The Nonchalant Dreadhead meme refers to a character popular in skits made mostly by young Black men and teens that started as a slang term before evolving into a series of popular TikToks.
What does it mean to be a Nonchalant Dreadhead?
People embodying the ND meme are usually mocking the Nonchalant Dreadhead or being deliberately cringe, but the ND is actually supposed to be a cool figure. He’s a guy who is beloved, popular, and, above all, extremely chill.
Where does the term come from?
The concept of a nonchalant dreadhead has existed for some time and the phrase was relatively popular. Apparently, lots of people know someone who fits the archetype. There have been references using the term online as far back as 2013, when Twitter user @rashfordatl posted a tweet that read, “How would you describe yourself?—The nonchalant dreadhead.”
Why is the Nonchalant Dreadhead suddenly popular?
In April 2024, the character came to an extremely detailed life on TikTok. This is mostly thanks to user @breazy2funny, who embodies the ND with a series of POV vids in which the nonchalant dreadhead is the most beloved student in school, everyone wants to hang with him, work on school projects together, and be his friend for clout.
@breazy2funny Yes i have dreads and im nonchalant calm down ladies 🙄😉
♬ original sound – Breazy
Interestingly, a lot of his commenters are kind of critical of the character’s performance, so it seems like it might be kind of a hate-watch situation. But that can pay the bills too if you’re a part of the TikTok creator fund. Breazy seems happy to keep making money off his TikToks.
Another key aspect of Breazy’s rendition is repeating phrases like “oi oi oi” and “baka” as well as emitting a “nonchalant roar,” all of which are references to anime. The ND has hobbies.
Other TikTokers are catching on and have embraced the character and tried to do it themselves, many of them wearing fake locs that are perhaps on the wrong side of playful.
Especially the white TikTokers. But most fans of the character don’t seem to have much to say about how who is making these videos as long as they continue to jokingly praise the confidence and popularity of the ND. And many of them are essentially just recreating Breazy’s style directly, so if it was a hit once, it’ll be a hit twice.
@heyladies9 #heyladies9 ♬ original sound – Breazy
@itsjust_wisnaldo It’s so hard being a nonchalant dread head 🤦🏿
♬ original sound – Breazy
More TikTok trend explainers:
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