Kendrick Lamar continues to defy all expectations with the release of  "i," the first official single from his forthcoming studio album. Los Angeles based producer Rahki prominently samples The Isley Brothers' 1973 soul hit "Who's That Lady" on this uptempo track to great effect, serving as a pulpit for Kendrick to proselytize his ideas and spread the gospel of loving oneself. Themes of struggle and depression are evident throughout the song as are their counterparts of redemption and acceptance.

With this new single, Kendrick makes it clear that his brand of introspective and socially aware spitfire raps aren't going anywhere even with major label involvement. Like the spoken intro states: "We got a young brother that stands for something [...] he's not a rapper, he's a writer, he's an author. And if you read between the lines, we'll learn how to love one another." Add his upcoming record to the growing list of blockbuster fall releases, along with new albums on the way from Flying Lotus and Kanye West.