Drake is dropping clues about his next move ... and he says it may be unsettling for some folks.

Champagne Papi hinted about what the future holds for him in a cryptic Instagram post, explaining ... "U know I grew up non confrontational and always treated this game as a sport where my pen won gold, but my these days the podium has been hard for all of us to ignore."

Drake continues ... "I understand that this next chapter may leave you feeling uneasy, but I hope you see my honesty as clarity not charity that answers some questions especially about the unanswered texts you’ve been sending me."

The post is light on specifics and Drake accompanied the text with a photo slideshow of fancy photos, gigs, memes and more.

Drake's post also included a photo of a Zofran pill ... a medication the Mayo Clinic says is used to prevent nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery.

There's no specific mention of the Kendrick Lamar beef and the "Not Like Us" diss getting big platforms at the Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars ... but some folks feel like that's a factor here.

Drake had his 14th No. 1 album this year ... a collab with PartyNextDoor, and he hinted at a new solo album during his recent shows in Australia.

It will be interesting to see what Drake's "next chapter entails."