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" (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

 * 1) "Say No Go (Say No Dope Mix)" - 6:15
 * 2) "Say No Go (New Keys Vocal)" - 4:51
 * 3) "Say No Go (Radio Mix)" - 4:21
 * 4) "The Mack Daddy on the Left" - 2:33
 * 5) *Guest Appearance: Chi Ali
 * 6) "Say No Go (New Keys Instrumental)" - 5:01

"Say No Go" includes samples from the following songs:
 * Samples
 * 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)"