Drake declares ‘the world is being homophobic’ amid backlash to pink manicure
Drake hits back a homophobic backlash to pink nail polish. (Getty/Instagram/@champagnepapi)
Rapper Drake has defended his choice to wear pink nail polish after after his friend and fellow rapper Lil Yachty commented on his appearance in a recent Instagram post.
Since Drake kicked off his epic 2023 North American tour It’s All a Blur, the Grammy award-winning rapper has taken fans on a trip down memory lane with a “celebration of the last decade” of his musical career.
From ‘coming out’ as a lesbian to being trolled by gay country singer Lil Nas X, the 36-year-old megastar has had his fair share of headline-making moments. Now, he’s sparked fresh discourse around homophobia and toxic masculinity – and it’s all down to pink nail polish.
After debuting a new manicure on his Instagram story on 3 July, the “Her Loss” hitmaker shared a handful of behind-the-scenes images from his tour with fans on Friday (7 July), including one in which he’s sporting large diamond earrings and pink polish.
“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 what nots’,” he wrote in the caption.
In the comment sections, 25-year-old fellow rapper Lil Yachty playfully teased his friend about his earrings, writing: “Boy got them heavy hangers in his ear.”
Drake, however, used the opportunity to tell his friend that he wasn’t getting positive feedback for his pink nails.
“GET OUT MY COMMENTS YOU TOLD ME TO PAINT MY NAILS SO I STOP BITING THEM AND NOW THE WORLD IS BEING HOMOPHOBIC FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ‘RICH FLEX’ … which wasn’t that long ago now that I think about it,” Drake wrote in response. “Wait, is the world homophobic? Smh.”
In response, Lil Yachty, said: “Woo-sah brother, [you’re] not supposed to have these episodes in public, it’s fine. They just don’t get u bro #UDIFFERENTAF.”
Drake’s comments come several months after the release of his song “Rich Flex” with 21 Savage, which went viral after fans implied that he was flirting with his collaborator over the lyric: “21, can you do somethin’ for me?”
Back in December, Drake addressed the endless memes made at his expense.
“I was just like, ‘You know what? I understand that after all these years, that I feel like I have a polarizing presence’,” he told Stake.
“I’m almost a character in people’s movies, and therefore, there’s a running dialogue. There’s jokes. You’re either the villain to some people [or] the hero to some people. It is what it is.”
Fans have since come out in defence of Drake and his nails after The Shade Room reposted the conversation.
“Y’all say women can do whatever they want to their bodies so let the men do whatever they please,” one fan wrote.
“LETS NORMALISE LETTING PEOPLE DO WHATEVER THE F**K THEY WANT TO THEIR OWN BODIES AND NOT BULLYING THEM FOR IT,” another added.
“Dear men who paint they nails Don’t let these self hating cockroaches make you feel less like a man YOU ARE LOVED,” a third echoed.
Critics of Drake’s nails, meanwhile, were led by the likes of notorious misogynist Andrew Tate who wrote: “There’s a reason I deny meeting all the famous people who try to meet me.”
You can find out how to get your hands on It’s All a Blur tour tickets here.
