do that again.

Do you have a specific barber from Philly that is your go-to guy?

I actually have three barbers from Philly that I use. Shout out to Faheem Alexander and the Hands of Precision shop in South Philly, Darien Hilliard in the East Falls section of Philly and Shaun “Shizz 215” Porter, a Philly barber based in Los Angeles. Those guys are true craftsmen.