Puneet Varma (Editor)

Go! (Common song)

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Released
  
June 14, 2005

Length
  
3:44

Genre
  
Hip hop

Label
  
GOOD, Geffen

Format
  
12-inch single, CD, Vinyl

Recorded
  
2004; Sony Music Studios, (New York, NY) & Encore Studio, (Burbank, CA)

"Go!" is the third single from the Common album Be. It is produced by Kanye West, who also performs backing vocals for the track alongside John Mayer. The track's percussion is handled by Num Amuntehu, while its scratches are provided by A-Trak. Its beat contains a sample from "Old Smokey" by Linda Lewis. Its lyrics deal with sexual fantasies.

Contents

Two remixes of "Go!" featuring Joy Denalane were released as singles: one was remixed by Kanye West and the other by Jazzanova. J. Cole also raps over the "Go!" beat on "Knock On Wood Freestyle" on his The Blow Up mixtape.

Conception

Common, Kanye West and John Mayer were inspired to create a song after seeing the 2004 movie Ray. They all headed to a studio where Kanye worked on a beat and Mayer told Common to write about fantasies. Despite Common's initial hesitance of being influenced by a non hip hop artist, he wrote the song and it was later recorded in two studios: Sony Music Studios in New York City and Encore Studios in Burbank, California.

Acclaim

It was the most commercially successful song on Be as it reached #79 on The Billboard Hot 100 and also reached the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and Hot Rap Tracks charts. Critics attribute this success to its mellow beat, smooth vocals and subject matter. Spence D. of IGN.com writes:

Music video

A music video directed by Kanye West, MK12 and Convert was produced. It features Common relaxing in a modern house that contains rugs, couches and a large window allowing much light into the house. Common's surroundings are constantly morphing, but maintain a brown and beige color scheme. As a preface to various scenes in which Common fulfills fantasies with women, phrases such as "body of a dancer" and "free love" appear.

A-side

  1. "Go (LP Version)" (3:44)
  2. "Go (Instrumental)" (3:44)
  3. "Go (Radio Edit)" (3:44)
  4. "Go (Accapella)" (3:44)

B-side

  1. "Chi-City (LP Version)" (3:27)
  2. "Chi-City (Instrumental)" (3:27)
  3. "Chi-City (Radio Edit)" (3:27)
  4. "Chi-City (Accapella)" (3:27)

A-side

  1. "Go! (Jazzanova Remix Main)" (4:08)
  2. "Go! (Jazzanova Remix Clean)" (4:07)

B-side

  1. "Go! (Original Remix)" (3:43)
  2. "Go! (Jazzanova Remix Instrumental)" (4:07)

A-side

  1. "Go! (Remix)" (3:47)
  2. "Go! (Original Version)" (3:45)

B-side

  1. "Go! (Instrumental)" (3:44)
  2. "The Corner (Remix)" (4:10)

Personnel

  • Produced by Kanye West
  • Recorded by Andrew Dawson at Sony Studios and Encore Studios, Burbank
  • Assistant Recording Engineers: Taylor Dow, Ric McRae and Francis Forde
  • Mixed by Manny Marroquin at Larrabee North Studio, North Hollywood
  • Assistant Mix Engineer: Jared Robbins
  • Background Vocals by John Mayer and Kanye West
  • Percussions by Num Amuntehu
  • Scratches by A-Trak

    • References

    Go! (Common song) Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA