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 future of Jay z dreads was left up for speculation after a 2023 interview with Gayle king in which he states he’s getting ready to cut it off. Could 2024 be the end of Jay z’s hair?

Throughout the year’s it’s been tradition that Jay z grows out his hair into a mini afro when recording an album only cutting it once the album is complete and turned in.

Jay z Dreads Evolution Video (Shorts)

Here I break down a visual guide into Jay z dreads evolution

How and when did the Jay z start his Dreads?

When – The journey started back in 2018. We have been fortunate to have his hair growth journey documented throughout the media. During this time period Jay z made multiple media appearances and performances with his hair in an afro. This would begin to start the foundation for his dreads.

How – Jay z has freeform dreads.

Similarly to J Cole Dreads this dread style allows your hair to grow organically without any manipulation, combing or styling. Jay began the journey without any styling or manipulation to form his look and maintain its thickness. There is no maintenance technique, size or parting system when it comes to freeform locs.

Detailed Hair Gallery throughout the Years

1996 – 2017

For the majority of jay z career we have only seen him in one hairstyle which has been the traditional low cut. (Apart from his mini afro growth at album recording time)

2018

Jay would then begin to grow his afro, twist is hair into sections which would become the formation of his locs.

2019

In 2019 we get to see his twists being sections and ready so when it matts together it forms to locs!

2020

At this stage we began to see his dreads at the semi freeform stage maturing into congo at the ends.

2022

Due to the weight of his hair we begin to see it flow downward to his shoulders.

2023

The most common cause for those lightened ends is the sun which we see on jays ends.

2024 (Currently)

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

The post Jay Z Dreads Evolution (2018 – 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.

His dreads evolution by the year follows this timeline,

• 2019 (Loose Afro Hair)
• 2020 (Starter Locs)
• 2022 – Present (Mature Locs)

We continue to see a growing interest particularly amongst rappers with dreads since the main hairstyle within Hip Hop originally were braids, today however things have changed!

Our editorial covers each stage of DDG’s Hair journey thus far!

How and When did DDG Dreads Start?

How: DDG Dreads were started by the comb coil method which involved the use of a comb to twist hair into a tight coil all the while sectioning and parting hair.

In his YouTube Vlog – MY DREADS ARE LOCKED NOW!! You will be able to see the initial stages of his journey whilst his hair is in comb coils.

When: DDG began his dreads journey towards the fall of 2019 and early 2020.

To date he has been growing his hair for 3 years and counting which explains his density and length!

Here is the DDG Dreads Evolution (In Stages)

Braids & Twists

We have a large archive of DDG’s hair before he made the transition to dreads. Prior to 2020 we often saw the rapper alternating between different protective styles.

Hip Hop culture is black culture which therefore means some of the most prominent Hip Hop Hairstyles are in fact braids, cornrows and twists.

His protective styles would essentially be the foundation for his dreads as it promoted hair growth and health prior to his transition.

Starter Dreads

We would begin to see his loc journey begin to take place early 2020 as his hair was sectioned and placed in comb coils to mature.

At this stage Starter dreads are easily identifiable since they were short without the full texture of mature locs.

As time progressed we began to see his hair thicken and bud which is a normal part of the process.

2 Strand Twists

Today DDG’s signature look is having is dreads placed in 2 strand twists. This was the 1^st style he did once his hair gained length and something he has continued to do ever since.

It was one of the most popular hairstyles amongst rappers with dreads as evident by the picture below featuring POLO G whose dreads are styled the same way.

We must give Lil Wayne’s Dreads the credit for popularising the style in the 2000s.

Bleached Ends

In addition to his signature 2 strand twists we have seen him bleach the ends of his hair in various colours such as burgundy and blonde.

Within the dreadlock community it’s a common practice to have individuals bleach their hair to further stand out and this is most certainly the case amongst rappers, I mean we witness Young Thugs dreads coloured pink to promote his album, PINK!

Disclaimer: Applying any sort of chemical to your hair is a very risky job as this can lead to breakage or thinning if not done correctly, therefore we always recommend you use a professional.

Dreadlock Cornrows

Alternating between the 2 strand twists and dreadlock cornrows is DDG’s go too since the rapper can be seen playing basketball as a past time hobby.

Outside of its aesthetic benefits dreadlock cornrows are more practical since hair is no longer distracting you’re from front and peripheral vision.

Do your research if you want similar Dreads!

Doing your researching allows you to select your favourite parting system, size and best methods to maintain your hair.

As our editorial has demonstrated DDG has traditional locks which are pencil sized in length and this tends to be what most people have.

