Filming took place from February 2010 to April in Astoria, Queens, NY, with several scenes shot in the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City.
As the towers are relatively isolated from the rest of the Miracle Mile — set far back from major thoroughfares in a nod to Le Corbusier, they developed a reputation as "the projects," since they are reminiscent of such notorious housing developments as Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes and New York's Queensbridge.
The beat, produced by Carl "Chucky" Thompson, contains a sample of "Show Me" by Glenn Jones that was also used in Queensbridge rapper AZ's Pieces of a Man album track "How Ya Livin" featuring Nas.