September 23, 2014
Kendrick Lamar releases "i", his first single since his acclaimed debut good kid, m.A.A.d city. The Rahki-produced record features a prominent sample of "Who's That Lady" by the Isley Brothers, and finds the young Compton rapper in sharp contrast from his earlier, darker work. The outward looking eye that obsessed over Compton's decay of youth has turned inward, blissfully: life is hard, sure, but it can do what it want whenever it want, I don't mind. At first glance, it's an unexpected direction change, but Kendrick's always taken high steps. Stream below.
