The rapper told us why he's diving into the cosmetics game with his nail paint brand called Crete, and he dropped some great nuggets about the toxic masculinity and intolerance that have shamed boys and men who rock nail polish.

When Yachty joined us on "TMZ Live," he said it's not just for girls and women now -- he expresses himself with nail paint, and his goal is to normalize it for all the guys who want to follow suit.

While women can use his nail paints, Yachty says he actually wanted Crete to cater more to male consumers from the jump to help them feel more comfortable with the idea of painting their nails ... without having to hit a salon.

BTW, he flashes his cuticles for us here ... and yeah, it looks like he's on to a winner of an idea. He even entertains the possibility of becoming the next beauty billionaire ... a la Kylie Jenner.

Of course, sentiments on gender norms had been shifting in this direction already ... which only helps Yachty's cause. Celebs like Pete Davidson, A$AP Rocky, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles and a lot more have embraced the painted nails look