What's The 'Low Taper Fade' Meme? The Men's Haircut That's Gained Viral Attention Explained

A new haircut is sweeping social media and memes. It's called a "low taper fade." A song about Fortnite YouTuber Ninja getting one sparked all of the hype, but the "low taper fade" meme has since taken on a life of its own.

At the heart of this meme is a haircut. Many think that they know what it looks like but (it turns out) many have no idea — maybe not even Ninja himself. The idea of any person or character getting a low taper fade is hot right now, prevalent in redraw trends on Twitter / X.

So, what is a "low taper fade?" What's with the "low taper fade" memes? Why's Ninja involved and who started this trend? Let's explain.

What's A 'Low Taper Fade' Haircut?

A "low taper fade" is a short, predominantly male haircut in which the hair "fades" low on the person's head, right above the ear. The fade happens quickly on the head, going from long to short in less than an inch but fading no less. If the haircut were to fade higher on the head, then it would be a "mid taper fade" or "high taper fade."

Where Did The 'Low Taper Fade' Meme Start?

The low taper fade meme started with the now famous "Imagine If Ninja Got a Low Taper Fade" song by singer ericdoa. A livestream clip of his went viral in which he was passionately crooning the aforementioned affirmation, wondering what the streamer would look like with the haircut.

What's The 'Imagine If Ninja Got A Low Taper Fade' Meme?

Since ericdoa's viral clip, the meme about Ninja's hair has taken on a life of its own. Meme creators across social media started to make art that fulfilled the singer's fantasy. Eventually, Ninja actually got a low taper fade, abiding by the meme sphere's chants.

What's The 'Low Taper Fade' Art Trend?

Eventually, people got tired of Ninja being the centerpiece of the "low taper fade" meme. In turn, an art trend surfaced online in which artists drew their favorite characters, influencers and celebrities in the barber chair achieving "low taper fade" supremacy.

Although a lot of the images are cute and well done, others have argued that the stove top pictured in all of them is not a low taper fade. As stated, the haircut needs to taper closer to the ear in order to be considered "low.

What Are Some Other Haircut Memes?

Haircuts have been the focus of many memes throughout internet history. If it's not a video of a monkey getting a haircut, then the meme is about the haircut style itself which emits stereotypes and connotations that are fun to riff on in memes.

For instance, there's the "Speak To the Manager" cut. that symbolizes every angry Karen in a shopping mall. For men, there's the Edgar cut, a.k.a. the Latino community's favorite stereotype and average grandson.

Speaking generationally, one could mention the Zoomer Perm which seems to be a bird's nest on the head of every Gen Z teenager. As far as memes go, haircuts are tried and true exploitable.

For the full history of the Low Taper Fade meme, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.