It was released on July 31, 2012, as the lead single (second overall) from his major-label debut studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012), by Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), Aftermath and Interscope.

The song, mixed by Dr. Dre and Top Dawg's engineer Derek "MixedByAli" Ali, propelled Lamar to mainstream popularity.

The rapper gets introspective on a woozy beat, considering the highs and lows of alcohol consumption and the sense of confidence it bestows upon the drinker.

The official remix featuring his Black Hippy cohorts – Ab-Soul, Jay Rock and Schoolboy Q was included as a bonus track on the Target deluxe edition of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.

[8] On March 14, 2013, producer Dev Hynes uploaded a reinterpreted rendition of the track by British girl group, Sugababes to his official SoundCloud page.

Hynes later commented saying: "Just finished recording new music with Mutya, Keisha and Siobhan, and the girls felt like having a bit of fun at the end of the last session – enjoy!!".

[9] In 2023, Tori Amos' cover of the track was included in Trevor Horn's album Echoes: Ancient and Modern.