Young Black men on TikTok are making jokes about how they epitomize the cool, unbothered, and universally adored nonchalant dreadhead, an archetype whose popularity is ready to edge out those still hung up on wielding their lightskin stares.

But where did the jokes about people fawning over their "dreadhead" classmate originate, and why is TikTok filled with people of all races joking about what it's like being a 6'5 nonchalant dreadhead? Here's a look at how the meme evolved over the years.

Where Does The Phrase 'Nonchalant Dreadhead' Come From?

Memes about being "nonchalant" have had their moment in the sun before the dreadhead trend, with a 2021 meme setting the tone for what it means to "become very nonchalant."

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7003858032425848070

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6989378042153995525

But people have been describing themselves as "nonchalant dreadheads" for years now, with traces of the phrase going as far back as 2013, when Twitter user @rashfordatl tweeted out, "How would you describe yourself? -- The nonchalant dreadhead."

It wasn't until April 2024 that TikToker @breazy2funny began posting a series of videos that would propel the nonchalant dreadhead archetype into focus, with his videos gathering millions of plays in just a few weeks. Breazy's sketches show him shaking his dreads and putting on a smile worthy of an awkward high schooler getting gassed up for next to no reason, his classmates showering adorations on him and begging to be partnered up with him for school projects.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7361081677998787872

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7369206463736155425

How Did Memes About Nonchalant Dreadheads Spread?

More TikTokers began making videos about fitting into the Nonchalant Dreadhead archetype in subsequent weeks, with many people poking fun at themselves or their friends by making POV-style sketches where they have to fend off clout chasers with the appropriate air of nonchalantness.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7374174108336016682

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7371504076246338858

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For the full history of the nonchalant dreadhead, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.