Say No Go


"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" ; 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

  1. "Say No Go " - 6:15
  2. "Say No Go " - 4:51
  3. "Say No Go " - 4:21
  4. "The Mack Daddy on the Left" - 2:33
  5. *Guest Appearance: Chi Ali
  6. "Say No Go " - 5:01
;Samples
"Say No Go" includes samples from the following songs: