Is Drake Trolling Kendrick Lamar In His ‘Nokia’ Video?

Drake has finally dropped the long-awaited video for his $ome $exy $ongs 4 U standout “Nokia,” and a number of scenes appear to be directed at Kendrick Lamar.

While Kendrick is widely considered to have won their headline-grabbing beef, Drizzy has been attempting to fight back — not with flagrant disses, but with party songs. (“Fuck a rap beef, I’m tryna get the party lit,” he declared on “Gimme a Hug.”)

The ’90s-inspired, dancefloor-friendly “Nokia” is the biggest hit from Drake’s collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, and with longtime collaborator Theo Skudra in the director’s chair, its accompanying IMAX video seemingly features some post-battle jabs aimed at his archrival.

Take a look at the potential shots (no pun intended) below.

Drake’s Dance Moves

Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video saw him bust out some rare (and nonchalant) dance moves in various scenes. In Drake’s impressively stylish “Nokia” visual, he appears to reference that video by wheeling out a few of his own bits of dad dancing, seemingly mocking Lamar’s efforts on the dancefloor.

Drake is calculated 🦉 #nokia pic.twitter.com/2izSH4dlWM

— Daniel C. 🥷🏽 (@DanielGotEm) March 31, 2025

Owl: Uncaged

In one of its most obvious digs at Drake, Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” video concluded with him staring down an owl — a nod to the well-known logo of the 6 God’s OVO brand — which cowers in submission from inside a cage.

“Nokia” also closes with the image of an owl (well, six of them) perched on top of a phone mast, seemingly symbolizing that Drizzy still sees himself as being on top of the world — and free from any cage that Kendrick may have metaphorically placed him in.

Drake showing the owl was never caged.Was just a small setback n he is back.. Kendrick can sit down with his hit coz now Drake is coming to take his crown back.. Moreso when he drops his next project after this awesome hit pic.twitter.com/JVeKfXS2wm

— XoTheBoyy (@xotheboyy) March 31, 2025

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Cameo

The Oklahoma City Thunder star is the lone cameo in Drake’s “Nokia” video, and while the potential NBA MVP is having the season of his life, he also appears to have been used as a weapon against Kendrick Lamar and DeMar DeRozan, the Compton native and former Toronto Raptor who made a surprise appearance in the “Not Like Us” video.

Drake later appeared to hit out at DeRozan, who he once called a friend, on his song “Fighting Irish Freestyle.” “The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets / Seemed like they loved every minute / Just know this shit is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business,” he rapped.

Shai appearing in a video with the 6 God could be a subtle rebuttal to Lamar and DeMar’s own rapper-hooper alliance, especially given Gilgeous-Alexander is sort of the inverse DeRozan: a Toronto native who once played in Kendrick’s hometown of L.A. (for the Clippers).

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a cameo in Drake’s new “Nokia” music video pic.twitter.com/ux1DGTszbQ

— SOUND | Victor Baez (@itsavibe) March 31, 2025

DEMAR DEROZAN IS IN THE KENDRICK LAMAR MUSIC VIDEO!
pic.twitter.com/d8QGWcDcqF

— BullsKickAss (@Bullskickass) July 4, 2024

Snakes All Around Me

Those old enough to remember playing the classic game Snake on an old Nokia phone might just get this reference. Drake has made no secret about feeling as if the music industry has been out to get him over the last year, with friends becoming foes and him even suing his own record label, Universal Music Group, over Kendrick’s “Not Like Us.”

At one point in the “Nokia” video, Drake stands surrounded by LED screens subtly showing the popular mobile game, which appears to be a not-so-subtle shot at his ever-growing list of enemies and traitors.

The snake game on the walls… NAH DRAKE YOU ARE HIM!!! pic.twitter.com/LtV9FXGccV

— NIKA— (@colenika_) March 31, 2025

Watch Out, Luther

Drake has suffered a downturn in his commercial success since his beef with Kendrick erupted last year, with each of his diss songs being out-charted and out-streamed by his Compton rival’s. $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, as well as its individual tracks, have also been eclipsed by GNX and its hit singles “Luther,” “Squabble Up” and “TV Off.”

However, “Nokia” is providing a glimmer of hope for Drake that this tide may turn. The track initially debuted at number 10 on the Hot 100 before quickly falling out of the top 10. But on this week’s chart, it has reached a new peak of number 7 after climbing four spots.

The release of its music video will likely give “Nokia” another boost, but whether it will be enough to dethrone Kendrick Lamar, whose “Luther collaboration with SZA has now spent six consecutive weeks atop the Hot 100, remains to be seen.

If it does, it will be Drizzy’s first chart-topper since 2023’s “First Person Shooter,” the braggadocious J. Cole collaboration that ignited his long-simmering feud with Kendrick.

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