In an interview with HipHopDX, Lord Finesse described "Put It On":
[Columbia Records] wanted something with a hook that would be kinda catchy, and something they could get radio play with. Like, everything [L] did was dark, and it was gangsta, and it was…what was the [popular style at the time]? Horror-core. So they needed something bright, something friendly. And "Put It On" just matched everything perfect… "Put it on", the slang…was like… "do your thing". "Put it on, Big L, put it on…" [meaning] you gotta do your thing, you gotta represent.[1]
It was also sampled in dubstep artist Datsik's song "Firepower".