Braids are the defining men's hairstyle in rap: cornrows, feed-ins, box braids, knotless braids and two-strand twists. You need roughly 2 to 3 inches of hair for cornrows and 3 to 4 for box braids, an install runs 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the style, and a set holds 1 to 6 weeks.
Rappers in the 1990s and 2000s mostly wore short cuts and locs. The range is far wider now, and social media is a large part of why: a braid pattern that would once have been seen on an album cover is now a tutorial with a million views. Below are the styles behind the looks, and what each one actually costs you in time.
Which braid style is which?
| Style | Hair length needed | Install time | How long it holds | The trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornrows, straight back | 2" to 3" | 30 to 60 minutes for 6 to 12 braids | 1 to 2 weeks | Frizzes at the parts first. You will be back in the chair often |
| Feed-in cornrows with added hair | 2" to 3" | 2 to 4 hours | 2 to 4 weeks | The added hair puts weight on the hairline |
| Box braids | 3" to 4" | 3 to 6 hours | 4 to 6 weeks | The knot at the base concentrates tension on the root |
| Knotless braids | 3" to 4" | 4 to 7 hours | 4 to 6 weeks | Slower to install and usually more expensive than box braids |
| Two-strand twists | 2" to 3" | 1 to 3 hours | 1 to 3 weeks | Unravel quickly on fine or looser textures |
| Starter locs | 3" to 6" | 2 to 4 hours | Permanent | Reversing the decision means cutting them off |
| Colour in the braiding hair | Any | No extra time | As long as the style | None to your own hair, which is the point. Colour lives in the extension |
Which rappers wear braids?
Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky are among the artists most associated with braided styles. What they wear varies from simple straight-back cornrows to longer braids with added hair, which is why the same search turns up such different pictures.
Photo: Travis Scott
Photo: A$ap Rocky
What are the actual braid styles?
Cornrows are braided flat against the scalp in rows. Straight-back cornrows are the simplest version, at 6 to 12 braids and 30 to 60 minutes. Patterned cornrows, with curves and parts that change direction, take longer and are what most people are looking at when they save a picture.
Feed-in cornrows add extension hair gradually along the braid, so the braid starts thin at the hairline and thickens. That gradient is why they look neater than a braid where all the added hair is anchored at the front.
Box braids hang loose rather than lying flat, sectioned into squares. On shorter men's hair they need 3 to 4 inches to hold, and the knot at the base is where the tension sits.
Knotless braids are box braids started with your own hair instead of a knot. They cost more and take longer, and they are noticeably kinder to the root.
Two-strand twists are two sections wound around each other rather than braided. Fastest to install, fastest to unravel.
If you want to look at cornrow layouts specifically, our 6 braid pattern ideas covers how the parts are laid out and why the direction matters.
How long does your hair need to be to braid?
Roughly 2 to 3 inches for cornrows and twists, and 3 to 4 inches for box or knotless braids so they hang rather than stick out. Below about 2 inches, a braider cannot get enough hair between the fingers to hold a section, and the braid slides out within a day.
Texture matters as much as length. Tighter coils grip and hold at shorter lengths; looser or straighter hair usually needs an extra inch and often needs added hair to stay put at all.
How long do men's braids last?
Cornrows hold 1 to 2 weeks before the parts start to fuzz. Box and knotless braids hold 4 to 6 weeks. Twists sit at 1 to 3 weeks.
Men's braids generally come out sooner than women's, for one reason: less hair length means less weight holding the braid closed, so new growth pushes it loose faster. Wearing a durag or a satin cap at night is the single thing that most extends the life of a set.
Do not stretch a set past about 8 weeks. Beyond that, new growth at the root mats into the braid and taking it down does more damage than the style was worth.
Why are colourful braids and locs everywhere in rap?
Because the colour does not have to touch your own hair. Trippie Redd, SoFaygo and Lil Uzi Vert have all worn colourful locs, and the same logic applies to braids: pre-coloured extension hair gives you a full head of colour with no lightener on your strands, no regrowth line, and no commitment past the takedown.
That is the whole appeal. Bleaching your own hair to a bright shade means damage, a maintenance schedule and a long grow-out. Colour in the braiding hair means you change your mind every 6 weeks for the price of a pack of hair.
