Hairstylist Annagjid “Kee” Taylor boasts a laundry list of celebrity clients including: Nafessa Williams, Tika Sumpter, Tiffany Haddish, and countless others. Her emphasis on healthy, masterfully-styled natural hair has made the Philly-based artist and her haircare brand, Sheer Genius Collection, a hit both on social media and in real-life. But in quarantine, she’s become just as proficient in TikToks and reels, as she is hair, and her latest video has become a viral sensation.
The #BlackEffectChallenge features Taylor creatively switching between countless outfits and natural hairstyles to the tune of The Carters’ hit “Black Effect” playing behind her.
“I wanted to honor the culture on the first day of Black History Month, and celebrating texture and natural hair styles seemed like the perfect way to do that,” Taylor tells ESSENCE. “I’m known for doing challenges and for doing hair, so this seemed like a good opportunity to put those together and celebrate Black culture. I chose BLACK EFFECT given the message of the song of how Black culture has inspired others.”
The rapid transformations are nothing short of incredible. “For the looks, I made sure to include some of the Blackest hairstyles I could think of—definitely not just regular ponytails or anything like that,” she says. “I also wanted to pair some of the more dramatic styles with everyday Black girl looks to really show off the versatility of our hair.”
And much to our surprise, filming the video wasn’t as difficult as it looks. “If I’m being honest, the sequence of the styles came together based on the ease of transitioning from one style to the other,” she says. “While I was prepared to be filming all day, I was able to get all this shot in just four hours and fully edited in 20 minutes.”
Taylor tagged several others challenging them to record their own, and the message has clearly been received. Ahead, check out some of our favorites so far.