Beauty
How Tolu Oye Pays Homage to Her Culture Through Her Hair
Tolu Oye is a designer and beauty brand owner known for her head-turning braids. She opens up about learning to love her braids and her culture that comes with them…
“This hair style is called Irun Kiko. It’s done with a rubber thread. It’s a natural way to stretch your hair with no heat. It’s a traditional style that is not as common as before.”
Photo: Courtesy of Omofolarin OmolayoleTexture Diaries is a space for Black women across industries to reflect on their journeys to self-love, and how accepting their hair, in all its glory, played a pivotal role in this process. Each week, these women share their favorite hair rituals, products, and the biggest lessons they’ve learned when it comes to affirming their beauty and owning their unique hair texture.
Tolu Oye’s love of her Nigerian culture is apparent throughout her work. Oye is the co-founder of Oye Green, an African beauty and wellness brand which carries products like shea butter, specialty hair combs, and Cowrie shells. Most recently, she launched Oye Green Prints, an initiative selling prints by Black artists—60% of the proceeds go towards organizations and individuals working to end SARS in Nigeria. She also has a clothing brand, Meji Meji, through which she recently launched a hair protective, silk-lined bucket hat and face masks. “My inspiration is rooted in my identity and culture. It is displayed in everything I do,” Oye says. That includes her ever-inspiring beauty and hair looks, too: Oye rocks braids of all kinds; from those that are green dyed and cheekbone-length to cornrows that cascade into a billow of coils.
“I am inspired by the beauty of Nigerian culture,” the Lagos-born, New York-based entrepreneur says. “I use my hair as a moodboard to share a story about the past and the present. My hair is a form of art and my way of channeling my inner being.”
It took time for Oye to feel completely comfortable with herself, and her hair. Growing up in Ohio, “I was often the only person of color in the room, and when I wasn’t, I was the darkest shade,” she recalls. “I had to toughen up really quickly. For so long, I did not identify myself as beautiful. I hated the skin I was in.” In the 6th grade, her teacher made her read The Skin I’m In. “I saw myself in the main character, Maleeka. That book was a turning point for me. From that day forward, I spoke with my head up,” she says. “To this day, I always hear my mother’s voice in my head, saying, ‘Tolu, you’re Black and shine!’ I had to learn how to love every piece of myself.”
“Me and my mom. She’s been braiding my hair since she gave birth to me. It’s amazing how we still bond over me sitting in her salon chair or on a pillow on our living room floor. Sometimes I even travel back to Ohio just so she can run hands through my scalp and play catch up. If my mother isn’t doing my hair, it’s my friends Helena Koudou and Chinna Njoku.” 
Her mother, a cosmetologist who worked in a braid shop throughout Oye’s youth, has been a strong pillar throughout her hair journey as well. “It is through her that I found my love for braids,” Oye says. But around 6th grade, Oye began dreading getting her hair braided, wanting to assimilate into her Ohio surroundings. It wasn’t until she went back to Nigeria in 2016 that she found her love for traditional African braid styles again. “I started expressing myself through braids. I started yearning to learn about conventional Yoruba braid styles and Nigerian culture as a whole. A [missing] puzzle piece within my life was finally here.”
Now, as her daily reminder, she reads the message engraved on the Oye Green comb she designed: “Irun ré ni òge re,” meaning: “Your hair is your glory.” For further inspiration, she looks to hairstylists Jawara and Fesa, photographs taken by J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, Rihanna, and books like African Hairstyles, Styles of Yesterday and Today by Esi Sagay. Oye loves to recreate old hairstyles “with a modern twist,” she says. “Braids are heavy symbolism and a fashion statement. Each braids style represents a form of societal status, tribe, age, marital status, wealth, power, and religion,” she explains.
Her go-to hair products include the Oye Green Rubber thread, a traditional method of stretching hair without heat. Oye notes that one of the oldest methods, “Irun Kiko,” or hair threading, is a traditional African hairstyle that originated among the Yorubas. “The sculptural style was once used to depict wealth and class, and to commemorate events, but is also a very effective method of stretching and protecting hair without heat and excess manipulation,” she explains. She also often reaches for the Oye Shea Butter: “It’s an all in one product that can be used as food for my skin and food for my hair.” She also uses it to nourish her edges. Kera Kare Dry and Itchy soothes her scalp when she has braids in, while Shine ‘N Jam is perfect for hold and Murray’s Edgewax shapes her baby hairs.
Up next, Oye is working towards adding a shampoo and conditioner to her line, while also expanding her Meji Meji collection for 2021. Otherwise, she’s focused on finding time for self-love and softness. “Self-care is important to me because I am always working,” she says. “When the pandemic happened, my body didn’t know how to react to the stillness. But especially during this pandemic, my value for self-care increased.” Whether she’s working on her beauty and fashion brands or planning her next hairstyles, she’s staying afloat through positive self-talk. “If you affirm great things, they will indeed come to pass,” she says. “Love yourself, talk to yourself, and tell yourself how beautiful you are daily.”
