Let’s be honest; when I say I want to talk about rap music, everyone immediately thinks that I am going to talk about the exploitation of women, sex, money, drugs, partying, and fame- and there are no reasons for them not to think that, given that the top rap songs of 2014 are “Timber” by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha (a joke, since the only line anyone can remember is that chorus: “It’s going down, I’m yelling timber,”), “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX (the typical “Look at me! I’m better than every single one of you.” song), and “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj (good artist; awful song).

But then there are the rap legends whose songs about the darker aspects of human life opened a new form of expression; Tupac, Jay-Z, Kanye West, The Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, and 50 Cent, and soon Kendrick Lamar will be added to that list with his new single “i”.

The music video for Lamar’s ninth single opens in a dark, dingy nightclub. Everything moves in slow motion, from the ladies dancing with the guys in the middle of the room to the group chatting near the wall. Jealous guys look at girls dancing with other guys, and finally a fight breaks out. The video is quickly interrupted by a man in an all white suit screaming, “Stop! Stop! We talking about peace! A peace of yours, a peace of mine! A peace of mind, one nation, under a group!” And 46 seconds in, the song actually begins with Lamar and others running through the streets.

The title “i” is just part of the sentence, “I love myself,” which is repeated over and over in the chorus. The song is so catchy and upbeat, you would never know that Lamar is talking about life – his life – in Compton, California, an area known for high crime rates and gang violence.

With quick shots of people getting arrested, drinking, a couple yelling at each other, and a man lowering a gun from his temple as he watches Lamar go by in the video, and the lyrics “Peace to fashion police, I wear my heart on my sleeve, let the runway start,” and “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,” Lamar talks about the obstacles he had to overcome while growing up in the ghetto, but in the end, he still loves himself.

That is the whole message of the song: love yourself, because you can’t love others if you don’t even love yourself first.