"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. The tune is heavily based on the Hall & Oates song "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)".
Background 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. 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 "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: 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 Chart (1989)PeakPosition Australia (ARIA) N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. 143UK Singles (OCC)18U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles 32U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play3U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles 11U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales 13
Yearly charts +Year-end chart performance for "Say No Go"Chart (1989)PositionNetherlands (Dutch Top 40)82Netherlands (Single Top 100)63
See also Just Say No
References