Photo: @trippieredd_
Photo: @letsgofaygo
What about twists, locs and short cuts?
Twists are the low-commitment entry point. They need the least length, take 1 to 3 hours, and if you dislike them you have lost an afternoon rather than a month.
Locs are the opposite: starter locs take 2 to 4 hours and then they are the decision. You can groom, colour and style them, but undoing them means cutting. That is worth sitting with before you start.
Short cuts have not gone anywhere. A fade or a short taper is the lowest-maintenance option on this page day to day, at the cost of a barber visit every 2 to 3 weeks to keep the line sharp.
More looks from the gallery
Photo: @cartiexclusive
Photo: Lil Durk
Photo: Lil Baby
Photo: @youngthugfans
Photo: 21 Savage
Photo: Lil Nas X
Photo: Quavo
How do you braid without wrecking your hairline?
Traction alopecia at the temples is the most common cost of a braid habit, and it is largely avoidable.
- Say something in the chair if it hurts. Pain on day one is not the braids settling. It is too tight, and it will not loosen into comfort.
- Do not let the braider take the hairline down to the finest hairs. Ask them to start the braid slightly back from the very edge.
- Choose knotless over knot-based box braids if your edges are already thin. The knot is where the pull concentrates.
- Limit the added hair. Weight, not the braid itself, is what pulls. Ask how many packs are going in and cut it back if the answer sounds heavy.
- Wear a durag or satin cap at night. This extends the set and stops the friction that frizzes the parts.
- Take them down at 4 to 6 weeks, 8 at the outside. Then give your hair a week out of a style before the next install.
Which style should you choose?
- You want the look for two weeks and no long install. Straight-back cornrows, 30 to 60 minutes, no added hair needed.
- You want length or thickness you do not have. Feed-in cornrows or box braids with human braiding hair, which blends better and lasts longer than synthetic.
- Your edges are already thin. Knotless braids, fewer packs, and a week off between installs. Start with braiding hair you can control the weight of.
- You want colour without bleach. Put the colour in the extension hair, not on your scalp.
- You want a style with no braiding at all. Crochet braids are installed onto a cornrow base in 2 to 6 hours; see our crochet braid styles.
- You are doing it yourself. Start with the beginner-friendly protective styles before attempting a patterned cornrow layout.
Rapper hair questions, answered
Which rappers have braids?
Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky are the names most often associated with braided styles in rap. The styles vary widely between them, from plain straight-back cornrows to longer braids with added hair, which is why pictures under the same search look so different.
What kind of braids do rappers get?
Mostly cornrows, including feed-in and patterned versions, plus box braids, knotless braids and two-strand twists. Cornrows are the most common because they are the fastest, at 30 to 60 minutes for 6 to 12 braids, and they sit flat under a hat or a durag.
How long does hair need to be for a man to get braids?
About 2 to 3 inches for cornrows or twists, and 3 to 4 inches for box braids so they hang properly. Tighter coils grip at shorter lengths. Looser or straighter textures usually need an extra inch, and often need added hair to hold at all.
How long do cornrows last on men?
1 to 2 weeks before the parts start to fuzz. Box and knotless braids hold 4 to 6 weeks. Men's braids come out sooner than women's because shorter hair means less weight holding the braid closed. A durag at night is what most extends the set.
How do rappers get colourful braids?
The colour is in the extension hair, not their own. Pre-coloured braiding hair gives a full head of colour with no lightener on the scalp, no regrowth line, and nothing to maintain. When the braids come out, so does the colour.
Do braids damage your hairline?
They can, through tension rather than through braiding itself. Traction alopecia at the temples comes from installs that are too tight, too much added weight, and back-to-back styles with no break. If it hurts on day one, it is too tight. Knotless braids put less strain on the root.
What is the difference between box braids and knotless braids?
Box braids start with a knot of extension hair at the root. Knotless braids start with your own hair and feed the extension in gradually. Knotless take longer and cost more, and they put noticeably less tension on the root, which matters if your edges are already thin.
Are locs the same as braids?
No. Braids are temporary and come out at takedown; locs are permanent and reversing them means cutting. Starter locs take 2 to 4 hours to set up but the decision lasts years, so it is worth wearing twists for a few months first to see how you feel about the length and upkeep.