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Carmen Bryan’s Cryptic Post Stirs the Pot in Jay-Z Controversy
The hip-hop industry currently faces substantial controversy as Jay-Z finds himself in the eye of a storm. Allegations of sexual assault stemming from a 2000 afterparty involving the illustrious rap mogul and disgraced music executive Diddy have ignited fierce public debate. While Jay-Z categorically denies the accusations and expresses his intent to contest the lawsuit, the court of public sentiment appears to have already rendered its verdict. Further complicating this turmoil is the involvement of Carmen Bryan, a name from Jay’s contentious history, which has added a chilling layer to the evolving situation.
Carmen Bryan, recognized for her decade-long affair with the Brooklyn rapper, recently took to Instagram with a cryptic yet pointed post. Although she refrained from naming anyone directly, Bryan suggested that loyalty often supersedes ethical morality in cases involving influential individuals. “These days, people don’t defend what is right; they defend who they like,” she wrote. Her parting shot, “And that’s why we call you a groupie,” felt like a verbal mic drop, leaving little doubt about who her words targeted.
The intrigue didn’t stop there. Bryan shared a snapshot of Jay-Z’s lyrics from his 2010 track “Monster,” honing in on a particularly unsettling line: “Kill a block, I murder the avenues, I rape and pillage your village, women and children.” Though these lyrics were part of a more extensive metaphorical verse showcasing a “monster” persona, their resurfacing in this context feels calculated and ominous.
Bryan is no stranger to controversy, having previously aired her grievances toward Jay-Z. In her 2006 memoir, It’s No Secret: From Nas to Jay-Z, Seduction to Scandal, she detailed their affair and its tumultuous fallout. Additionally, she revealed in a 2017 interview that she had been pregnant with Jay-Z’s child, only to suffer a miscarriage. The relationship, fraught with personal and public conflict, remains a blemish on Jay-Z’s meticulously crafted, otherwise carefully curated narrative. Carmen Bryan’s multifaceted approach raises pertinent questions: Is she simply sharing her perspective on morality in the industry, or does she possess additional undisclosed knowledge?
While the allegations against Jay-Z are still under legal evaluation, Bryan’s Instagram post has reignited another dimension to the complex and polarizing discussions about power dynamics, accountability, and the ethical responsibilities of those influential individuals in the spotlight. Her courageous decision to use Jay-Z’s lyrics against him paints a stark picture that forces fans and critics alike to reckon with the blurred lines between art and reality.
As the legal proceedings involving Jay-Z progress, the public remains split amid this developing saga. While Jay-Z’s peers have predominantly expressed skepticism toward the allegations, the enduring legacy of this iconic figure hangs in precarious balance, with shadows from the past casting long and potentially damning silhouettes.
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Jay-Z Engrossed in Fresh Allegations as Tony Buzbee Claims More Victims
In a stunning twist to an already high-stakes legal dispute unfolding with the intensity of a Hollywood thriller, Jay-Z, one of music’s most preeminent figures, finds himself at the center of an explosive allegation involving minors. This drama stems from accusations brought forth by attorney Tony Buzbee and has escalated a conflict that began with a lawsuit over alleged extortion. Buzbee, who represents a woman accusing the music mogul of sexually assaulting her at the 2000 MTV VMAs afterparty, claims there are additional alleged victims, involving both male and female minors.
Jay-Z and his attorney, Alex Spiro, aren’t backing down. They have initiated a countersuit against Buzbee, vehemently denying the allegations and characterizing them as “entirely fabricated and malicious.” Spiro’s filing asserts that Buzbee’s accusations are part of a calculated scheme to tarnish the rapper’s reputation and coerce a settlement. “These baseless accusations are nothing more than a weapon in a calculated plot,” Spiro stated, doubling down on their stance that the allegations are devoid of any factual basis.
The case took another dramatic turn when the woman Buzbee represents amended her lawsuit against Diddy to include Jay-Z. The timing of the amendment and the salacious nature of the claims have fueled a media frenzy, leaving the hip-hop icon fighting a battle both in the courtroom and in the court of public opinion.
Late Sunday, Jay-Z fired back with a defiant statement on X (formerly Twitter). “What he had calculated was the nature of these allegations and the public scrutiny would make me want to settle,” he wrote. “No sir, it had the opposite effect! It made me want to expose you for the fraud you are in a VERY public fashion. So no, I will not give you ONE RED PENNY!!”
This case is now racing against the clock, with Jay-Z’s legal representatives seeking an emergency hearing to address the allegations. Their urgency stems from the relentless media coverage, which poses a substantial risk to the Roc Nation founder’s reputation. This matter extends beyond a mere legal confrontation; it encompasses significant implications beyond the courtroom, a fight for his legacy.
The stakes are exceptionally high. Legal counsel Buzbee hints at the potential existence of additional alleged victims, thereby intensifying the spotlight scrutiny placed on both parties involved. With careers, reputations, and justice on the line, this legal showdown is poised to become a critical juncture within the music and entertainment industry. For fans and observers alike, the unfolding circumstances prompt inquiries regarding the veracity of the claims and the tactical weaponization of reputation in the court of public discourse.
