Kendrick Lamar Drops New Single "i"

Kendrick Lamar dropped a new single, “i,” his first new song in two years and the first single off his upcoming sophomore album.

Kendrick Lamar Surprises With Feel-Good Single

Lamar, who made a splash last year when he called out every successful rapper on Big Sean’s “Control,” has now released a new song that’s all about self-confidence.

“He’s not a rapper, he’s a writer…And if you read between the lines, you’ll learn how to love one another, but you can’t do that…without loving yourself first,” a voice proclaims at the top of “i.”

Produced by Rahki, who worked on Lamar’s “Black Boy Fly,” “i” samples the Isley Brother’s “That Lady,” and has been well-received among fans and critics.

Other fans are skeptical of Lamar’s uplifting tone, saying it’s more Macklemore than Kendrick Lamar.

Regardless, “i” is currently in the Top 10 songs on iTunes.

Not much is known about Lamar’s upcoming album, including the title, but it’s expected to be released something this year, and will likely feature “a bunch of tracks” produced with Dr. Dre. Lamar also teased that, as “i” suggests, his new album will showcase a lot of “aggression and emotion.”

“There’s one particular [untitled] track I’m really excited about. It’s one where I just went in the booth and spilled out what I wanted to say at that moment. I just freestyled, because I really just wanted to grab the raw emotion of it,” Lamar said.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.