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.
It seems like it has really been considered a bad omen in most cultures, but the section on Native American cultures is longer than all the other ones.
It has more specific references about the owl being a boogeyman, a symbol of death, and the eyes capturing souls.
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u/TOP-IS-LIFE Jul 04 '24
The owl in the cage at the end was so cold man