8 J Cole Hair Styles – Locs and Dreads Evolution and History
Key Takeaways:
- The J Cole hairstyle is characterized by the J Cole dreads and locs Afro hair type in short, medium, and long hair lengths.
- This hairstyling goes back in history as a cultural representation of African-Americans, but it has been popularized by artists such as J Cole in the mainstream media.
- Although the styles are primarily intended for those with Afro-textured hair, other hair types can still ace this look with the proper guidance from a loctician.
- It’s easy to do; wash away the oil, section, twist, and let it grow!
Jermaine Lamarr Cole, or J Cole as he is popularly known, is a rapper that’s been nominated multiple times in different award-winning bodies like the Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
This 37-year-old rapper and producer began his journey by producing hip-hop mixtapes when he was 15.
After that, he embraced his journey with patience and a love for mellow-aggressive lyrics and tunes incorporated into his music videos.
With his rapping skills and ears for music, it has been undeniable that he has dominated the industry.
Yet, it is not just his tag as one of the rappers who can top the charts that made him who he is, nor his catchy rap lyrics and song release; it is also his hair growth through the years.
We know how much you would love to get to know him from another viewpoint, so we’ll show and discuss with you 8 different J Cole hairstyles and their evolution.
What is the J Cole hair name?
He parades the J Cole dreads characterized by semi-freeform locs. The semi-freeform locs is a styling technique for Afro-textured hair that entails less manipulation while promoting natural hair growth.
Nonetheless, semi-freeform can also be called cultivated locs and has been recognized as one of the protective hairstyles for people of African descent. [1]
Yet, these are not just made to protect the strands from environmental damage, as semi-freeform locs are also known to be a cultural hairstyle, embodying the struggles of black people during the period of slavery.
Importantly, these hairstyles stood out and became a foundation for justice in court cases, such as with Jackey Wright and Redish McPherson. [2]
8 J Cole Hairstyles – Hair Evolution
The J Cole dreads have deep roots that are not just for aesthetics but are also used for paying respect to history. With this, we give you 8 iconic Cole hairstyles and his hair evolution!
J Cole Dreads
The best way to start this list is through the J Cole dreads. J Cole’s dreads are tied in a pony with different sections of strands in front to achieve a picture-perfect look for interviews that closely shows off his facial features.
This thick hair growth of J Cole’s dreads is beneficial to protect the strands from shredding and harsh breaking (and lessen your worry, too!) because it does not need much manipulation.
J Cole Locs
Another J Cole’s hair in the article is the locs. These thick Afro locs closely resemble dreads, and in the ordinary eyes, they are of a similar look.
Yet, for the locticians, the former vary from thick dreads because of the parting system, making the locs’ sections tidier.
Moreover, the loc is a good hairstyle addition as it suits individuals from every generation in either casual or formal events (e.g., interviews, document signing).
J Cole Freeform Locs
Freeform locs grow organically without much manipulation, and their result is impressively similar to J Cole’s image above.
Aside from its simplicity, freeform locs provide healthy hair because there will be little to no buildup of toxic chemicals on the head, which can cause itchiness and irritation.
J Cole Short Hair
Before growing dreads, Cole emphasized the beauty of natural coils in Afro-textured strands through a short hairstyle which he also sported by Cole in his music videos (e.g., Apparently released in 2014).
REMEMBER: Short styles are an essential foundation of healthy dreads.
J Cole Long Hair
With his creativity in his music journey, Cole surely knows how to incorporate his style and personal integrity, just like in this long J Cole’s dreads.
Long J Cole’s dreads explain freedom from oppressive forces as it lays beyond the shoulders. This is closely similar to going beyond the bars that have been holding you back from future success.
His long dreads have also been upkept using headbands and ties, especially during a basketball game when he was still a part of the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club.
As a type of styling, the thickness of these long dreads entails high-maintenance with longer wash time and tons of moisturizing.
FUN FACT: He was released from the Rwanda Patriots Basketball Club for family obligations in 2021. [3]
J Cole No Hair
The best way to adapt to hot weather is to go for a bolder look in a buzz cut, which Cole has done before having the popular dreads and locs, he has sported a buzz cut
Having a buzz cut (along with proper combing) before and after dreads and other protective styles can protect your Afro hair by letting the roots and strands breathe.
Yet, before doing this, ensure you have your hope and patience intact because it takes four to six months before your hair grows to get another round of J Cole dreads evolution.
J Cole Nappy Hair
The nappy hair type is characterized by tight coils prone to drying. Yet, this style is an excellent opportunity where you can elevate the hair care game for a prominent J Cole dreads evolution
It makes the following much easier to do:
- Proper J Cole’s dreads sectioning
- Hydrating J Cole’s hair for dreads
J Cole Hair Twists
Last in this list of J Cole dreads evolution are his twists which became a foundation of semi-freeform locs, done by literally twisting the sections of the hair in a parting system.
Before twisting, deep clean or condition your roots to eliminate product buildup that can hinder the naturally beautiful growth of your J Cole dreads evolution.
How to get hair like J Cole?
Getting J Cole’s dreads is easy. But first, you need to have all these materials ready before diving into the whole J Cole’s dreads and locs process, especially when you want to DIY:
- Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner
- Towel or hair dryer
- Parting comb
J Cole hair tutorial
If you have all the materials needed, then you are ready to proceed with this step-by-step guide to getting J Cole’s hair:
- First, wash and lather your strands and scalp with the Jamaican Mango & Lime Tingle Shampoo & Protein Conditioner to remove prior product buildup on your scalp. Rinse.
- Second, dry your strands using the 50sacks Microfiber Hair Towel Wrap for Curly Hair and Thick, Long Wavy Hair or the Bed Head Curls-in-Check 1875W Hair Diffuser Dryer for easier sectioning.
- Third, section your strands with the Louise Maelys 2pcs Wide Tooth Tail Comb for Curly Hair Styling according to your preferred thickness or thinness.
- Fourth, twist or roll each section of your hair using your palm to create a base for the J Cole dreads similar look.
- Lastly, be patient and let the hair grow organically and shape independently.
FYI: As we noticed, other individuals create a dread using back-combing as they explain it to be a more straightforward process in achieving matting.
How much is a J Cole hair style?
His hairstyle costs $75 to $200 depending on different factors, such as:
- Style
- Skills and materials needed to achieve the style
- The barber, loctician, or stylist’s fees (if you will not DIY)
FAQ
We know how much of a fan you are, so we catered to some of your frequently asked questions in this section:
He began to grow his hair in 2013 to achieve freeform dreads. This protective styling technique for Afro-textured hair holds societal relevance in connection with the struggles of African-Americans.
He has been growing his hair for ten years since 2013.
To maintain healthy hairstyles like Cole’s, you must frequently wash and clean your head and hairline. This will prevent adverse effects from oil and dust buildup that may hamper your loc and natural ties.
Final Words
J Cole’s hairstyles varied in length and size throughout his journey as a rap artist and mixtapes and video producer, which fans and media did not fail to notice.
Nevertheless, this article is a testament that his style is easy to recreate if you have suitable materials and if you follow the step-by-step method above.
Now that you know how to do the 8 hairstyles in this list, it’s time to get the dreads you’ve always wanted (and hope you can pull them off)!
Aida
Founder & Hair Beauty Specialist
I’m Aida and this is my blog where I write mostly about beauty and make up related stuff, but I like to spice it up a bit with lifestyle and photography posts. Or with whatever that comes to my mind. Hope you will enjoy the reading enough that we will ‘see’ each other more often!