Welcome to the Jungle: San Mateo Zoo brings the hottest cuts and hip-hop to the Peninsula.

Underground hip-hop heads and weekly haircut compulsives think about this for a minute? What do you call a place where you can get the freshest fades, tapers or designs for your hair at an honest price, And yet, minutes later purchase the newest underground hip-hop album? Alas, both groups can now bask together under one roof.

Welcome to the San Mateo Zoo ladies and gentlemen, catering to the hip-hop junkie and/or trend setting hair enthusiast, which is located conveniently near downtown San Mateo.

“The Peninsula was starving for it,” said Shane Nesbitt, owner of the San Mateo Zoo. “They needed some culture period.”

The San Mateo Zoo is the newest innovation created by San Mateo native, Shane Nesbitt. Nesbitt who once ran an underground hip-hop store called Below The Surface, shut down operations in December 2003.

Nesbitt’s interests in both underground hip-hop and haircuts led to the Zoo’s grand opening on May 13th 2005. Since then, hip-hop junkies and hair trendsetters have been flocking into Nesbitt’s shop regularly to see him and fellow barber, Carlo Contreras.

The San Mateo Zoo caters to all walks of life coming in and out of its shop, From college students to teenagers and even to pre-teens.

Skyline student, Allen Torres refuses to go anywhere else except the San Mateo Zoo because “the barbers cut real well and I’m always a satisfied customer.”

“Carlo is a tight barber, he does a great job with it,” said Torres. “I like the whole vibe of the shop, you can get a haircut and listen to dope music.”

“We do the next generation haircuts with the designs and lining,” Contreras said. “It’s a skill that not a lot of people have and we put pride into our work. It’s hard to find a mistake in my haircut.”

This new innovation not only sells hip-hop CD’s and vinyl, but also cassette tapes, paint spray, documentaries, permanent markers, tee shirts by Western Edition’s Ian Johnson and hats by HDK.

“We buy music directly from the record labels and/or the artist’s, some of which are exclusive and hard to obtain,” said Nesbitt.

According to Nesbitt, The San Mateo Zoo only sells underground hip-hop music because, “Independent music has been slept upon for years.”

Nesbitt doesn’t expect other businesses to copy his new innovation of a barbershop/music store because “independent hip-hop is hard to sell and won’t make that much money.”

But Nesbitt remains optimistic towards independent hip-hop selling in his shop, which accommodates to the people who love it and to the artist’s involved.

“We cater to people who need the distribution,” said Nesbitt. “We don’t sell commercial hip-hop because it’s already distributed heavily through the likes of radio.”

Whether you are a hip-hop junkie, graffiti writer, b-boy or just want the quote-un-quote urban cut, the modest atmosphere, the love for underground hip-hop and crisp cuts keep the patrons coming back fmore at the Zoo.

To sum up the vibe and atmosphere of the shop according to Contreras: “At the San Mateo Zoo, everything that comes of these doors is fresh.”