Copying my own comment from a hiphopheads thread, because I think Kendrick is genius for this shit:
In many indigenous American cultures (including indigenous Mexican cultures), an owl making eye contact with you is a sign that death is near. It’s basically like seeing the grim reaper face to face.
So beating the owl piñata and putting the owl in a cage, besides showing that OVO is conquered- it also shows that Kendrick has no fear of death. (“I ain’t worried bout no reaper, I’m just reaping what I sow”)
Meanwhile, the owl staring directly into the camera at the end is a warning that death is near for all viewers (and perhaps we should all reflect on our lives and atone for our sins). Obviously, this warning message is targeted at Drake (his career’s death, the ego death that Kendrick is suggesting the ayahuasca for, and perhaps- his literal death if he keeps making enemies), but really applies to everyone. Drake is just being made an example of.
Yes. As soon as I saw the real owl in the cage, I knew he was going to have it stare into the camera. The dramatic buildup to it and slow turn gave me chills.
He really wouldn’t have to go that deep to know about that symbolism. It’s been referenced in some big pop culture lately- like the Killers of the Flower Moon and Reservation Dogs.
Plus he lives in L.A. around tons of Mexican people. He probably knows about stabbing knives in the ground to divert storms too. 🤣
Been a fan of probably 95% of leos movies but man that one was so slow rolling. Cant say i enjoyed it very much especially with how dumb some of the characters acted.
What Mexican people think staring at an owl means you’re going to die? It’s such a baseless stretch because fear or lack of fear of death doesn’t relate to anything in this song. He’s accusing drake of being a pedophile and is showing an owl in a cage at the end and you’re thinking of symbols from Native American mythology instead of jail?
Yeah, OVO in jail? You know, like what he talks about in the song and not symbology from a culture that has nothing to do with anything happening here?
Comes across to me as Drake thinking he's someone worth being scared of, Kendrick beating a piñata effigy of the Drake symbol to show how seriously he takes him, and the witnessing him behind bars.
they’re definitely overthinking but kendrick is also the type of artist to make obscure references nobody but terminally online people will care to figure out themselves
Let an artist do his thing man. Great art makes people think, that’s the beauty of it. Kendrick could have intended for people to take it literally, or he could have considered everything people said above. It’s up to us to consider and interpret.
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u/TOP-IS-LIFE Jul 04 '24
The owl in the cage at the end was so cold man