As rumored, Kendrick Lamar released the first single off of his sophomore album on Tuesday. The track is simply titled "i."
An extremely uplifting song that would sit comfortably on an Outkast record, Lamar sings "I love myself" in one of the catchiest choruses he has dropped to date.
"We got a young brother that stands for something," the intro skit proclaims, summarizing the song's message. "We got a young brother that believes in all of us. Brother Kendrick Lamar, he's not a rapper, he's a writer. He's an author. And if you read between the lines, we'll learn to love one another. But you can't do that ... I said, you can't do that without loving yourself first."
Produced by Rahki, "i" samples the Isley Brother's 1973 hit "That Lady," which has also been sampled by the Beastie Boys, Basement Jaxx and Charles Hamilton.
Kendrick Lamar tweeted out the cover art for the single on Sept. 17, depicting members of the Bloods and Crips street gangs making hearts with their hands together.
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