In the beginning of the song, Pusha T raps over a light snare,[1] alluding to his criminal past[2] and criticizing rappers who pretend to be involved in illegal drug trade[1][2] while referencing Pink Floyd, Trugoy the Dove, "Niggas in Paris", Hit-Boy, "Throw Some D's" and Rich Boy,[2][3] before the beat drops.
Ben Devlin of MusicOMH stated, "Pusha T's subject matter is well worn by now, his drug kingpin boasts familiar to anyone with an interest in American rap.
[7] Gary Suarez of Consequence of Sound wrote "The flawless opening lines of 'If You Know You Know' capture everything America has come to love about capitalist rap, that by-any-means braggadocio of self-made men and their flashy trophies.
"[11] Anthony Henderson of The Quietus called the song "sonically dense" and described it as "an energised, low-key banger which works with an appealingly teasing premise: no matter what, certain (read: most) of the population will never be able to totally unpack his coded language.
Directed by Shomi Patwary, it sees Pusha T driving in a white[13][14][15] Ferrari[13][16] through a desert road[13][17][18] in Joshua Tree National Park[19][20] at sunset[14] and rapping.