Semi freeform, braided dreads, bleached, thinning would explain why Lil Wayne Dreads continuously make the headlines.

What makes this even more impactful is the new generation of rappers with dreads he’s inspired due to his cultural impact.

Our editorial covers each stage of Lil Wayne’s Dreads past and present until 2024 today!

How and When did Lil Wayne Dreads Start?

How: Lil Wayne dreads were initially started by the semi freeform method in 2002.

This would explain his thick hair and roots in his earlier photos. He then transitioned into having his hair maintained at the root.

When: Lil Wayne began his dreads back in 2002 and has been growing his hair for over 20 years at this point.

Within that 20 year period we have seen his hair in a loose afro, curls, cornrows, traditional dreads and free formed.

Lil Wayne Dreads Gallery

Late 90s – 2003
Style at the time – Cornrows and Semi Freefom Dreads

Prior to his starter dreads Wayne can be seen in multiple cornrow hairstyles throughout the late 90s and early 2000s.

All archive images of Wayne during the late 90s features his braids styled in multiple ways during his time in the Hot Boyz music group.

His transition began in 2002 when his hair was taken out of cornrows and placed in semi freeform dreads, this would eventually grow into short thick locks.

As time when on his hair began to form and shape into its own pattern due to the minimal manipulation.

2003 – 2006

Style at the time –  Semi Freeform Dreads

With his hair still growing and maturing at this stage we were able to see his hair density increase whilst simultaneously growing in length as they reached his shoulders.

2007 – 2010s

Style at the time –  Traditional Dreads

Now a household name at this point and the period most would deem the peak of his career we saw Wayne’s hair at full maturity with his dreads reaching his back.

For most people 2008 is the year Wayne took over the rap world with his album The Carter 3 and in most of the music videos in support of his album we saw his dreads now pencil sized and maintained at the root.

With the resizing of his dreads Wayne began to style his hair in multiple ways from his braids to his 2 strand twists, both trademark looks for the rapper.

2014 – 2015 (Dreads Cut)

Style at the time – Freeform Dreads

In 2014 Wayne had cut his dreads as you can see from his ends. At this point he had been growing them for 12 years.

The decision to cut them was primarily for wanting a new look whilst also being easier to maintain.

As dreads begin to grow in length weight is increased which can be an inconvenience to some.

Its also at this point we begin to see Lil Wayne dreads get experimented with bleach and colour with one of the first colours being red at the tips.

2018 – 2022 (Bleached Hair)

Style at the time –  Freeform Dreads & Bleached

 Having cut his dreads in half a few years ago he also joined multiple dreads to form multiple big dreads which is a common practice.

In addition to this we can see Wayne’s crown thin at the top which the next sections perfectly pinpoints out.

2024 (Current)

Wayne’s dreads were predominately styled in tightly in the early 2000s which has lead to thinning crown in 2024.

Since he has increased the density and size of his dreads today he won’t be able to style his hair as he used too.

The crown is particularly susceptible to traction alopecia because it bears the brunt of the tension from these hairstyles.

Since Wayne has been doing styles since the 90s as our gallery proves the repeated pulling and stress on the hair follicles can caused weakening.

Key Take Away: Maintenance!

Dreads require the upmost care since they can catch dirt, latch onto fluff or even worse break off if not managed.

Wayne is a great example of what can happen to an individual if hair is not managed well and you’re going to need to learn from his mistakes. Ensure you

• Oil your scalp
• Keep protective styles in for maximum of 8 weeks
• Protect hair at night or doing any physical activity
• Spray rose water on your dreads to lock in moisture
• Allow for retwisting every 4-6 weeks so your scalp can breathe, reduce tension and pulling. This is ultimately how to avoid traction alopecia
• Talk to a loctician and get a Consultation for professional guidance and help

To stay updated on everything happening in men’s style/lifestyle, street culture & music follow @heartafact on Instagram

The post The Evolution of Lil Wayne Dreads (2003 – 2024) appeared first on Heartafact.

The 1st Rapper with Dreads

(Video Breakdown)

Whilst our editorial lists all the rappers that have dreadlocks in their hair we have to start with the man who did it 1st! Busta!

Dreads often time fall into different categories such as

• Freeform
• Semi freeform
• Traditional

Our list contains representation of each dreadlock style as the rappers with Dreads individually have different styles. Some rappers starting with traditional locs then changing into freeform while some have maintained the traditional look throughout their entire career. Let’s dive into it!

