Drake does not mention anybody by name on "Circadian Rhythm." The song refers to "they" during the rapper's verses, but the context is crucial. Drake is finally talking about the Kendrick Lamar battle on wax again, and he wants to make it clear he's not bothered. "Circadian Rhythm" is dedicated to this concept. The 6 God flips the meaning of the title to point out that he's still "up" when his competition is down. He hasn't lost a step, per his bars. There are specific lines littered throughout, though, that seem specifically aimed at K. Dot.
"How many quotes I wrote? How much gold I struck? Ayy," Drake raps during second verse. "How many funeral dates they plan for me, and I dodged it like the truck? Yeah." The funeral dates seem like a fairly pointed reference to Kendrick Lamar's Pop Out Show on Juneteenth. The concert was dubbed a funeral for Drake online, due to how much Lamar celebrating onstage. He played "Not Like Us" a whopping five times to close out the show. Drake's rebuttal? He's still here, still alive despite Dot's best efforts.
Drake's Title References A Kendrick Lamar Diss Track
It's also worth noting the use of the phrase "Circadian Rhythm." It's never said once during the song. A song in which it is said, though, is Kendrick Lamar's "6:16 In L.A." The Compton rapper pulled out these specific words on his second official Drake diss. "I know this type of power is gon' cost," Dot raps. "But I live in circadian rhythms of a shooting star." Drake and Kendrick Lamar are not artists who do things by accident. Everything is intentional with them, so it's hard to imagine this is a mere coincidence. The title of the song also prove important with regards to Drake's past.
The rapper subtitled "Circadian Rhythm" as "The Language 2." This is obviously in reference to his 2013 song, "The Language." The connection is noteworthy, because the original song is believed to be Drake's response to Kendrick Lamar after the latter dropped the "Control" verse. Drizzy and Kenny were involved in a cold war in 2013, and the former clearly sends subs the latter's way. "I don't know why they've been lying but your sh*t is not that inspiring," he raps. "F*ck any n**ga that's talkin' that sh*t just to get a reaction." Time really is a flat circle.
