The song first began to be conceived during the middle period of the recording process for "The Documentary", in early 2004, during a recording process in which The Game would frequently fly to recording locations in New York City to work with 50 Cent: he would be given beats to hear along the way, to help inspire him. When he initially heard the production that would later become "Hate It or Love It", he did not display much interest, as he was "in a different mind frame" — conceiving more "hard hitting" records. However, on the flight home later that day, he took more of an interest and began to write the first components of the song.