Drake is clapping back at the decision to paint his nails a pale shade of pink.
“I don’t mind that we don’t talk. Rather be in your thoughts. Rather be on top of your list of ‘what ifs’ and not your list of ‘and whatnots,” the “Hotline Bling” rapper, 36, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, July 8, alongside a photo of himself DJ’ing with his manicured nails on display.
Lil Yachty quickly chimed in the comments, writing, “Boy got them heavy hangers in his ear.”
Drake quickly told the 25-year-old rapper to “get out” of his comments because “YOU TOLD ME TO PAINT MY NAILS SO I STOP BITING THEM AND NOW THE WORLD IS BEING HOMOPHOBIC FOR THE 1st TIME SINCE RICH FLEX.”
Drake’s song “Rich Flex” — performed in collaboration with 21 Savage — dropped in November 2022, with listeners speculating that he was flirting with his duet partner thanks to the lyric, “21, can you do somethin’ for me?” (Neither rap star addressed speculation at the time.)
Drake, who pointed out that “Rich Flex” came out not “that long ago,” added on Saturday: “Wait is the world homophobic? Smh.”
Lil’ Yachty, for his part, reacted to Drake’s explanation in the comments. “Woo-sah brother, your not supposed to have these episodes in public, it’s fine,” the Georgia native replied. “They just don’t get u bro #UDIFFERENTAF ‼️.”
Drake had enlisted a manicurist from Tokyo Nails in Chicago, a studio that specializes in using Japanese Gel polish, to help paint his fingertips.
“Best I ever had 💖,” a July 2 post on the brand’s Instagram read, alongside a pic of the finished product. Drake had opted for a pastel pink background with a darker heart in the center of each nail.
Drake is far from the only man who has dabbled in getting a manicure or a pedicure. The likes of Machine Gun Kelly, Brooklyn Beckham, Darren Criss and Harry Styles are also known to enjoy fresh paint on their fingernails.
“What women wear. What men wear. For me it’s not a question of that,” Styles, 29, previously told The Guardian in a December 2019 profile. “If I see a nice shirt and get told, ‘But it’s for ladies.’ I think: ‘Okaaaay? Doesn’t make me want to wear it less though.’ I think the moment you feel more comfortable with yourself, it all becomes a lot easier.’”
He continued at the time: “A part of it was having, like, a big moment of self-reflection. And self-acceptance. I think it’s a very free, and freeing, time. I think people are asking, ‘Why not?’ a lot more. Which excites me. It’s not just clothes where lines have been blurred, it’s going across so many things. I think you can relate it to music, and how genres are blurring.”
