Last Wednesday, Kendrick Lamar announced that the first single from his upcoming album would drop soon.
One week later, “i” has dropped. And it’s everything I hoped for.
The song is produced by Rahki and mixed by TDE’s Ali.
The track opens with a boastful introduction, “THIS IS A WORLD PREMIERE”, and moves to a melodic verse from Kendrick. During the chorus, Kendrick cries, “I love myself” over a sample of “That Lady” by The Isley Brothers. The jazzy track flows into an intense breakdown around the three minute mark and ends in a wild bass solo. It’s a peculiar structure for a rap track, but nothing Kendrick can’t handle. Let’s hope Kendrick continues to preview the new album.