For many Black people hair is a form of self-expression, and Black celebrities have been breaking boundaries when it comes to hairstyles for decades. From Queen Latifah to Allen Iverson, here are 5 celebrities who used their hair to redefine beauty standards.
Queen Latifah
Queen Latifah finally shares the person behind her always-perfect hair 😭
Iasia Merriweather; hairbyiasia (Instagram) pic.twitter.com/5c7eQYdSuV
— Female Rap Room (@FemaleRapRoom) October 1, 2022
One thing about Queen Latifah is that her hair is always going to be laid! She is no stranger when it comes to versatility. Fans remember her signature Living Single wrapped hairstyles that made everyone run to the salon to get the “Khadijah.” The actress has done blowouts, updos, braids and every hairstyle under the sun. Not only that, Queen Latifah often wore natural hairstyles for red carpets, showing everyone that natural hair should be celebrated.
Toni Braxton
Toni “Legend” Braxton ate up that short cut in her debut era. 🤌🏾 pic.twitter.com/kK7mhLH8K6
— BLH (@_RareDefined) April 30, 2024
No one can rock a pixie cut like Toni Braxton can. In the 90s, she was the blueprint for the pixie cut as it was the look for her self titled debut album. Toni’s haircut was the most requested hairstyle among black women in 1993, showing that short hair could be elegant and feminine. It is apart of her legacy and many stars have tried to create the timeless look ever since (even Beyoncé recreated the pixie cut when she dressed up for Toni Braxton for Halloween back in 2018!).
Brandy Norwood
friendly reminder that brandy had EVERYBODY wanting braids in their hair! https://t.co/DxmsEkXAZc pic.twitter.com/CDV9lucpYT
— 𝐊𝐊 | neytiri enthusiast. 🏹 (@c1pricorn) September 20, 2025
When we think of braids, Brandy is one of the first people who come to mind. She made braids mainstream through her titular role of Moesha and rocking them on the carpet every chance she got back in the 90s. She has rocked about every braided style you could think of, and people to this day wonder how Brandy had her hair done every week for Moesha. Brandy worked with celebrity hairstylist Chuckie Amos to create innovative braid bangs, starting a fingerwave braids trend and blending hair to make it look like Brandy had highlights. Brandy’s signature braids became a teenage girl staple as she was one of the first people to wear microbraids. It’s safe to say that we are still trying to recreate Brandy’s braids to this day.
Lenny Kravitz
“I love, I love, I love to create. I love to beautify. I love to create an environment. I love to create a mood.” – Lenny Kravitz x Flaunt Magazine, Issue 192 pic.twitter.com/GCTEqhtP8N
— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) May 19, 2024
While Lenny is known for his signature locs, fans might not know that they were unintentional at first. His hair got matted because he forgot to bring a comb when moving in with his former partner, Lisa. She convinced him to keep the locs, and the rest is history. Lenny’s locs redefined what it meant to be a rockstar as they fought against Eurocentric standards and embraced natural beauty.
Allen Iverson
Allen Iverson getting his hair braided by his mom during a game. Legendary pic.twitter.com/cMOCYevFAW
— Hoops (@Hoopss) February 17, 2022
Allen Iverson decided to get cornrows because people kept messing up his hair, and he was tired of it. He popularized cornrows in mainstream sports in the late 1990s and in pop culture. While Que Gaskins warned him against the preconceived notions young players with braids got at the time, Allen Iverson decided to go against the grain and created a new image of what success could look like. His cornrows got so popular that they became known as the “Iverson braids,” and now they are all over the NBA league.
Have you ever referenced a celebrity for a hairstyle? Let us know in the comments.
