If there’s one thing Queen Latifah is never going to miss on, it’s her hair. After we’ve marveled at her tresses for years, the multi-hyphenate has finally spilled the tea on how she keeps her hair laid to perfection, 21Ninety reports.
In a video making its rounds on social media, Latifah shares that her gorgeous locks are credited to hairstylist Iasia Merriweather.
In the video, the 52-year-old snacks on an apple while Merriweather works on her hair.
“I know y’all wanna know who does my hair,” she says in the clip. “Who gets this color so right, ‘Oh my God who is she?'”
Later, Latifah introduces Merriweather, calling her an “enigma.” Merriweather giggles as she combs through Latifah’s wet hair.
Queen Latifah finally shares the person behind her always-perfect hair 😭
Iasia Merriweather; hairbyiasia (Instagram) pic.twitter.com/5c7eQYdSuV
— Female Rap Room (@FemaleRapRoom) October 1, 2022
According to IMDb, Merriweather and Latifah go way back — she’s worked on movies like Bessie, Girls Trip, Just Wright and more. She’s also worked with the star on her TV appearances, and Merriweather even won a Daytime Emmy in 2014 for her work on Latifah’s hair on The Queen Latifah Show.
Merriweather was nominated for a Primetime Emmy the following year for her work on Bessie.
This isn’t the first time Latifah has shown some social media love to her longtime hairstylist.
Following her Emmy win, Latifah shared an Instagram post of her different hairstyles to celebrate Merriweather’s work.
“My hair guru Iasia Merriweather Wins Daytime Emmy! I Love You! #HeartOfGold!!!! Turn Down For What!!” she wrote.
View this post on Instagram
Though it appears that Latifah’s hair has been on point 24/7 thanks to Merriweather, prior to their partnership, that wasn’t always the case.
She confessed to Essence that early in her career, the back-to-back relaxers and heat used to style her hair almost cost her her edges.
“When I went on television, I started doing my hair so often because I had an album out at the same time. I was doing the show, so my hair was getting done four or five times a week — getting pressed and pressed. My edges started breaking and I was like ‘Yo!,’” Queen said with her no-nonsense Jersey-bred energy. “Now you’re talking to Hip-Hop’s Queen Latifah, not Khadijah. … So I was like, ‘I ain’t about to lose my edges over no show,'” she said, according to Essence.
What saved her tresses was learning that she needed to grow out her relaxer, and give her hair a break every now and again. That, plus Merriweather’s expertise, is how the star has maintained her hair’s health over the years.
According to Merriweather’s Instagram, those interested in getting their hair Latifah-laid by the stylist can reach out to hairbyiasiam@gmail.com for an appointment.
