All Good?
by De La Soul (featuring Chaka Khan)

Album: Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump (2000)
Charted: 33 96
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "All Good?" is the second single from De La Soul's fifth album, Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump. It's a collaboration between the group and soul legend Chaka Khan, who sings the hook and bridge.

    "Chaka Khan was amazing," De La Soul's Posdnous told Uncut magazine. "We had a track that was supposed to be with Outkast and Goodie Mob, but they couldn't make it. We thought a great soul voice would fit well, so we approached Chaka, not thinking she'd agree. It was like having a goddess in the studio! She was very cool but a little nervous."

    "We were lucky to have her engineer working on the sessions," he added. "She'd do a tape and we'd think it was amazing, but her engineer would say, 'Yeah, she can do it even better than that.' So he got us to push her.'"
  • The song talks about people who abandoned or shunned De La Soul after their star faded, and those who attempt to hop back on the bandwagon.

    "That song was going to be called 'All Good,' about things being great, but Chaka thought it would be more interesting if we said that it ain't all great," said Posdnous. "Which is why the title now has a question mark after it."
  • Critics gave the thumbs up to Art Official Intelligence: Mosaic Thump, applauding its lyrical depth, genre-bending musical palette, and strident optimism. The album landed at #9 on the US chart, marking De La Soul's first-ever Top 10 debut. The record's impact didn't stop there, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album in 2001.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Edie Brickell

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

British Invasion

British InvasionFact or Fiction

Go beyond The Beatles to see what you know about the British Invasion.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?