The internet owes JAY-Z an apology. After his explosive Roots Picnic set on May 30, fans flooded social media claiming his new afro was actually a lace front wig. Now two hairstylists who worked on the transformation are setting the record straight. The JAY-Z locs to afro transformation was 100% real.
Houston-based trichologist and loctitian Marie Munoz handled the heavy lifting. She spent four days and four bottles of Cécred, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles’ haircare line, combing out Hov’s signature freeform locs. The rapper had worn those wicks for years, a look often compared to Jean-Michel Basquiat’s iconic style.
Texture specialist Letisia Ravelo, who also worked on the project, gave an interview airing Tuesday morning. She confirmed the locs were “very much real” and told critics to “cut it out” with the wig rumors. According to Ravelo, JAY-Z had been growing his hair for roughly eight years. The full deconstruction from wicks to afro took six days total, Munoz handling the first four, followed by two more days of refinement.
The confusion makes sense. No one has seen JAY-Z without his locs in nearly a decade. When he hit the Roots Picnic stage with a full, rounded afro, fans didn’t recognize him at first. Between his explosive freestyle and surprise guests, his hair became the night’s other biggest talking point. But the stylists are unified: no lace fronts, no wigs. Just eight years of patience and a six-day takedown.
