u

About this song

"u" is the sixth track on Kendrick Lamar's third album and serves as a contrast to its lead single "i". Lamar said it was one of the hardest songs he had to write, and engineer MixedByAli recalled that he wrote it in the booth and recorded it with the lights off. A 2-part music video for "u" and "For Sale?" was posted by T.D.E. on New Year's Eve 2015 and later appeared on YouTube on January 13 of the following year.

What it's about

The song looks deep into Lamar's dark thoughts, with insecurities, selfishness and let-downs laid bare, and he calls himself a failure at one point. It ends on a hopeful note, suggesting that listeners who face the same questions can move from "u" toward "i".

Fun facts

• Samples “Loving You Ain't Complicated by Whoarei”.
• Sampled in 9 other songs, like “HUMBLE but Kendrick has a mental breakdown by FlyingKitty”.
• Covered 2 times, including “‘u’ but it’s Muscle Man by Colaws”.
• Written by Kendrick Lamar, Taz Arnold and Whoarei.
• Produced by Sounwave, Taz Arnold and Whoarei.