Released as the second single from his self-titled debut album, Ryan Leslie (2009), it was sent to rhythmic and urban contemporary radio stations in the United States on July 7, 2008.

The R&B-future soul song originated after a lively night out in New York City with Leslie having an impulse to go to the studio create a track that captured the "frenetic energy and electricity" he had experienced.

Cassie wasn't available to shoot the visuals due to scheduling conflicts, despite Leslie's original plans to make the song a duet with a respective video showing the chemistry between the two.

While working as a record producer, Leslie went on to create NextSelection Lifestyle Group, a music-media company he founded with marketing partner Rasheed Richmond.

[1][2] Leslie signed his first artist, Cassie, in 2005 and under his guidance led her to focus her creative energies on a series of demo recordings, including "Me & U," which was released as her debut single soon after going viral on MySpace.

[3][4][5] "Me & U" went on to peak in the top ten of several countries, including number three on the US Billboard Hot 100, spending seven weeks atop the US Airplay chart and earned a Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of over one million digital downloads.

[13] A new verse and additional ad-libs by Leslie's frequent collaborator, rapper Fabolous, were added to the track; the feature was announced the following month and included for the official single release.

A writer for The Fader described it as "over eccentric and breezy future-soul,"[15] while Billboard characterized it as a track where "Leslie isn't too macho to admit he's sprung over a girl.

"[30] Hip hop duo Clipse released a remix of the track in December 2008, included on their mixtape Road to Till the Casket Drops.

"[32] Lunice and Altered Natives released their reworked versions in December 2010, as a part of Skydiver, a Cassie tribute remix compilation album by independent British label Local Action.

[35] Producer Phazz uploaded his remix online in 2013[36] and Iman Omari posted his adaptation in 2014, with Noisey writing that "he flips Ryan Leslie and Cassie's classic into a red-eyed slumber party where the snacks and conversation never run dry.

[39][40] The entirely-grayscale video shows Leslie performing the track after a small Sony television is turned on by a feminine hand covered by a bed sheet.

He explained Cassie's absence was due to her "hectic schedule" recording her new album, pointing out he initially had a vision for the song to be a duet between the two and have a video that showed their chemistry together.