what was michael jackson's off the wall afro called

Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall hairstyle is generally described as a blowout afro or a natural afro-style look, not a Jheri curl. A forum comment and hair-history writeups specifically point to “blowout afro,” while later coverage says the Jheri curl came after that era.

Quick scoop

• Most likely name: blowout afro.

• Alternative description: natural afro / afro-style.

• Not the same thing: the famous Jheri curl was more associated with his later Off the Wall/Thriller transition and beyond.

Why it gets mixed up

The confusion comes from the fact that Jackson’s look changed quickly around that period, and some people lump his late-1970s and early-1980s hairstyles together. One source says he moved into the Jheri curl as he transitioned into the Off the Wall and Thriller days, while another specifically labels the hair as a blowout afro.

Practical answer

If you’re asking for the term people most often use for that Off the Wall afro, the best answer is blowout afro.

TL;DR: Blowout afro is the usual label, though some sources just call it a natural afro-style look.