Jay-Z Shows Off Afro Hair Transformation at NBA Finals

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Jay-Z has always been the style blueprint.

The 56-year-old recently caught attention at game three of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 8th, debuting a new afro after being known for his long-standing dreadlocks.

Jay-Z celebrated by wearing a Bode jacket decorated with four-leaf clovers, but unfortunately, the Knicks still lost to the Spurs despite the hopeful attire.

Despite the Spurs winning against the Knicks 115-111, Jay-Z still showed his support for his New York team at the game. He attended the game at Madison Square Garden by himself, as his wife BeyoncĂ© and their children – Blue Ivy, 14, and twins Sir and Rumi, both 8 – weren’t there.

Jay-Z recently showed off a new hairstyle at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia on May 31st. For approximately eight years, starting around June 2017 with the release of his 4:44 album, he’d been wearing freeform locs inspired by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Jay-Z may always look stylish, but achieving that look takes work! Hairstylist Letisia “Lety” Ravelo shared that it took six days – and the help of a professional loctician – to carefully take apart his dreadlocks.

Ravelo explained to Cosmopolitan that Jay-Z understood it would be a lengthy process to remove his dreadlocks, and he remained patient throughout. According to Ravelo, Jay-Z never considered giving up and cutting them off; once he made the decision, he was fully dedicated to seeing it through.

BeyoncĂ© helped her husband transform his hair using products from her haircare line, CĂ©cred. According to stylist Ravelo, she used CĂ©cred’s detangling spray and eight bottles of their deep conditioner to complete the process.

Ravelo styled the rapper’s hair for the Roots Picnic by first braiding it into cornrows and leaving them in for a week. Then, he unbraided it to create an afro.

The hairstylist said Jay-Z was thrilled with his new haircut, immediately loving the transformation once he saw it.

Read on to see how other celebs have switched up their hair


The country music star revealed a new look in August 2025, trading her famous blonde hair for her natural color. She shared on Instagram that she hadn’t seen her natural hair color since she was around 12 years old, but decided it was time for a change.

In April 2025, the Marvel actor known for playing Bucky Barnes debuted a shaved head at the Los Angeles premiere of Thunderbolts, marking a departure from his character’s long hair.

Okay, let me tell you, I caused quite a stir back in April 2026! Everyone did a double take when I swapped my silver hair for a rich dark brown. Honestly, it wasn’t a random decision or, as some joked, a midlife crisis! I was actually changing my look for a new acting role, and needed to transform my appearance for it.

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards’ daughter documented her attempt to dye her hair at home on TikTok, sharing both the mistakes and the final, surprisingly good, result.

She said she’d been dreaming about this hairstyle for years and was thrilled to finally get it.

Actress Janeane Garofalo, known for her role in Help, showed off her new, short haircut – which she playfully called a “choppity chop” – at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in April 2026.

To prepare for his role in Dune: Part Three, the actor shaved off his beard in July 2025 – something he hadn’t done in six years. The filmmakers needed him to have a clean-shaven appearance to play Duncan Idaho again.

The singer who won American Idol showed off a new, shorter haircut in a preview for The Voice in July 2025. She’s switched from her usual long, blonde hair to a shorter, darker bob.

The actor debuted a bearded look, which he sports on season two of The Terminal List, in June 2025.

In May 2025, the actor known for Stranger Things surprised fans with a new look: a buzzcut. He revealed the hairstyle at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards in Tokyo, Japan.

In March 2025, the “Karma” singer debuted her rainbow mohawk at the GLAAD Media Awards. 

In a TikTok video from March 2025, the model described getting bangs as the ‘worst haircut’ she’d ever had.

In March 2025, Gypsy Rose Blanchard revealed a new, shorter hairstyle. This came over two months after she and her fiancé, Ken Urker, welcomed their daughter, Aurora Urker.

In January 2025, the reality TV star from The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, who used to be known for her blond hair, showed off a new red bob hairstyle on Watch What Happens Live.

I noticed Hailey Bieber stepped out with a fresh, lighter hair color in September 2024! It was just a month after she and Justin welcomed their little boy, Jack Blues Bieber – such a sweet time for them!

Lily Collins, known for her role in Emily in Paris, revealed a striking new look at the premiere of her horror film, MAXXXINE, in June 2024.

Lily shared with Vogue that she enjoys how changing her hair lets her express different facets of herself. She described her latest cut and color as both bolder and more freeing, feeling like a truer reflection of who she is at this moment.

At the Chanel Artists dinner during the Tribeca Film Festival in June 2024, Katie showed off a new hairstyle featuring soft, caramel-colored highlights woven into her brown hair.

The Kardashian star recently changed her hairstyle, trading her long hair for a shorter, platinum blonde bob.

I absolutely lost it when Kylie posted on Instagram on June 8th, playfully asking if anyone missed ‘king kylie’! And then, my queen Khloe Kardashian replied with the most enthusiastic ‘I did! I did!!!!!!’ – honestly, it was the sisterly energy I needed. It just made my day seeing them interact like that!

The former Bravo star debuted a platinum blonde look during 2024 Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture.

In May 2024, the actress from Heads of State showed off a new, shorter haircut – a bob that falls just at her shoulders – while at a Bulgari event in Rome.

In May 2024, the actress debuted a new bob haircut that many fans immediately compared to a style she wore while playing Mary Camden on the ’90s TV show 7th Heaven.

In May 2024, the actress known for her role in Transformers went back to her natural dark brown hair, sporting a stylish bob haircut. This came just a month after she’d dyed her hair blue, playfully calling it the start of her “Jedi era.”

During the 2024 Kentucky Derby weekend, 17-year-old Dannielynn Birkhead, the daughter of the late Anna Nicole Smith, showed off a fresh, shoulder-length haircut while attending the event with her father, Larry Birkhead.

The singer debuted a lighter, shorter ‘do in April 2024.

The Fashion Police alum debuted a blonde bombshell hair transformation May 8.

Back to blonde: Kim debuted a new platinum ‘do in April 2024.

Rihanna, who founded Fenty Beauty, showed off a new bright blonde hairstyle on April 17th while celebrating her latest collaboration between Fenty and Puma in London.

The model debuted a bleach blonde pixie cut at the FRAME event April 4.

Megan Fox, known for her role in Jennifer’s Body, recently changed her hair color from bright pink to a softer baby blue, and showed off the new style on April 2nd.

Just weeks after getting a long bob haircut, Zendaya surprised fans with a new honey blonde look at the premiere of her movie, Challengers, on March 26th.

The Great star ushered in spring with a fresh cut, as she debuted a long bob March 25.

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2026-06-09 16:48