It is produced by Kanye West, whose beat heavily utilizes vocal samples from "Innocent Til Proven Guilty" by Honey Cone.

Spence D. of IGN.com comments on this saying: "'Testify' [...] features an intricate layering of vocals which provide such an hypnotic backdrop that you almost forget to listen to Common's compelling storytelling.

"[1] The song's story is about a woman who manipulates a judge and jury to find her partner guilty of a crime she committed.

Sean Malcolm of AllHipHop.com considers Common to have "paint[ed] pictures of extravagant court trials" on "Testify.

"[2] The song was a critical hit garnering a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 48th Grammy Awards.