Natural Hair Moments In Music Videos
There are few things that I’m more interested in than music and natural hair.
I have been natural since I was 16 and have been cultivating dreadlocks for the last eight months. My relationship with my hair continues to change and evolve everyday, and depictions of natural hair, or the lack thereof, in the media has played a role in that. In music specifically, I look to visible Black women with natural hair for hairspiration and bits of encouragement that can sometimes be hard to find. I’ve compiled some of my favorite natural hair moments in music with the hopes that they’ll inspire someone else to finally do the big chop.
India Arie “Video”
I don’t exactly remember the first time I heard “Video,” but it has been a song I’ve regularly returned to throughout my natural hair journey. Whenever I’m having a hard time feeling good about my hair, I look to this video for reassurance. India’s style is pretty simple—locs pulled back with a wide headband—but her spirit is special. I admire the joy she radiates while standing with women who opt for more manicured, straightened hairstyles and work every day to build the same kind of love and reverence for my own natural hair.
Kaiit “OG Love Kush p. 2”
As much as I love a full fro, I am also a big fan of shaved sides, undercuts, dyed hair etc. Life’s too short not to experiment, and the hair will grow back eventually. In the video for “OG Love Kush p. 2,” Kaiit rocks her curls with lion mane-like volume with single plaits framing her face. Her faded sides are complemented by earrings made of a mini converse shoe and a doll’s head. I don’t plan on shaving my head anytime soon, but I’m definitely keeping this look in mind for when I inevitably do.
Ari Lennox “Up Late”
If any human could embody the ethos of the natural hair movement in music it’d be Ari Lennox. From a tracklist numbered by curl patterns to a fanbase made up of ‘Shea Butter Babies,’ Ari is helping to push Type 4 hair into the mainstream beauty conversation. Donning her signature pineapple updo and a sleek high bun in the video for “Up Late,” Ari shows us that natural hair can be as elegant and sexy as the smoothest, sleekest lace front.
Bbymutha “BBC”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Black woman actually getting her hair done in a music video, but I’m not mad at it. In her video for “BBC,” bbymutha raps around her kitchen in two Kanekalon ponytails and a braided bang adorned with multicolored beads, cutting to shots of her stylist parting and braiding her hair up. Evoking a feeling of familiarity with my own hair braiding sessions, bbymutha reimagines what a Black woman should look like in a music video—however put together or comfortable as she wants to be.
OSHUN “We’re Yung”
OSHUN definitely inspires a lot of loc envy for me. Featured in our list of 30 Black Female artists to check out in 2019, the Neo-soul, hip-hop duo incorporates hints of afrofuturistic fantasy into their looks in their “We’re Yung” video. Both women wear their locs intertwined with flowers and puka shells, tied together by colored contacts and tulle dresses. The aesthetic of the video reads as fairylike and otherworldly and showcases the versatility and uniqueness of locked hair.
Rico Nasty “Smack A B**ch”
Every once in a while Rico Nasty will switch it up and wear her natural hair just to remind us of the gorgeous natural texture she has under all the multicolored wigs. Before she grew her hair out, Rico wore a finger waved style like the one that makes an appearance in her video for “Smack a B**ch.” Rico also wears the style on the cover for her 2018 tape Nasty, which shows the title spelled out in baby hairs. Whether it be weaves, wigs, tapered cuts, or fros, Black women have an infinite capacity for versatility and creativity with their hair. Never change Rico.
Honorable mention goes to Smino.
Although I’ve focused on women, it wouldn’t feel right to talk about natural hair and music without mentioning Smino. The St. Louis rapper has many looks that put my best twistout to shame, but his styles in his video for “Klink” are some of my favorites. He rocks a bomb twistout, a flat twist/clip combo, and cornrows, which he shows off with one of his satin-lined Zero Fatigue hoodies. Even if you aren’t a Smino fan I’d definitely recommend trying to get your hands on one of those hoodies. (I’m still trying myself)
