i

Kendrick Lamar

About i

"I" (stylized as “i”) is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on September 23, 2014 as the lead single from Lamar's third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly. The song utilizes music from "That Lady", written by and originally performed by R&B group The Isley Brothers, elements from which were re-recorded rather than being directly sampled from the original record. "i" won two awards at the 2015 Grammy Awards: Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.


Year:
2015
5:36
571 
#5

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I done been through a whole lot
Trials and tribulations, but I know God
Satan wanna put me in a bow-tie
Praying that the holy water don't go dry, yeah yeah
As I look around me
So many motherfuckers wanna down me
But ain't no nigga never drown me
In front of a dirty double-mirror they found me

And I love myself
(The world is a ghetto with guns and picket signs)
I love myself
(But it can do what it want whenever it wants and I don’t mind)
I love myself
(He said I gotta get up, life is more than suicide)
I love myself
(One day at the time, sun gone shine)

Everybody looking at you crazy (Crazy)
What you gone do? (What you gone do?)
Lift up your head and keep moving (Keep moving)
Or let the paranoia haunt you? (Haunt you)
Peace to fashion police I wear my heart
On my sleeve let the runway start
You know the miserable do love company
F*ck do you want from me and my scars?
Everybody lack confidence, everybody lack confidence
How many times our potential was anonymous?
How many times the city making me promises?
So I promise this

And I love myself
(The world is a ghetto with guns and picket signs)
I love myself
(But it can do what it want whenever it wants and I don’t mind)
I love myself
(He said I gotta get up, life is more than suicide)
I love myself
(One day at the time, sun gone shine)

They wanna say there's a war outside and a bomb in the street
And a gun in the hood and a mob of police
And a rock on the corner and a line full of fiends
And a bottle full of lean and a model on a scheme, yup
These days of frustration keep y'all on tucking rotation
I duck these gold faces, post up fee-fi-fo-fum bases
Dreams of realities peace
Blow steam in the face of the beast
The sky can fall down, the wind can cry now
The strong in me, I still smile

I love myself
(The world is a ghetto with guns and picket signs)
I love myself
(But it can do what it want whenever it wants and I don’t mind)
I love myself
(He said I gotta get up, life is more than suicide)
I love myself
(One day at the time, sun gone shine)

Walk my barefeet (Walk my barefeet)
Down, down valley peak (Down, down valley peak)
I keep my fee-fi-fo-fum (Fee-fi-fo-fum)
I keep my heart undone (My heart undone)

And I love myself
(The world is a ghetto with guns and picket signs)
I love myself
(But it can do what it want whenever it wants and I don’t mind)
I love myself
(He said I gotta get up, life is more than suicide)
I love myself
(One day at the time, sun gone shine)

I went to war last night
With an automatic weapon, don’t nobody call a medic
I'mma do it 'til I get it right
I went to war last night
I've been dealing with depression ever since an adolescent
Duckin' every other blessin', l can never see the message
I can never take the lead, I can never bob and weave
For my nigga that be letting ‘em alienate me
And the sound is moving in a meteor speed
From a 100 to a billion lay my body in the street
Keep my money in the ceiling let my mama know I'm free
Give my story to the children and the lesson they can read
And the glory to the feeling of all of y'all scenes
Seen enough, make a motherfucker scream, "I love myself!"

I lost my head, I must've misread what the good book said
Oh woes keep me, it's a jungle inside
Give myself again 'til the well runs dry

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Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987), simply known as Kendrick Lamar, is an American hip hop recording artist from Compton, California, currently signed to Top Dawg, Aftermath, and Interscope. Lamar is a member of hip hop supergroup Black Hippy, along with fellow West Coast rappers and label mates Jay Rock, Schoolboy Q and Ab-Soul. He first gained major attention after the release of his fourth mixtape, Overly Dedicated, in 2010. In 2011 he released his first independent album to critical acclaim, Section.80, released exclusively through iTunes and instantly ranked as one of the top digital hip hop releases of the year. Early in his career, before releasing his major label debut, Lamar amassed a large Internet following, and had already worked with D… more »

10 fans

Written by: Columbus Tower Smith, Ernest Isley, Christopher Howard Jasper, Marvin Isley, O'kelly Jr. Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, Kendrick Lamar Duckworth

Lyrics © DistroKid, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


15 facts about this song

Artistic Approach
Kendrick Lamar used the song "i" as a way to address issues affecting the African American community, including depression, addiction, and violence.
Grammy Awards
The song "i" won two Grammy awards in 2015 for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance.
Release Year
It is the lead single from Lamar's third studio album, "To Pimp a Butterfly," released in 2014.
Song's Inspiration
The song heavily samples "That Lady" by The Isley Brothers and Lamar received their personal blessings before releasing it.
Music Video
Its music video caused a stir due to its politically charged content, similar to most of Kendrick's work.
Billboard Rank
"i" peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the USA.
Personal Interpretation
The song serves as an anthem for self-love and self-respect, which was a topic Kendrick felt was much needed to be discussed in the society during the times.
Live Performance
Lamar debuted the song while performing on Saturday Night Live on November 15, 2014.
Record Label
"i" was released under the record label "Top Dawg Entertainment," Kendrick Lamar's primary record label since the start of his professional career.
Certified Platinum
The song was certified Platinum by RIAA for selling over a million copies.
Album Success
Lamar's album "To Pimp a Butterfly," which features "i," has frequently been named in many end-of-year best album lists, often ranking at number one.
Juxtaposition
"i" contrasts to Lamar's later release from the same album, "u," which delves into self-hatred and guilt.
Recognition
The song "i" helped Lamar win the award for Outstanding Original Music & Lyrics at the 67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.
Backup Singers
The song features background vocals by Thundercat, Bilal, Anna Wise, and singer/songwriter Rapsody.
Album Version vs Single Version
The album version of the song is a live performance and is different from the single version released previously. It features more lyrics and a different arrangement.

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    "i Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/31768245/Kendrick+Lamar/i>.

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    Top Hot 100 Songs 2014

    Billboard #39


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