BALTIMORE, MD - JANUARY 28: Travis Kelce #87 of the Kansas City Chiefs warms up prior to the AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 28, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
Travis Kelce is making it clear he doesn’t want any smoke over the fade haircut! The Kansas City Chiefs player addressed a viral New York Times headline during a recent press run.
With a laugh, Travis Kelce called the headline “ridiculous” before clarifying his point of view.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous, and to do it on Feb. 1, to throw me to the wolves like that? That was messed up man, I don’t want anything to do with that one. I got a good fade if you need it, though. It’s a two on top, a nice high and mid-fade with a taper in the back. But I didn’t invent that, I just asked for it.”
Watch Travis address the controversial headline below.
To kick off Black History Month, the outlet published an article with the headline “They’ll Take The Travis Kelce — Hairdo, That Is.” In their article preview sentence, they alleged that “barbers in America and abroad” are receiving requests for the “the Travis Kelce.” The rest of the text seemed to imply that Travis Kelce popularized the fade.
Needless to say, his haircut is a simple one that Black men have been getting done for generations after generations. Just ask any Black barber or peep inside any Black-owned barber shop.
To be clear, the hairstyle originated in the 1940s and 1950s among U.S. military members, per a 2016 Ebony article. However, by the 1980s, Black barbers started spicing up the fade. Eventually, it became a staple in Black hip-hop culture and among its early innovators and artists. From hi-top fades to the more tapered look Travis Kelce rocks, one thing is true: Black men and women popularized the haircut — not the Kansas City Chiefs tight end player.
Nonetheless, screenshots of the NYT headline quickly went viral across social platforms as Black users, in particular, called out the NYT for cultural erasure.
To note, Alyson Krueger — the writer of the controversial piece — appears to be a white woman. That lil’ tidbit was not lost on social media users amid the backlash.
Keep scrolling for reactions to the NYT’s article published on Feb. 1.
