Produced by Kanye West, the hip hop track samples "Sinnerman" as performed by Nina Simone and features background vocals from Abby Dobson, Chinua Hawk, Kendra Ross, Vernetta Bobien, and William "Na2" Taylor.

A remix of the song was later released, featuring verses from fellow American rappers Mos Def, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, and Snoop Dogg.

[3] In 2008, Atlanta-based rapper Rocko released a song titled "Dis Morning" from his debut album Self Made, which interpolates Kweli's "Get By."

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