Shareif Ziyadat / Contributor via Getty Images
Lil Baby Denies Speculation About Him Wearing Nail Polish, Calls Out DJ Akademiks
On Thursday (March 28), Lil Baby teased new music across his social media accounts. While the reactions primarily consisted of praise and fans arguing that the snippet sounded like his old tones, one particular person prompted the rapper to respond.
Taking to Twitter, DJ Akademiks claimed that Baby was wearing nail polish in the accompanying preview clip. He wrote, “[This] n**ga ain’t been the same since [them] Michael Rubin parties… I know his nails [are] not painted… Man, [what’s] going on in rap?”
The “Emotionally Scarred” hitmaker denied the speculation via his Instagram Story. His post read, “Y’all blogs gotta stop posting just anything! I ain’t painting my [motherf**king] nails! At this point, y’all gotta see n**gas like [Akademiks] got an agenda! Miss me with that weird s**t!” Baby further emphasized that he was serious by writing, “No LOL” — short for “laughing out loud.”
Several Hip Hop artists have been spotted wearing nail polish over the years, including YoungBoy Never Broke Again, ASAP Rocky, Trippie Red and Tyler, the Creator. Notably, Lil Yachty launched his own nail paint line, Crete, in 2021. Additionally, Drake defended himself against “homophobic” remarks after rocking pink nails in July 2023.
Baby and Akademiks previously traded shots at each other in 2022. “Akademiks know he ain’t as rich as me,” the Grammy Award winner spat on the track “From Now On” from It’s Only Me. He also dissed the internet personality on “Top Priority” with lyrics like, “Akademiks n**gas think they can’t get touched/ I don’t be on computers much.”
On the music side, Baby debuted “350” and “Crazy” in December 2023. He also announced that he’s working on his next studio album. The rapper’s latest LP, It’s Only Me, landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart upon release. It contained fan favorites such as “Forever” with Fridayy and “In A Minute.”