July 9th 2023.
Ubiquitous Canadian rap megastar Drake was recently spotted sporting pink nails, as reported by BET. After being playfully ribbed by Lil Yachty on Instagram, Drake took to the comments section to defend his choice by saying “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 1st TIME SINCE ‘RICH FLEX.”
This isn’t the first time Drake has shown off his colored nails. In recent years, many men have followed suit, including Dewayne Wade, Kid Cudi, A$AP Rocky, Tyler the Creator, and Lil Yachty. This trend, however, is not a new one. In fact, it dates back to 3500 BC when ancient Babylonians painted their nails to signify class status and to intimidate opponents on the battlefield.
The association of nail polish with women and femininity began in the 1800s during the Victorian era when women would paint their nails to signify purity and cleanliness. But in recent years, Black men have been reclaiming their “innocence of black boyhood” by showing off their joy and happiness in any number of ways. This includes wearing flowers in their hair and painting their nails, a phenomenon called “Black Boy Joy” that was coined by Danielle Young in 2016.
Unfortunately, this newfound freedom of expression was met with criticism from people like Andrew Tate who attacked Drake after the post went viral. This is why Drake was correct in calling out the homophobia from people like Tate. Nail polish is genderless and the idea that men should never show softness, never cry, and never ask for help is an outdated and unrealistic social construct. By wearing colored nails in public, Drake is challenging the notion of what it means to be a “real man” and showing that it’s okay to be human.
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