Go See the Doctor

"Go See the Doctor" is a song by American rapper singer Kool Moe Dee. It was released in 1986 as the first single from his eponymous debut album.

"Go See the Doctor"
Single by Kool Moe Dee
from the album Kool Moe Dee
B-side"Monster Crack"
Released1986
Recorded1986
GenreGolden age hip hop
Length3:57
Label
  • Rooftop (original)
  • Jive (reissue)
Songwriter(s)Mohandas Dewese[1]
Producer(s)
Kool Moe Dee singles chronology
"Turn It Up"
(1985)		 "Go See the Doctor"
(1986)		 "Rock Steady"
(1987)

Produced by Kool Moe Dee himself with Lavaba and Teddy Riley, the song has messages of the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.[2]

"Go See the Doctor" became Kool Moe Dee's first single to appear on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 89 in April 1987 and staying on the chart for five weeks.[3] It also peaked at number seven on the Belgian Ultratop (Flanders), number three on the Dutch Nationale Hitparade and number 82 on the UK Singles Chart, being his single with the highest impact outside the United States.

The single was originally released by Rooftop Records, but after its success was relaunched by Jive, the label Kool Moe Dee signed to.[4]

Conception and composition

During an interview for the Los Angeles Times in June 1987, Kool Moe Dee commented on "Go See the Doctor":

As an artist I have the attention of a lot of the younger kids. It’s a duty to say something worthwhile, rather than just get up and talk about sneakers and dancing all the time. Rap is an album market now rather than just a singles market, so you have the opportunity to branch out a little. You can expand and really talk about more things in depth, including lots of social issues."[5]

The song, which the same newspaper described as "a story, in explicit language, of the contraction and consequences of a sexually transmitted disease", aroused controversy in the United States, but was used in a public service announcement in Germany.[5]

In a later interview Kool Moe Dee stated that "Go See the Doctor" was "the hardest thing I had to do in my career":

I knew I was making a formula record, and I was about to make a killing; but I will lose all my reputation on the lyricist side. I knew that "Go See the Doctor" would blow because I had dumbed it down."[6]

Among the song's producers was Teddy Riley, who at that time was 18 years old and had previously worked on the Doug E. Fresh hit "The Show".

Samples

The song contains a sample of James Brown's "Funky Drummer". In an interview with Vibe in 2012 Teddy Riley declared about this time that "Between me and Marley Marl, we were the first to sample James Brown").[7] The song also interpolates Hank Williams's "Hey, Good Lookin'".

Legacy and influence

Hip hop magazine Ego Trip included "Go See the Doctor" on in its list of the Greatest Hip-Hop Singles of 1986.[8]

Bruce Pollock listed the song in his book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era (2005) for "instructive editorial in the era of AIDS".[9]

Track listing

A-side

  1. "Go See the Doctor" (Almost Clean) (Radio Version) (3:57)
  2. "Go See the Doctor" (Uncensored) (3:57)

B-side

  1. "Monster Crack" (Street Mix) (5:27)
  2. "Monster Crack (Radio Edit) (3:50)

Charts
Chart (1987) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[10] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[12] 82
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 89

References
  1. "Kool Moe Dee - Kool Moe Dee - Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic.
  2. "Let's Talk About Sex: Hip Hop on HIV". Discover Magazine. August 17, 2012. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  3. "Kool Moe Dee chart history". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  4. "Kool Moe Dee". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-01-15.
  5. "RAP--VOICE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY". Los Angeles Times. July 19, 1987. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  6. "KOOL MOE DEE INTERVIEW With JayQuan". thafoundation.com. Retrieved January 15, 2021.
  7. "Teddy Riley Breaks Down Iconic Songs That Made Him The King Of New Jack Swing, Plans To Battle Babyface". Vibe. April 3, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  8. "Hip-Hop's Greatest Singles By Year (Ego Trip Magazine)". Genius (website). Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  9. Pollock 2005, p. 66
  10. "Ultratop.be – Kool Moe Dee – Go See the Doctor" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  11. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kool Moe Dee – Go See the Doctor" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  12. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  13. "Kool Moe Dee Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
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