Drake packed plenty of surprises into his FOMO premiere, including unreleased music that quickly revived speculation about his old rivals. One track, in particular, caught listeners’ attention. The lyrics appear confrontational, while one “Dot” reference has fans wondering whether Kendrick Lamar was somewhere in the subtext.
Drake previews new music and appears to send subliminal shots at longtime rivals during FOMO
Drake premiered Fear of Missing Out on Sept. 15. He previously described FOMO as a “not so short film” and “self funded surrealism.” The project mixed lifestyle footage, celebrity cameos and new music. According to Pitchfork, it also included appearances from Sexyy Red and snippets of unreleased tracks.
However, the ending generated some of the biggest discussion.
A new track played over the credits as Drake appeared to address unnamed detractors. A clip shared by Kurrco captured him questioning what happened to rap before turning his attention toward people pushing narratives about him.
Then came the line that sparked Kendrick Lamar theories. Drake referenced being “from the Dot” before saying he was “squaring up.” “The Dot” is also a longtime nickname for Toronto. Still, listeners noticed the possible K-Dot wordplay because of Drake’s famous feud with Kendrick.
Music coverage similarly described the lyric as a possible Kendrick shot. Yet Drake never names him, so the intended target remains unclear. The speculation has been building for weeks. Before the FOMO premiere, Joe Budden even wondered whether Drake might target Jay-Z instead of revisiting Kendrick.
Meanwhile, Drake has continued to reference his past rap conflicts. Earlier this summer, he seemingly backed a theory about his Kendrick feud on social media.
FOMO offered much more than subliminal shots. Drake also debuted collaborations with Don Toliver, Yeat, and PartyNextDoor. Additionally, he confirmed plans to tour globally in 2027.
For now, though, the unnamed rivals are generating just as much conversation as the new music.
