Beyoncé drops the most unexpected and wholesome marketing campaign of 2026.
The world has consistently clowned Jay-Z’s choice of hairstyle for years now, from his Basquiat braids all the way to his gigantic Afro at his recent Philadelphia show.
It turns out everyone may have been too harsh on Shawn Carter, since both hair decisions have been related to the joys and commitments of fatherhood.
On Father’s Day, June 21, Beyoncé’s haircare brand, Cécred, shared a seven-minute tribute to Jay-Z titled The Blueprint.
The video, narrated by Beyoncé, is a detailed account of how Jay-Z’s nine-year-old dreadlocks were painstakingly detangled in order for the rap icon to sport an Afro at his recent show.
The decision was made so Jay could honour his father, who always sported a wild fro and was a massive supporter of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The seven-day hair odyssey involved the combined efforts of Beyoncé, Blue Ivy and Cécred specialists, using various balms, creams, brushes and picks.
“I wasn’t all the way convinced that he would be able to comb out his locs, considering he had such thick, long wicsk, and his hair had been locking for over eight years.”
When Hova ditched his low-cut Caesar and the world slowly watched his hair grow and grow to majestic proportions, no one really knew why. The best guess was that he was slowly becoming more and more of a wise old rap wizard.
However, Beyoncé revealed that it was to help Blue Ivy when she was five and full of anxiety about her hair. So Jay-Z earned some serious father points by growing his hair out alongside her.
“We really wanted her to love and embrace every inch of her gorgeous curls.”
The video is clearly a not-so-subtle way of Beyoncé promoting her haircare brand, but it has undoubtedly recontextualised a long-ridiculed part of the Carter family story.
The final product of Cécred’s work can be seen in footage from the Roots Picnic set that Jay-Z headlined on May 30.
