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"Say No Go" is a single by De La Soul from their influential 1989 album 3 Feet High and Rising. It reached number 18 in the UK charts.[1] The tune is heavily based on the Hall & Oates song "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)".[2]
| "Say No Go" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by De La Soul | ||||
| from the album 3 Feet High and Rising | ||||
| Released | June 1989 | |||
| Recorded | 1988 | |||
| Genre | Alternative hip hop Golden age hip hop | |||
| Length | 4:21 | |||
| Label | Tommy Boy | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Prince Paul, De La Soul | |||
| De La Soul singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background edit
During the 1980s and 1990s, the United States faced a severe crack cocaine epidemic. This crisis particularly impacted Black urban communities, leading to increased rates of addiction, violence, and incarceration.[3] In this context, The song is a cautionary tale about the use of drugs, in particular "base" (otherwise known as crack cocaine); a topic they would tackle on their follow-up album, De La Soul Is Dead, albeit from a different perspective, on the song "My Brother's a Basehead".
In the opening line, Posdnuos raps: "Now let's get right on down to the skit / A baby is brought into a world of pits / And if it could've talked that soon / In the delivery room / It would've asked the nurse for a hit".
Track listing edit
- "Say No Go (Say No Dope Mix)" - 6:15
- "Say No Go (New Keys Vocal)" - 4:51
- "Say No Go (Radio Mix)" - 4:21
- "The Mack Daddy on the Left" - 2:33
- Guest Appearance: Chi Ali
- "Say No Go (New Keys Instrumental)" - 5:01
- Samples
"Say No Go" includes samples from the following songs:[4]
- Hall & Oates: "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"
- Sly Stone: "Crossword Puzzle"
- The Detroit Emeralds: "Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)"
- Emotions: "Best of My Love"
- Funky 4 + 1: "That's The Joint"
- The Turtles: "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're the Royal Macadamia Nuts)"
- Walter Schumann: "Dragnet (theme music)"
Charts edit
| Chart (1989) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 35 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 18 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles | 32 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales | 13 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "SAY NO GO". Official Charts. 1989-07-08. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ Cantor, Paul (2014-03-03). "De La Soul, '3 Feet High and Rising' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
- ^ Watkins, Beverly Xaviera; Fullilove, Robert E.; Fullilove, Mindy Thompson (1998). "Arms against Illness: Crack Cocaine and Drug Policy in the United States". Health and Human Rights. 2 (4): 42. doi:10.2307/4065186. JSTOR 4065186.
- ^ Cantor, Paul (2014-03-03). "De La Soul, '3 Feet High and Rising' at 25: Classic Track-by-Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-12-16.