As an African-American Chicago native, I too was skeptical of the barbershop scene when I came to Madison for grad school in 2008.
However, I have been very impressed with the quality of service and professionalism at JP's. First of all, the shop operates by apointment only, and is always open on time! Therefore, if you have an 8am appointment, your barber will be there waiting for you at 8am! This is major for busy people who don't have time to sit around waiting for backed up barbers.
I also appreciate the way that JP's runs his business. For example, it's obvious that the staff and clients have a lot of fun around the shop, and things may get a little rowdy at times. However, JP patrons and staff are always respectful of each other and are always mindful of JP's "no foul language" policy. I also appreciate JP's policy regarding children who are not being serviced at the shop. In all the times I have been there, I have never seen any children running unattended through the shop.
In addition to the above, I am also a big fan of the fact that JP's shop accepts credit cards. Sometimes, you just dont have cash. It's nice not to have to make a special trip to the ATM just to get a haircut.
My barber is Derek also known as "D", and I recommend him and all the other barbers highly.