Wale had wanted to collaborate with Gaga, and met the singer through a mutual connection with the rapper's mentor, Mark Ronson.

Wale had wanted to collaborate with Lady Gaga on the track since January 2009, believing that she embodied the party-record feel of the song.

[1] Along with Wale and Gaga, songwriters who worked on "Chillin" included Gary De Carlo, Dale Frashuer, Roy C Hammond, Paul Leka, Andre Christopher Lyon, Makeba Riddick, Kirk Robinson and Marcello Valenzano.

Lyrically it has Wale's name repeated throughout and the rapper talking about things he has in comparison to other people,[8] opening with the line "This how you start off '09, kickin' in the door and I'm everybody's problem".

[10] Produced by Cool & Dre, the song was recorded at Allido Sound Studios in New York, by Derek Pacuk, while the mixing was done by Serban Ghanea.

[5] Wale recalled in a 2011 interview with MTV News for Lady Gaga: Inside the Outside special, that the recording session did not go easy.

Gaga was already in the studio in her exuberant style with a big ribbon atop her head by which Wale was taken aback, and was a "cultural difference" for him.

It features guest appearances from rappers Young Chris, Tre, Pusha T, Anwan Glover and Bun B.

She's wearing a short dress with pumps, but she's surprisingly without her facial lightning bolt, crystal staff or orbiting head piece (as seen on her Ellen appearance).

[1] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard complimented the "club-ready single" for its "bouncy hook and slick verses" and called the song "the perfect precursor to Wale's long-awaited debut".

She added that "for all the flack that the [track] has caught, it's still an indisputably catchy song, even if the 9th Wonder and Nick Catchdubs reworking from [Wale's] Back to the Feature stands as the definitive version.

Richards recalled a similar situation when Washington, D.C.–based go-go band Experience Unlimited had collaborated with androgynous singer Grace Jones on a track.

[21] Sobhi Youssef from Sputnikmusic noticed that the song's production made it sound like a different track than the rest of Attention Deficit.

This was the first step in Wale's multiple personality debacle and he seems to know as much—nothing else on Attention Deficit resembles the goofy sneakers-shouting writing here.

"[25] In another review, Ryan Dombal from the same website criticized Wale's repetition of his name and the usage of the samples calling it "unnecessary".

[26] The Greyhound gave the song a negative review and believed that "with a lackluster hook and the repetition of the name 'Wale,' the airplay and sales of this single will depend greatly upon the vocals of Lady Gaga.

"[3] Wilson McBee from Slant Magazine criticized both "Chillin" and the follow-up single, "World Tour", as "tepid Cool & Dre productions in which Wale seems to be attempting Black Eyed Peas-style halftime-show rap."

[27] Prefix magazine was also critical of the song saying that "just when you think Wale understands the consequences of mindlessly horny partying... he gives us the dumb, cheaply agreeable Lady Gaga feature 'Chillin'.