ELIJAH THE BARBER
“It’s all about being relatable,” says barber and standup comedian Elijah the Barber.
Elijah Medley is a South Jersey native who spends his days cutting hair at Yusef’s Unique Cuts in Berlin, and his nights onstage making people laugh.
“It’s a bucket list thing,” Medley says, “I had a background in music and poetry, and I wrote comedy for two years before I actually tried standup.”
His first performance was at an open mic in Atlantic City, five years ago. He now considers himself The King of Barbershop Comedy, having toured across the country as a comedian.
Although it may seem random to be both a barber and a comedian, Medley finds them closely related since they both provide therapeutic services.
“Similar to barbering, my job is to make people leave feeling better than what they did when they came,” he says. “It’s therapeutic for myself as well as the people that I’m bringing laughter to. Comedy is therapy, and a barber is the cheapest therapist you can have.”
Inspired by Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Kevin Hart and Trevor Noah — because of their storytelling abilities and joke-writing style, showcasing their experiences and personal growth — Medley incorporates similar elements to his shows. “I believe all of them have made timeless material,” Medley says.
Like the famous comedians he admires, Medley focuses on stories about his life experiences. “Barbershop talk is things that men deal with as men,” he says. “It’s like a gentleman’s country club at the end of the day. It’s the different characters, the different situations, the experiences. It’s sports talk, relationship talk, family talk.”
Elijah the Barber, onstage.
Determined to find success, Medley created a seven-year plan for his comedy career, including three standup specials: “Kut N Up,” “Trust Issues” and “Full Circle.”
“Year one: open mics, grind out, get experience and try to get your name known,” he says, “Year two: get booked for shows and develop your style and how you want to look. Year three: keep doing shows and work on a comedy special. In year four, last year, I hit the road and traveled to different states and constantly networked. Year five: time for another comedy special.”
“Kut N Up” was released on YouTube in 2023. It served as an introduction to his comedy career, showcasing another side of his personality that he doesn’t express at the barbershop.
“I had three years’ worth of material just scattered,” he says, “It was more of an introduction because, in the barbershop, people consider me quiet, more laid-back, so my customers say things like ‘You do comedy? You seem so quiet, so serious.’ ”
“Trust Issues,” will be filmed live at Reflections in Turnersville on Feb. 8. (Tickets are available at Eventbrite.com.) The increased expectations for a second project and the deeply personal subject matter added pressure to this special.
“This special is more personable, so I had to think deeper into my life, my childhood, my upbringing, my experiences, marriage, divorce, loss, death, grief, parenting,” Medley says.
Even the venue for the live show holds sentimental value as it is the same place where he was married and hosted his mother’s surprise 60th birthday party.
In preparation for the show, Medley has been practicing his jokes at the barbershop. He also constantly records and reviews his performances. “I study my game tapes and rate and rank my jokes,” he says, “I listen to the laughs and see what jokes get the most reaction, and I compare them to themselves in different cities and states.”
ELIJAH THE BARBER
Although he has performed across multiple states, Medley prefers to stay close to home in Sicklerville because of his connection to the audience, which allows him to explore his comedy style. “South Jersey is more laid-back and you can be in a more storytelling mode,” he says. “You don’t have to be super loud and crazy aggressive.”
The “Trust Issues” show will start at 7:30 p.m. and feature a DJ, food, vendors, and a photo booth. After his hour-long set beginning at 9, Medley will host a meet-and-greet.
“When you’re doing a comedy special, the people are coming to see you so you can say the alphabet backward, and most times, people want to laugh,” he says. “But at the same time, there needs to be things that keep their attention. I don’t want people to come in and be sitting down twiddling their thumbs.”
“Trust Issues” will be released on YouTube later this year.
According to Medley’s career plan, his third comedy special, “Full Circle,” should be released in 2027. As the title suggests, the show will bring his career full circle by being filmed in Atlantic City, the same city as his first performance.
Reflecting on his comedy career so far, Medley says, “It was the best decision I ever made, because comedy saved my life.”
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