Determine the size and parting system you would like then to visit your local loctician.

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, discuss the starting process and hair products to use.

(Should you decide you want locks take it from less is more when it comes to product, no need to go overboard)

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 hair, grooming and lifestyle, follow @heartafact on Instagram

The post DDG Dreads Evolution throughout the Years appeared first on Heartafact.

This predominantly featured artists from the area with dreads from low-income housing rapping about subject matters that involved drug culture, violence, and gangs.

While music consumers continue to admire his life story what’s equally loved is his hair which stands to reason why Chief Keef Dreads continues to be an area of interest.

1st Dreadlocks in Rap  

Without Question Keef has some of the most influential locs from the Chicago rap scene but who’s the man that inspired everyone to have locs? Watch the video to find out.

While we have a countless number of rappers with dreads today Keefs may be one of the most influential, but it all started with Busta.

How & When did Chief Keef Dreads Start?

How: Chief Keef dreads were formed by the twisting method in which afro hair is twisted into sections. As his hair matured and formed it was then maintained with the palm rolling method. He has the traditional locs size and style today.

When: We estimate that Chief Keef began his dreads around 2010 – 2011. In the visuals for the song bang released back in 2011 we can see Chief Keef with short starter dreads starting to form. These would then grow longer every year from then.

Chief Keef Dreads throughout the years

2010 – 2012

Keef started his career with short starter dreads. We have documented visuals of this period through the release of his songs ‘Bang’, ‘I don’t like’ and ‘Love Sosa’. During the early phases of his career, we saw Keef’s dreads at the beginning foundation phase and have witness the growth ever since.

As detailed in the video by Great locs we can see his hair was started by the twisting method.

2013 – 2015

This period has been documented by us as the Teen phase as we began to see his dreads slightly mature and gain some length. This is evident by his hair now being passed his face and nearly touching his shoulders.

Any music video for this time will allow us to see Keefs hair starting to form. His hair at this length also gave us a better idea of what it would look like in a few years.

2016 – 2019

Now we begin to see his Dreads at full maturity, length, and thickness. What’s also interesting about this period is that he cut some of his dreads to reduce his hair length as it began to grow too long.

He posted the chop on social media which had fans wondering whether he cut his entire head, but later revealed that was not the case, just some ends trimming.

2020 – Present

Today Chief Keef’s dreads are long and healthy which he normally styles in 2 strand twists. He doesn’t sway far away from his signature look.

Keef also avoids colour in his hair or bleach, we like to think of his dreads as a great example of pure traditional locs. View our gallery for more images.

Similarly, to chief keef’s 2 strand twists style, we have detailed all of the available twists for men hairstyles for you to try.

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.

Chief Keef has traditional locs (medium size) with a square grid parting around his head.

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

The post Chief Keef Dreads Evolution appeared first on Heartafact.

In 2022 rappers with dreads continues to be one of the most popular hairstyles in Hip Hop as we often see a trend of artists sporting the afro then transitioning over to dreads. This is the case for Wiz Khalifa.

The majority of the masses will remember his black and yellow phase in which he dyed a portion of his hair yellowish blonde to promote the song and video. Today Wiz Khalifa Dreads are his style of choice which feature long thick locs down to his shoulder.

Our editorial will take a deeper look at his dreads and how they formed over the years.

When & How did Wiz Khalifa Dreads start?

When: His dreads journey began in early 2013 as we can see through his documented archives online. To date he has been growing his hair for 9+ years and we don’t see him showing any signs of slowing down.

How: Due to Wiz Khalifa’s hair type being a 4B (Afro textured kinky hair) we can see he began his dreads in the traditional comb coil method. As they began to grow and mature his twists would form into dreads as we know them today.

Detailed Video Look

We have linked a video from Great locs who does a great job detailing each stage of Wiz’s hair journey.

Taking a closer look we can see that some of his dreads were breaking off which called for him to cut the ends so the rest of his hair was healthy. Have a watch!

Wiz Khalifa Dreads in Colour (Image Gallery + Review)

For many Hip Hop Fans this phase was legendary, for Wiz? Not so much. Having had multiple locs damaged by constant dye and constant bleaching he tweeted back in 2019 that he would never put dye in his hair again, and has stuck by his word. See below

So what’s so damaging about dye to your dreads?

Manipulating your hairs natural protein structure through bleach and dye has many side effects which can compromise your hairs health such as

• Loss of strength due to breakage (Thin ends)
• Less ability to handle certain styles
• Reduced hair thickness
• Texture feels different than its original state

The hair dye process will of course be unique to each and every individual. However there will also be long and short term effects this has on dreads. This should explain why Wiz has refused to colour his hair again.

