"Get By" is a song by American

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

recording artist Talib Kweli. It was released on March 11, 2003, as the third single from his debut studio album ''

Quality Quality may refer to: Concepts *Quality (business), the ''non-inferiority'' or ''superiority'' of something *Quality (philosophy), an attribute or a property *Quality (physics), in response theory *Energy quality, used in various science discipli ...

'' (2002). Produced by

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

, the hip hop track samples " Sinnerman" as performed by

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

and features background vocals from Abby Dobson, Chinua Hawk, Kendra Ross, Vernetta Bobien, and William "Na2" Taylor. The song peaked at number 77 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and at number 29 on the US ''Billboard''

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...

, becoming Kweli's most successful solo hit.

Remix

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of the song was later released, featuring verses from fellow American rappers

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

Busta Rhymes Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...

, and

Snoop Dogg Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...

. This full-fledged posse cut includes the first three rappers, who, like Kweli, are also from Brooklyn, New York City. The radio version of the remix featured only Busta Rhymes and Jay-Z, with extended verses from them and Kweli.

Music video

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

was recorded and released in 2003, highlighting the lives and struggles of low-income individuals from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds living in and around

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Parts of the video were filmed in

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

and

Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and Neighborhoods in New York City, neighborhood in the Midtown Manhattan section of New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway (Manhattan), ...

. The song's producer,

, also appears in the video alongside Kweli.

In popular culture

In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper Rocko released a song titled " Dis Morning" from his debut album '' Self Made'', which interpolates Kweli's "Get By." Also in 2008, "Get By" was featured in the comedy film '' First Sunday'' as well as on the film's soundtrack. In 2009, North Carolina-born rapper J. Cole freestyled over the song's production, which appeared on his 2009 mixtape '' The Warm Up''. On the December 12, 2016, episode of the American satirical show '' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'', Kweli and writer

Ashley Nicole Black Ashley Nicole Black (born June 15, 1985) is an American comedian, actress, writer and producer. She was a writer and correspondent for '' Full Frontal with Samantha Bee'' (2016–2019), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstandi ...

modified the lyrics of "Get By" to highlight the benefits of online encryption.

Charts

References

{{authority control 2003 singles Talib Kweli songs Kanye West songs Song recordings produced by Kanye West Songs written by Kanye West Songs written by Nina Simone 2003 songs Songs written by Talib Kweli