Prior to her career as a television actress and talk show personality, Della Reese was a singer who recorded in the styles of blues, gospel, jazz and pop.

[2] Liner notes author, Frank Kofsky, claimed that Reese was aiming with the album to "move back" towards her "blues and gospel roots".

[3] I Gotta Be Me...This Trip Out consisted of 11 tracks in total, all of which were recorded in Los Angeles, California under the production of Reese's manager, Lee Magid.

Billboard magazine named it among its "Special Merit Picks" for their "Popular" music section, writing, "A package loaded with excitement and wild performances in the unique style of the blues-gospel better.

"[2] In his book, Points of Departure, Ernece B. Kelly called Reese's delivery on the album (routinely highlighting the title track) to be "especially forceful".