Songfacts®:

• Talib Kweli is known for his vulnerable, intellectually stimulating songs that break convention from the boastful tracks far more common in hip-hop. In "Get By," he examines poverty and social ills as he looks to become his best self.
• This was produced by Kanye West, who at the time was best known for his work with Talib Kweli's fellow Brooklynite, Jay-Z. West released his debut album, The College Dropout, two years later in 2004.
• "Get By" uses a sample of Nina Simone's "Sinnerman." Kanye West often uses bits of older songs in the tracks he produces. >>

  Suggestion credit:
  Miki - Columbia, MD
• Thanks to a bumpin' beat, "Get By" became Talib Kweli's biggest hit as a solo artist. The song is part of his debut solo album, Quality; Kweli had previously released an album with Mos Def under the moniker Black Star, and another with Hi-Tek as Reflection Eternal.