 It was reported that the song would sample soul music singer Otis Redding's version of "Try a Little Tenderness".On July 20, "Otis" was premiered on Funkmaster Flex's Hot 97 radio show and subsequently was released for download to the Internet as a way to promote the upcoming album.On July 22, the song was released to the iTunes Store and was a free download for those who pre-ordered the album.