Disclaimer: While we understand rappers are constantly changing hairstyles and cutting their hair this list includes those with Dreads today. The list will be updated according to artists cutting their Hair or starting the process to grow them.

Here are the Most Popular Rappers with Dreads

Lil Wayne

Current Style – Freeform

Lil Wayne’s Dreads has gone through many different phases with his current hairstyle now being freeform locs.

Initially Wayne was introduced to the world of Hip Hop with cornrows, after which he transitioned into getting dreadlocks during the early 2000s.

His dreadlock process started with traditional locs which saw Wayne style his hair in many different ways from 2 strand twists to loc cornrows. With years of stress and manipulation to the scalp Wayne experienced some balding which leads us to believe his choice to freeform his hair was too style it less which would prevent more hair loss. Today he chooses to rock his dreads with blonde dye.

Snoop Dog

Current Style – Traditional

Since his Debut Snoop’s hair has been a great part of his image and personal style. Throughout the years Snoop has been seen styling his hair in many different ways evident by GQ’s editorial – Snoop Dogg has the best hair game in hip hop

During 2012 Snoop went under the alias Snoop Lion in preparation for the release of his reggae album Reincarnated. Wanting to fully embrace Jamaican and Rastafarian culture Snoop began to grow his hair in Dreadlocks and travelled to Jamaica to embody the full essence of the culture. As we mentioned in the introduction, for some rappers with dreads it’s solely just a hair style, for Snoop Dog however it became a spiritual transition with deeper meaning.

If we wrote this editorial in the 2000s Snoop would have been number 1 on our Most Popular Rappers with Braids list.

2 Chainz

Current Style – Semi Freeform

2 Chainz hair journey started off with braids which he would eventually turn into dreadlocks during 2004 – 2005. During the initial early phase 2 Chainz started his dreads the traditional way while styling it in 2 strand twists and then taking them out for a twist out curly look.

Today however 2 Chainz has semi freeform locs which appear thicker due to the combination of 2 or 3 dreads to make one dread. He also has dyed part of his dreads blonde giving it a unique look. He has had dreadlocks for over 15 years therefore he decided to trim some length off in 2020, however his hair still long.

Migos

Current Style – Traditional

We can’t forget the Migos, southern based Hip Hop group who rose to fame with the hit Versace. It’s clear and evident dreadlocks formed a part of the group image which helped fans identify them, similarly to how LOX back in the 90s all rocked the bald look. A group look and brand identity is important and the Migos have that down to a T with their dreadlocks.

So much so that at one point offset was the only rapper without dreads in the group while both Quavo and Take off had them but much shorter at the time. Today the group style their hair in multiple ways from 2 strand twists, tied up and pony tails. It’s worth mentioning Take off has the thickest dreads out of the group.

Lil Durk

Current Style – Traditional

A common hairstyle amongst Drill rappers coming from Chicago are dreadlocks with artists such as Chief Keef, Lil Durk and Young Chop being the face of the sub-genre and look. It’s no coincidence that rappers from Chicago also producing the same music have similar hairstyles. Its apart of their culture.

For those of you unaware Lil Durk is now on his 2^nd set of dreadlocks. If you remember his first appearance in music he had long dreadlocks and then had to cut them, which he details in the Vlad Interview below.

Today he keeps his dreadlocks neat, in 2 strand twists and with blonde dye.

Outside of dreads in Hip Hop braids are also a popular hairstyle, therefore we have also covered the most popular rappers with Braids

Jay- z

Current Style – Freeform

Since Jay-z’s debut in 1996 we have only been accustomed to seeing him in 2 hairstyles, 1 being low cut haircuts and the other being mini afros. Previously when jay decided to grow his hair it meant he was recording an album & after the album was done Jay would then cut his hair, begin his promo run and shoot music videos.

Fast forward to 2018 we began to see Jay-z grow his hair longer without much manipulation creating the freeform look. For Jay his locks represent freedom against society & capitalist systems, he goes on to rap about this on Meek Mill’s “Whats Free” track

“Look at my hair free, carefree, niggas ain’t near free

Enjoy your chains, what’s your employer name with the hairpiece”

Evident that these dreads aren’t just a hairstyle but more an expression of freedom

J Cole

Current Style – Freeform

Cole maintained a low cut fade for the first half of his career, he then made the transition to lock his hair around 2014. This was also started with a freeform method in which we saw Cole grow his hair out into an afro while his dreads started to form.

