| "I" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byKendrick Lamar featuringRonald Isley | ||||
| from the albumTo Pimp a Butterfly | ||||
| Released | September 23, 2014 (2014-09-23) | |||
| Recorded | Late 2013–14 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Rahki | |||
| Kendrick Lamar singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I" onYouTube | ||||
"I" (stylized inlowercase or as "𝖎") is a song by American rapperKendrick Lamar featuringRonald Isley ofThe Isley Brothers. It was released on September 23, 2014 as the lead single from Lamar's third studio albumTo Pimp a Butterfly (2015). The song uses music from "That Lady", written by and originally performed byR&B groupThe Isley Brothers, elements from which were re-recorded rather than being directlysampled from the original record. It won two awards at the2015 Grammy Awards:Best Rap Performance andBest Rap Song.
"I" was produced byLos Angeles producerRahki, who also produced the song "Institutionalized". Although the version of "I" that appears on the album is drastically different from the single release, both versions contain a sample of the song "That Lady" byThe Isley Brothers. Lamar personally visited Isley Brothers' lead vocalistRonald Isley to ask his permission to sample the song: "I actually had to go toSt. Louis and get the blessings from Ronald Isley," he said. "That was a trip. We got in the studio and just vibed and talked about how things were back then and how they are now, and you can actually hear him on the record with a few ad-libs that he actually did. We got it on camera and things like that, it’s a beautiful thing." Isley also performs on the song "How Much a Dollar Cost" with singer-songwriterJames Fauntleroy.[1]
The single cover for "I" features members of gangs theBloods and theCrips forming a heart. On the subject of the cover art Lamar said in an interview with AMP Radio: "Where I'm from, there's a lot of gang culture and things like that, so instead of throwing on up gang signs, which we used to, I put a Blood and I put a Crip together and we’re throwing up hearts...sparking the idea of some type of change through music or through me because I go back tothe city now and people give me the honor and respect that, you know, this kid can change a little bit something different that’s been going on in the community."[2]
The song's title has a significant connotation. InHip Hop America, journalistNelson George writes, "'I' is a powerful word in the vocabulary of the African American male," as it can be related topride. While pride is one of theseven deadly sins, George's study explains how "this has been an invigorating source of self-empowerment," similar to the self-love Lamar preaches in his song.[3]
The version of "I" featured onTo Pimp a Butterfly includes a "live-sounding mix" followed by a monologue from Lamar, departing from the "sunny soul" sound of the original single version.[4]
The video for the song premiered onVevo andYouTube on November 4, 2014. It features cameos from singerRon Isley andGeorge Clinton. References are made toTupac andThe Joker in the video. A short instrumental was played in the intro of the clip. The video is directed byAlexandre Moors.[5]
"I" received critical acclaim from music critics. The track was placed at number ten onRolling Stone's 50 Best Songs of 2014 list.[6]Billboard listed "I" as the second best song of 2014.[7] "I" also was placed at number 14 onSpin's list of "The 101 Best Songs of 2014".[8] In January 2015, "I" was ranked at number five onThe Village Voice's annual year-endPazz & Jop critics' poll.
"I" was nominated forOutstanding Music Video andOutstanding Song at the 46thNAACP Image Award.[9] The song received two nominations at the57th Annual Grammy Awards and won bothBest Rap Performance andBest Rap Song.[10]
The song debuted and peaked at number 39 on theBillboard Hot 100, making it his fourth top 40 hit inthe US. It was his highest-charting song to-date in the UK, Canada, and Australia, and was his first song to chart in New Zealand.
The song has been used in film trailers forTop Five,[11]Dope,How to Be Single,The Intern, andRoman J. Israel, Esq. In 2014, it was the official song for the NBA. It is featured in soundtrack for the 2018 video gameForza Horizon 4 and is featured as a playable track inFortnite Festival. In 2025, the song was featured in the end-credits ofCaptain America: Brave New World.
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[30] | 2× Platinum | 140,000‡ |
| Canada (Music Canada)[31] | Platinum | 80,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[32] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[33] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[34] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||