Wiz Khalifa Dreads (Image Gallery & Review)

2 Strand Twists

As discussed in our twists for men post, 2 strand twists is one of the most popular styles that can be seen on people with dreadlocks.

It’s the ideal protective style that allows you to lock in moisture while looking great. Wiz has been seen multiple times styling his hair this way.

We should mention that choosing to style your dreads this way does shorten the length due to shrinkage. However we can’t recommend this style enough!

Hair Tied Up

One of the best things you can do is to allow new growth the ability to grow without the constant twisting and styling. Once this takes place you’re able to work styles around it. This is the perfect example as Wiz can be seen with inches of new growth and to accommodate a style he simply places his dreads in a pineapple top.

Cornrow Dreads

Another style seen on the rapper are the dread cornrows in which his hair stylist can be seen braiding his dreads onto his scalp, similarly to how you would proceed with the flat twists. For anyone who wants to move dreads away from their face this is a great option.

From Gallery Images

Do your research if you want similar Dreads

At this point we run the risk of sounding like a broken record as we have stated this in multiple articles, however we always advise you to do your research before making up your mind. There are multiple things to consider when doing dreads such as the parting system you will choose, as well as the different types.

Wiz Khalifa has traditional locs (medium size) with a square grid parting around his head.

Talk to a loctician and get a Consultation

We can’t stress enough the importance of talking to a Loctician. While we advise you do research online, nothing beats a specialist as you will be able to speak to someone who does this for a living, show pictures of the hair type and if you want colour they will advise when its best for you to do so.

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

The post Wiz Khalifa Dreads (Detailed Look) appeared first on Heartafact.

Today however J Cole has changed his look and style. His Dreads now passing his shoulders in an attempt to communicate freedom from oppression and self-love.

Our editorial piece will take a deep look at J Cole’s Hair throughout the years, discuss his starting formation and how you can achieve a similar look.

1st Dreads in Rap History belongs too?

Before we were praising J Cole dreads it all started with these locs right here! Have a watch to find out who inspired all rappers

How and when did J Cole start his Dreads?

When: We have been fortunate to document his hair journey and by that we can see J Cole Dreads were started back in late 2014/early 2015.

During this time period Cole began his journey with a thick afro twisting sections of hair to create the foundation for his dreads. From the images we can see during this period we can identify the manipulation of his afro setting the foundation for his dreads.

How: People often ask Are J Coles dreads freeform? Yes J Cole’s dreads are semi freeform.

Semi freeform dreads are a particular dread style that allows your hair to grow organically without any manipulation, combing or styling. Hair is washed as per normal with the application of oil to scalp. There is no maintenance technique, size or detailed parting system.

Achieve the Same Look

For those of you taking inspirations from J Cole’s Dreads and wanting to style your hair in semi freeform Locs we advise the following

Talk to a loctician and get a Consultation

Most people start their semi freeform Locs without the help of anyone which is totally fine. While there is no manipulating taking place we still advise you see a loctician who can closely wash and monitor your hair as time progresses

Separate your Roots

As we identified in our Detail section J Cole dreads were started out by growing an afro and then twisting hair. This would then become the foundation for how his locs would grow. Some twists thicker than the others To quote Digitallloctician.com “You have to ensure that you maintain your parting system and that your locs do not fuse together while semi-freeforming and you do that by “popping your locs” at least once a week.”

Be Patient

One thing you must remember is locs require time and patience. In addition to that no 2 locs are the same. 2 individuals may have the same loctician, request the same style and care for their hair but the results will always differ. The best example here are label mates Jay z and J Cole, though both are freeform Jay-z dreads look different in comparison to J Cole’s.

J Cole’s Hair Gallery throughout the Years 

2007 – 2012

As a freshman J Cole was introduced to the world through mixtapes and visual freestyles which saw the artist in the traditional fade, short back and sides.

2014 – 2015

During this period we began to see J Cole experiment with his hair. At the time it could have been mistaken for Cole just growing an afro. His intentions became recognised as his hair began to loc.

2016 – 2019

For the majority of 2016 it was apparent Cole’s hair was no longer a loose afro but twists forming into locs. His hair growth journey was captured on album covers, interviews and music videos.

Approaching 2017 onwards his hair had matured into semi freeform locs. Thick in density and short in length. 

2019 – Present

Today Coles hair is thick, long and healthy. While music is his number 1 passion he recently joined the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club, part of the newly formed Basketball Africa League. During games he ties his hair back for minimal interference during a game. 

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

The post J Cole Dreads Evolution (Detailed Look) appeared first on Heartafact.