The project has its roots in L'Orange Bleue, a New York cafe popular with African expatriates and where Schommer, Siraj, and Shibabaw would congregate.
[4] The album cover art features a minibus similar to the vehicles used as share taxis.
[7] According to Schommer, the track "Hoya Hoye" exemplifies the crossing of Ethiopian and American cultures.
[3][8] After hearing this chant sung in Addis Ababa, Schommer was further inspired by the beat of a hip-hop track he heard while walking through Harlem.
[3] During this same walk, he also heard a Gospel choir singing as he passed a church, and decided to add the refrain ("Feeling all right!")