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- On Saturday, the artist Kid Cudi disabled comments on an Instagram post showing his nails painted.
- Cudi said he was "tired of blocking so many accounts" after comments criticized the nail polish.
- The backlash follows negative comments he received for wearing a dress on "Saturday Night Live."
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Kid Cudi, the actor and "Day 'N' Nite" rapper and artist, disabled Instagram comments on Saturday after posting a picture that showed him with painted nails.
In a Saturday tweet that has over 95,000 likes and almost 10,000 retweets, he stood up to critics who criticized the nail polish in comments on the original post.
Cudi, whose real name is Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, said that people "really have a problem" with the nail polish and that he got "tired of blocking so many accounts." He told fans who don't support what he does to stop buying his albums and coming to shows.
"F— way off," he tweeted.
The Instagram post, which now has over 140,000 likes, shows Cudi wearing a gleaming silver helmet from the TV show "The Mandalorian" and two of his fingers thrown in the air, one painted blue, the other red.
While some detractors continued to criticize Cudi for his nails in the tweet's replies, many fans poured in support for the musician.
"How are dudes so fragile that they get mad over some paint," the user @brndxq wrote in a reply that received over 5,000 likes.
Another user, @gisdonewirh2020, pointed out that men "have been painting their nails since the '80s or David Bowie days."
Some supporters replied with pictures of their own vibrant fingers and said that Cudi isn't the only man who paints his nails.
"I've gotten some really really nasty, disgusting words and slurs thrown at me over the years," wrote the user @AyyChem, who attached a photo of their nails painted pink and black.
-ayychem (@AyyChem) July 18, 2021
Other commenters asked Cudi for advice on how to stylize their own nails, while some nail artists offered to create art on the rapper's fingers.
-Ego Stroke Nails (@egostrokenails) July 19, 2021
In April, Cudi received criticism for flouting gender norms after he wore a floral dress as a tribute to Kurt Cobain on "Saturday Night Live." Other male rappers like Playboi Carti and Jaden Smith have also faced hate for making style choices that are perceived as "feminine" by some, like painting their nails or donning colorful garments.
Cudi has been making music for over a decade. Last year, he had his first number-one song on the Billboard charts: "The Scotts," an up-tempo, psychedelic trap song produced with frequent collaborator Travis Scott.
Representatives for Kid Cudi did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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