Henry Rodriguez’s Hair Painting At Our Miami ‘On A Plate’ Party Is Fire

If Henry Rodriguez had to choose the footballer with the best hair, it would be Brazilian Ronaldo and his infamous 2002 World Cup style. “It marked something in the world of soccer and in the world in general,” he says. “Even though some people is like, ‘That’s super weird,’ to me, it’s all about the creativity and the impact you do in the world.”

Impact through creativity is a concept the barber is very familiar with. Born, raised, and still based in Miami, he has been bringing his signature cuts and colours to the barrio (Spanish-speaking neighbourhood) for years. After starting out cutting his own hair in high school and then his friends’ in backyards, Rodriguez decided to dedicate himself to the craft in 2017. Since then, he has built up a name for himself working with musicians like Feid and J Balvin, and brands L3VEL3 and JRL. 

Henry Rodriguez

Increasingly known for his colourful hair painting – designs range from psychedelic melting smileys, aliens and animal prints, to his signature flames – Rodriguez’s philosophy when it comes to hair is all about innovation, respect and, most importantly, he says, doing everything with heart. It was this approach that he brought to SoccerBible’s ‘On A Plate’ Creative Soccer Culture Tour, in partnership with adidas, last Friday. “When I saw the storyboard, the idea for the event, everything seemed very cool,” he says of what drew him to wanting to be a part of ‘On A Plate’. “I know what SoccerBible brings to the table, so I knew it would be absolutely amazing.” 

Taking place in the kind of old school barber shop set-up that you might find in barrios across the country – the ones with the old TV playing slightly distorted football matches and wall posters that have been there since you were born – Rodriguez created bespoke hair designs inspired by football, South America and, of course, flames. “The event was amazing and definitely a success. I loved everything about it from the set up to the people organising it,” he says. “The whole barrio concept and everyone dressed up in adidas and looking like they were back in South America was amazing! Honestly loved it and hope to be part of many more again. 10/10.” 

Here, Rodriguez opens up to SoccerBible about getting his start in the industry, growing up surrounded by football, and the hot creativity of Miami.

How did you start doing hair?

Henry Rodriguez: “Well, if you want me to be quite honest, I think this was meant for me, because of all the obstacles I ran into while I was trying to start. There was a lot of times that I almost gave up, but something always came around like, ‘Yo, this is what you need to do’. 

“I had one of my really good friends that passed away. He knew I cut my own hair throughout high school and he wanted me to cut his hair. So I used to cut his hair in my room. And he kept repeating, ‘You should do this, you should do this, you should do this’. A year after he passed away, I was like, ‘You know what? I'm gonna give it a try’. Because coming from working in the restaurant business to Ubering, I was like, ‘What am I gonna do in my life?’ And now here we are today, working with SoccerBible.”

What do you enjoy about the work?

Henry Rodriguez: “I enjoy the relationships that I have with every client, opportunities like this, and I’ve been blessed to work with two major companies from the barber industry. I am a brand ambassador slash educator for them. So I travel the world, educating, sharing knowledge, talking about the product, talking about my experience. I love that part of it. But to get to that, I had to go through the relationships that I built with my clients, cutting hair, creating, and just everything about it had something special. I enjoy everything but the most important thing I enjoy is the freedom that I have.”

Do you have a signature design that people come to you for now?

Henry Rodriguez: “I’ve dedicated these past years to building my name around the hair colouring. And  I’ve been very dedicated to the flames design the past two years. I’ve been trying to make something that, when you see it, is like, ‘Oh, that must have been Papi Blendz who did that’. So, I don’t have a designated one, but the flames definitely identify my brand and myself.”

You were born and raised in Miami – how do you think that's influenced your work? 

Henry Rodriguez: “It definitely influences a lot because Miami is a very artistic, open-minded city, where a lot of people can sit in your chair and say, ‘Hey, just do anything’, or ‘I'm open for you to just create’. Miami, the people, and the Miami culture allows you to get a lot more creative than if I was in the middle of a city where people are naive and not open-minded at all.”

When did your relationship with football start? Have you always been a fan?

Henry Rodriguez: “Honestly, I’ve always played soccer. My mom is Brazilian and my dad is Honduran, and both cultures practise football a lot. So it definitely has been in me since little. The only reason I don’t continue playing is because, you know, age and work and your knees and joints and other fun parts of it. But it’s something that's grown with me. You know how Brazil is with soccer so it’s definitely a part of my life.”

I totally understand that. My dad is German and my mom is Spanish so I also grew up with it being a huge part of the culture and just part of everyday life.

Henry Rodriguez: “Yeah, literally. It’s beautiful. Yesterday, I went to watch the Colombia game and there was so many people, everybody celebrating, having a good time. It was definitely beautiful.”

It brings everyone together in a way that not a lot of other things do. Who do you think has the best hair in football?

Henry Rodriguez: “Damn, there’s a lot of players that have cool cuts, especially now in modern times. I like the fact that Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian Ronaldo had a look that they made into something, you know, like [Cristiano] Ronaldo’s comb over. And Ronaldo back in his times, he used to have that weird haircut.” 

The little bit at the front!

Henry Rodriguez: “Yeah, the little bit in the front definitely marked something in the world of soccer and in the world in general. So that’s something where I’m like, ‘Okay, I like that’. Even though some people is like, ‘That's super weird,’ to me, it's all about the creativity and the impact you do in the world.”

Did you take inspiration from soccer culture for the designs you did for SoccerBible’s ‘On A Plate’ event?

Henry Rodriguez: “Everyone showcased something different. There was definitely one inspired by soccer, flames, and the other one was more inspired by South America and barrio. Every one that I chose had something unique that brought good vibes to the event.”

Do you have advice for people who want to be more experimental and more creative with their hairstyles?

Henry Rodriguez: “What I would say is what Nike would say: just do it. Sometimes we overthink it so much and it really takes just doing it. One of the big issues that I see a lot of people have is counting on others’ opinions. You have to just worry about your own opinion and your own beliefs. Believing in yourself should be something huge and impactful when it comes to creating, doing something different, and trying to be different. Believing in yourself will always play a huge role in taking it to the next level.”

What other plans do you have for this year? Are there any projects or goals that you are excited about?

Henry Rodriguez: “Honestly, there’s a lot. I still have about 10 cities to visit this year and some amazing personal projects. One of my biggest goals in my career itself is reaching magazines, runways, Paris – to have my work be showcased along with some other amazing artists. I feel like I’ve done a lot already in the barber industry. Now I want to move it up a notch.”

Photography courtesy of Henry Rodriguez and Seba