It was released on September 23, 2014 as the lead single from Lamar's third studio album To Pimp a Butterfly.

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 to the 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.

In Hip Hop America, journalist Nelson George writes, "'I' is a powerful word in the vocabulary of the African American male," as it can be related to pride.

While pride is one of the seven 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.

[8] In January 2015, "I" was ranked at number five on The Village Voice's annual year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll.

[10] The song debuted and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it his fourth top 40 hit in the US.

The song has been used in film trailers for Top Five,[11] Dope, How to Be Single, The Intern, and Roman J. Israel, Esq.