Due to his dreads being freeform it’s easy to see that some locks are bigger than the others due to no manipulation and styling. The freeform dreads for Cole has meant a way to be true to yourself without chasing commercial success or fame. His hair is a reflection of his new musical direction. While Cole is one of the most successful artists he chooses to not focus on the fruits of his labour but rather the things that matter in life and his hair helps identify with people of the same belief system.

Lil Baby

Current Style – Traditional

Lil Baby began his loc journey around 2019 and has maintained a neat taper fade in the front and side. He usually cornrows his dreadlocks or has them in 2 strand twists. It also appears that he prefers no colour in his hair giving it a full healthy look while they still grow at this stage.

Recently Lil Baby’s hairstylist went viral for handling the rappers dreadlocks. In an attempt to market her services Lil Babies stylist can be seen demonstrating her wash, twist and style process. Read more Lil Baby’s Hairstylist

T Pain

Current Style – Traditional

Similarly to Lil Durk, T Pain is now on his 2^nd set of Dreadlocks. If you cast your mind back to 2005 when he was first introduced to the masses with hits such as I’m sprung T Pain had semi freeform dreadlocks. They were thick and long.

The decision to cut them came about from the death of his uncle. T Pain stated that he was advised by his uncle to chop off his dreadlocks in order to propel his career in a dream.

He later began to regrow them again in 2017 and has kept them ever since.

Chief Keef

Current Style – Traditional

As we mentioned before Dreadlocks naturally became the Drill look with the majority of artists from Chicago styling their hair this way. Outside of Lil Durk, Chief Keef is regarded as the main act to bring the Drill sound to the mainstream and he’s look played a major part.

Chief Keef started his rap career with very small locs which have now grown relatively long. Due to his hair length he regularly trims the ends and constantly has his hair in 2 strand twists.

Wiz Khalifa

Current Style – Traditional

Wiz Khalifa being one of the biggest artists of the last decade first burst onto the scene with his hit Black and Yellow. During this time period Wiz Khalifa had an afro with a patch of yellow dye which served as marketing for the song as well as personal branding. Wiz then underwent a new look which was to grow his hair into locs.

At first we saw Wiz being very experimental by dying all his hair purple and then blonde. Today he prefers a more natural look with his hair being all black and normally in 2 strand twists.

Future

Current Style – Traditional

Future may have one of the most recognisable dreadlocks in Hip Hop Today. His locs now reach his back and have been dyed blonde. He takes very good care of his hair and makes sure to bring his stylist with him on tour for regular maintenance and upkeep.

Future for the most part has gone to the same stylist Shekinah Anderson since he was 16 years old and based on their friendship and trust has continued to use her. He also keeps his hair in multiple different styles from 2 strand twists or pony tails.

Lil Pump

Current Style – Traditional

While majority of rappers with dreads are of black descent and African American, Lil Pump’s parents are from Colombia which makes his hair texture differ from the rest on this list.

With that said Lil Pump’s dreadlock journey was started by keeping rubber bands in the root in order to lock it. As they began to grow he would begin to constantly put colour in his hair. Most notably blonde and pink dye in his hair. Lil pump used colour in his dreadlocks as a personal branding strategy to stand out from his peers coming out of the sound cloud rapper era.

Uzi

Current Style – Traditional

Similarly to Lil Pump, Uzi is known for his constant dreadlock colour changes. He constantly uses beach and dye to transition into different colour and styles.

Uzi is also on his 2^nd set of dreadlocks. Back in 2019 Uzi decided to cut his dreads for braids and rocked this look for a year. He then decided to attach dreads to his hair. This is evident that not only does Uzi like to experiment with colour but also hairstyle. We wouldn’t be surprised if he has a completely different look next year.

Playboi Carti

Current Style – Traditional

Since Playboi Carti’s debut album we have seen him style and dye his hair in various creative ways.

For example his red coloured dreadlocks marks a time in Hip Hop in which he used the loud colours in support of his upcoming album at the time “Whole Lotta Red”

I recorded the most iconic Playboi Carti Dreadlocks Signature looks which goes into detail

From our archives we can see Carti began his dreads with the sponge twist method which would later mature into locs that are maintained at the root.

Polo G

Current Style – Traditional

Whilst Polo G’s hair started out as an afro he transitioned into having his hair twisted with a sponge and over time leaving it to matt together creating semi freeform dreads.

Today however he now has them maintained at the root with his signature style being 2 strand twists.

