It’s been nearly a year since the lyrical war of words kicked off between Drake and Kendrick Lamar. Although neither has released a proper diss track in a while, they are both taking subtle shots at each other in other ways.
Lamar did it during his explosive Super Bowl Halftime show, where he performed “Not Like Us,” and called him a pedophile in front of millions of people watching at home.
This past Monday, it was Drake’s turn as he released the much-anticipated music video for his hit track, “NOKIA,” from his collaboration with PartyNextDoor, “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.”
While the song itself does not include any direct shots at the Compton MC, fans noticed certain images and symbols that may reference his feud with Lamar.
Uncaged Owl
The video caps off with six owls perched on top of a phone mast, which is an obvious reference to Drake’s record label and brand, OVO.
However, fans have also made a connection to Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” video, which concluded with the Compton MC starring down a caged owl. This could be a subtle response to Lamar, essentially saying that he could never be “caged” by anyone and that he still sees himself as the top dog in the hip-hop world.
@dmcb__ wrote on X, “The art of perspective. From the owl’s viewpoint (Drake), it’s free.. no worries in sight. From the hater viewpoint (Kendrick), he thought the owl was caged and boxed in, but little does he know… never that.”
Dance Moves
Hip-hop fans on social media also noticed the laid-back way Drake was dancing and took it as a subtle dig at Lamar’s dancing ability in the “Not Like Us” music video.
As you can see below, Drake has his hands in his pocket just like Lamar, and is doing a nonchalant two-step.
@CJ_Dym2 added on X, “For anyone that’s seen the video…don’t yall feel like Drake might’ve been mocking Kendrick? Lmao. The slight dancing, black/white, girls geography, and owls sitting freely at the end.”
NBA player cameo
While this “response” was not discussed as much, Drake also included a cameo of an NBA player from his hometown -- Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Lamar did the same thing when he name-dropped Sacramento Kings guard Demar DeRozan in “Not Like Us” and included him in the music video.