By Kevin Rutherford
Kendrick Lamar‘s video for “i” doesn’t start off innocuously, but it’s not particularly risk-taking, either. Lamar is pictured in a dimly lit nightclub as others dance around him, the rapper looking a little bored as the music plays and the patrons sway.
But suddenly, everything’s flipped on its head. The track, the first single from Lamar’s new album, kicks into gear, and Lamar’s out of his chair, leading the crowd in a jaunting little dance before leaving the club altogether.
Related: Kendrick Lamar to Guest on ‘Saturday Night Live’
From there, Lamar is found traversing the streets of his Compton neighborhood, slowly gaining an entourage as he meets folks standing around a burning barrel, being arrested by the cops and children biking through the street.
There’s even a long shot of Lamar in a car, head and part of his body poked out the rear window as he raps the song’s rapid-fire bridge, seemingly about to fall out at a moment’s notice.
Watch the video, which contains potentially offensive language, on Radio.com
