While black men have worn hairstyles such as dreadlocks and afros since the beginning of time, low cuts reigned supreme for many years as it was deemed more “acceptable” for men of color by a Eurocentric society. That was the hairdo of choice for most hip-hop artists during the ’00s, and decades before that, black male singers rocked chemical relaxers in order to appeal to a mainstream white audience. These images were internalized, and as a result, an obsession with texturizers and durags took the community by storm. I vividly remember my male peers having grease in their backpacks and brushes in their pockets to maintain ‘waves’ or ‘good hair’ during high school nearly ten years ago. I know y’all do too.

However, millennials are breaking free from that mold.

Look no further than The Weeknd’s gravity-defying dreads that add flair to his red carpet suits, Jaden Smith’s skinny freeform locs, rap newcomer Lil Yachty’s red beaded braids or Metro Boomin’s bandana-wrapped kinks to see this is in action. Hell, even Young Thug’s messy bleached mop, that most people despise, deserves an honorable mention—so much so, that it’s hard not to appreciate that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it—and say what you want, the man’s music sounds fire in the club, okay?

versatility of natural hair — Photo: Instagram

Oh yeah, and we certainly can’t forget the 30 and up crew, including Future, whose black and blonde dreads are always wrapped in a loose bun or hanging down under a suede wide-brim hat or Omarion, whose cornrowed man-bun set the internet ablaze earlier this year.

versatility of natural hair — Photo: Instagram

To some, it’s just hair, but the coifs on these men are way more than that; they’re a declaration of self-love and appreciation for what was given to a people by nature in a world that says blackness is ugly. F what you heard, though, because it’s lit AF.

versatility of natural hair — Photo: Instagram

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Amber Alexander

Writing since May 2016 · 1 story contributed