Outside of the 2 strand twists signature look we have seen him styling his hair in various styles such as the Half Tied Up, twist out, and dreadlock cornrows.

21 Savage

Current Style – High Top Dreads

21 Savage began his hair journey between 2016 and 2017 with a high top fade that would form into matted hair and then locs maintained at the root.

In the 6+ years of his hair growth his dreads have not passed his shoulders which would suggest he constantly has them trimmed which is a popular thing to do.

The culture in Atlanta throughout the decades consists of men styling their hair in locs and we have early examples of this from Lil Jon, fast forward too today and we have the tradition still presenting itself on contemporary rappers such as 21 Savage.

More Rappers with Dreads (Images)

Without much debate it is evident that dreadlocks in modern times are synonymous with Jamaican & Rastafarian culture. While many individuals choose dreadlocks as a hairstyle its worth mentioning their spiritual value. With that said Hip Hop culture has deep roots to Jamaica with DJ Kool Herc birthing the sound in the Bronx during the early 1970s.

The post Rappers with Dreads (With Video Breakdown) appeared first on Heartafact.

You know your onto an interesting set of locks when it belongs to a rapper whose hair has caused controversy and speculation which is why our Trippie Redd Dreads editorial continues to be highly sought after.

Our editorial covers his previous dread colours and hairstyles as well as his current look

How and When did Trippie Redd Dreads Start?

How: From the older images we found on the internet suggests that his dreads were started in a semi freeform fashion and how do we know this?

His roots are fizzy and unkempt which would suggest he started with a sponge twist and left them to grow.

As they gained length, he then introduced a maintenance routine but at the beginning his hair was started this way.

When: From our archives we can see Trippie began his dreads during 2015 and 2016.

He has been growing his hair for over 5 years at this point with no signs of slowing down.

Trippie Redd Dreads are Fake? (Video)

As we mentioned before, rather than speculate we will investigate rumours of the rapper placing dread extensions in his hair. See video from Great locs below.

Our opinion on Dreadlock Extensions

In our honest opinion we don’t judge rappers with dreads that use extensions to help them achieve their desire length and density. Therefore, if this is something Trippie decides to do then so be it.

We as well as music fans appreciate honesty and a great example of this can be seen on Fetty Waps dreads! He didn’t try to lie about having locks installed and was honest from the start.

Well to be fair It would be harder for him to lie about it since he went from an afro fade to dreads overnight, you can’t fool us that easily.

Trippie Redd Dreads Gallery

Red Dreads

His Red dreads are his signature look for 2 reasons

–His association to the blood gang who wear red colours.

–Its in his name, Duh!

For those reasons alone we have seen multiple Trippie Redd images of his dreads dyed in this colour.

Not only does this make it a signature look for the rapper but one in which he has influenced his fans with. Today its more common to see colourful dreads due to his influence.

Blonde Dreads

At this point we have had a large representation of rappers dying their hair blonde from Lil Durk to Sofaygo dreads being great examples of this.

Since contemporary rappers continue to bleach their hair this colour were not surprised to see the influence spread around.

Trippie made the extra effort to make his bleached blonde appear even lighter which resulted in a more distinctive look in comparison to his peers.

Green Dreads

The idea of bleaching dreads is all about being daring and bold which is what can be seen in his green Dreads.

Whilst Red may be his signature colour, we continuously see Trippie sport his dreads in different colours which results in likes and engagement on his social media pages.

In addition to this he stated his love for money made him dye his hair green, nothing wrong with that, I guess. I mean I love money too but not willing to go that far if I’m honest.

2 Strand Twists

At his current length were able to see Trippie place his dreads in 2 strand twists as well as other braided styles.

Most of his protective styles have been worn whilst bleach is in his hair, further making his set of locks stand out.

Do your research if you want similar Dreads

While there is a lot of conflicting information with regards to dreadlocks, we still advise you to do research. The most important things at the initial stage will be to watch videos online and make notes of the peoples dreads you admire.

We should also mention that its best you avoid placing any colour or bleach in your hair for the first few months as your hair begins to develop.

Talk to a loctician and get a Consultation

Talking to a loctician is our best advise! They are the professionals who live and breathe hair.

During the consultations locitians will be able to have a closer look at your hair type, discussion process, hair products to use and avoid and parting systems.

Ensure you save the images of your desired style to your loctician and explain what you’re looking for.

To stay updated on everything happening in men’s style/lifestyle, street culture & music follow @heartafact on Instagram

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