Oxymoron: Little Akhi

My barber is an Albanian Muslim but was born here in the US.  If you ask him, he's from Jersey (son).  He's a young brother who stays on his hustle and gives me the best razor-sharp line-up in Manhattan.  As with most barbers our relationship is more business than friendship, but we always claim to hangout one day.

As he finished shaping up my beard the other day, he said, "Ohhhh, you a little akhi now!"

I said huh? Whats that supposed to mean?  And why I got to be little? I said, jokingly, "Oh cuz my beard is not hanging to the floor?"

He started laughing.  He said, "Most of the akhi's I know ...is big," motioning his hands way outside of his own big frame.

[uh oh, here comes another stereotype...]

"Akhi's be coming straight from prison wit the thobes and the beards..."

me: "Maaannn, what?"

barber: "Yea, you know alot of people become Muslim in prison."

[like that's something new to me...]

me: "And they all come out BIG and with beards and thobes huh?"

barber: "Yeeaaaaaaaaaa, I'ma take you to Jersey one day."