Central Cee Tried To Rock Bantu Knots And The Internet Ate Him Alive

Central Cee is on the come up. He has exploded in the 2020s, reaching a level of crossover success that few UK rappers have. DJ Akademiks went as far as to claim that Cee was a top 5 relevant rap artist in the world during a live stream in June. That being said, Cee is not immune to the mockery of the internet. He popped up in an Instagram video alongside Lil Durk on August 13, and appeared to be rocking a bold new hairstyle. Central Cee got Bantu knots. And social media immediately criticized him for trying to emulate the fashion sensibility of Black artists.

Bantu knots are a traditional African hairstyle that have been around for a hundred plus years. The style is especially popular with Black women, which is why so many people looked sideways at Central Cee’s new look. Most of the criticisms leveled at the UK rapper had to do with the fact that he’s seemingly a white artist. “Y’all convinced Central Cee he was lightskin. Now he’s rocking bantu knots looking like an impressive fool,” one Twitter user wrote. Others simply thought it looked bad on Cee. “I’m not even mad at Central Cee for getting Bantu Knots,” another user wrote. “Do whatever you want I guess, my problem is it looks ridiculous.”

It’s worth noting that Central Cee is actually mixed. During a 2023 interview with Vogue, the rapper discussed his specific ethnic makeup. “My dad’s Guyanese and Chinese, and my mum’s English,” he explained. Central Cee had previously been reluctant to specify his familial lineage. He did, however, open up about the experiences he had growing up in a mixed household. “Not having much, my mum’s hardships,” he noted. “I was taking them on myself, subconsciously. I wanted to take matters into my own hands.”

Some social media users defended Central Cee’s decision to get Bantu knots. They were, however, in the minority. The backlash has been pretty deafening, so it’ll be interesting to see if the UK rapper decides to stick with his new hairstyle or abandon it. Keep scrolling to read more social media reactions to the delay. Do you think Cee will prolong his Bantu era? Let us know in the comments, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.