the braid boy diaries

Diary, No. 14 is all about Rondell Bob, DPT & his confidence. Matty talks to Rondell about his life as an openly gay man who's embraced his balding process throughout his young adult years. We also tap into Rondell's sense of self-assurance and talk about the importance to self-care and authentic relationships as we dissect his views on black masculinity. Watch the full episode on Youtube & tap into the site to see Rondell's full diary. 

Diary, no. 13 swings us back to the West Coast to talk to Taylor Nevels, Teacher's Assistant, Entrepreneur and Musician. Matty catches up with Taylor about his recent experiences working in education, what it’s like to show up for young students of color today, and how the experience is different from attending Howard University. We dissect manhood and fatherhppd as we get an in-depth look into Taylor's family, growing up in California, and how all these moments impacted him to growing out his hair today. heydraughter.com/the-diaries to see Taylor’s full diary.

On an episode full of laughs, Matty Draughter catches up with Quincy Jay, Personal Trainer & Influencer, for an in-depth conversation on growing up Bi-Racial & Gay, what relationships with Barbers can look like for Queer men of color, and the importance of self-identification. We also dig into his Influencer career &  family, as he explains how he learned to find self-confidence; and, of course, we had to have a moment for the Lambily. Make sure to check out Quincy's visual diary for this episode at heydraugher.com/braid-boy-diaries.

Diary, No. 11 (:Eleven), is all about hair. In an in depth interview with hair stylist, Karlito Payton, we joce about hair from the technician's perspective. We see how Karl's life growing up in the salon shaped his passion for hair & self care; how his 11 years in the industry helps him navigate working with major clients like Harper's Bazaar & HBO, and breakdown the social confines of image and style that LGBTQIA+ men of color still dissect today. Visit & subscribe at heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries to view Karl's full diary! 

Diary no. 10 is all about "Keeping That Same ENERGY." We joce with long time friend, frat brother, and DJ, ANTWIGADEE about his DJ career, ties to New Orleans, and creating space for people through musical experiences. We also get into his hair journey, how life has influenced his views on style, and the essence of blackness through a deep conversation about music. ANTWIGADEE also shares a snippet of one of his last DJ sets from his residence, ENERGY! Check out ANTWIGADEE's full diary at heydraughter.com/braid-boy-daires.

Diary, no. 9 is all about community. We sit down with Kamelle Mills, Fitness Influencer & LGBTQ+ Advocate, to talk about confidence through hair exploration, the importance of chosen family, RENAISSANCE, & Black Love. Kamelle is currently the founder of PROFOUNDations, a non-profit for LGBTQ+ POC, and ENBEYES, a new Production company. Listen to our kiki and see how my gay muva's knowledge has inspired me over the years. Our conversation is reunion unlike any other & I hope you visit https://www.heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries to see Kamelle's full diary! 

Diary, no.8 is straight outta the archives with Juanthousand. For this episode, Keijuan Jacobs joins us for a conversation about #manhood and the creative process of his #music. We walk through Keijuan’s life, from his journey through Louisiana to his musical projects, where he drops knowledge on how his hair journey has impacted his life and influence as a man and father.. Visit heydraughter.com/the-diaries to see Keijuan’s full diary.

Diary, no.7 is special because it's out of our archives from the past. For this episode, Aha Gazelle joins us for a conversation about maturity. Hear his story about how he came up through Louisiana & how his hair has impacted his life and influenced his career. He also drops some knowledge on adulting, his latest projects and maturity. Visit heydraughter.com/the-diaries to see Aha's full diary.

For diary, no. 6, we chop it up with Benjamin C. Fields, financial services professional, business manager, business manager to Aha Gazelle, and my frat brother. We dig into Ben's roots as a PK, discover his process of going bald in college, how he's found confidence over the years, and  hispersonal and spiritual growth as a man. Ben's convo brings us back full circle from college days to today, helping us reflect on how we  have learned new definitions of blackness & masculinity over the past eight years. 

After a much-needed self-care hiatus, we are back and better than ever. Episode 5 and the next few episodes are going to be all about brothers. Literally. For this diary, we open up with Matthew Draughter's younger brother, Joshua Green. Josh is currently a junior at Xavier University New Orleans studying computer science with a second internship at Microsoft underway. Sit in on our joce where we discuss our hair journeys, what college can be like for black men at the end of a panny, and ultimately, how we learned to define unconditional love after living in a toxic space for most of our childhood. Subscribe to our podcast & explore bonus content at https://www.heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries. 

Diary, no. 4 is all about Drexston Redway, Visual Designer at Square. During our episode, we catch up with Drex about growing up Jamaican-American, haircare as a form of self-care, and mostly what it's like to be the last Black man in San Francisco. We'll also dig into why I decided to dye my hair blue in the middle of Season 1. To explore Drex's portraits & additional content, visit heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries.

After a mid-season hiatus, we're back for our third episode. diary, no. 3 is all about Tremayne Stewart, a longtime friend and VP of Product Architecture at Hio Social. We get deep into Tre's roots from Jamaica to New York, dissect trauma hustles & family, all while getting to the root of being a nomad in this day and age with hair. And ultimately, Tre's convo brings us back full circle as we think about how we define blackness & masculinity through his experiences in the Bay Area and across the world. Make sure to check out Tre's portraits & additional content at heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries.

Episode 2 is here. We’re talking about the tea from the past & spiritual awakenings through hair. From church to the barbershop, to taking chances with musician & lyricist Sam Loid. We unpack his understanding of manhood, blackness, and his trials and tribulations that have led him to his rebirth. Listen to Sam’s story about his hair starting from a youngin' in New Orleans to a full-blown recording artist. Make sure to check out Sam's portraits & additional content at heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries.

For our series premiere, host, Matthew Draughter is catching up with one of his closest friends that inspired his hair journey, Quentin Cola. Quentin, a Musician, Producer & Hardware Engineer shares his story through his experience of growing out and locking his hair over the years in New Orleans, D.C., & Portland. We also get some insight as to why Matthew started the braid boy diaries period. Make sure to check out Quentin's portraits & additional content at heydraughter.com/braid-boy-diaries

Did you think your crown ever had a story? The "braid boy diaries" podcast & visual diary welcomes you to hear meaningful conversations with black male barbers, musicians, actors, educators, hairstylists, tech developers, lawyers & doctors about our crowns. Through bi-monthly discussions with host- writer & producer, Matthew Draughter, we'll reshape masculinity & redefine blackness through the lens of black hair. This thought provoking & introspective podcast is sure to leave you fueled & inspired as we form a new type of brotherhood with our hair.