What Would You Do? (City High song)
2001 single by City High
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"What Would You Do?" is a song by American hip hop trio City High. It was released in March 2001 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album (2001). The track first appeared on the soundtrack of the 1999 film Life, starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.[1] The version of the song on City High's debut album differs from the one included on the Life soundtrack, as it features a sample of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg's hit song "The Next Episode".[2]
- 3:32 (Life)
- 2:54 (City High)
- Interscope
- Booga Basement
| "What Would You Do?" | ||||
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| Single by City High | ||||
| from the album City High | ||||
| Released | March 27, 2001 | |||
| Studio | Trackhouse, Booga Basement (New Jersey, US) | |||
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| "What Would You Do?" on YouTube | ||||
"What Would You Do?" peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot 100, number two in Australia and Ireland, and number three in the United Kingdom. In 2002, the song was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards, losing to Destiny's Child's "Survivor".[3][4]
Content
The song "What Would You Do?" along with the accompanying music video, was likely intended as a motivational anthem for single parents dealing with poverty and especially acknowledging all the single mothers who feel forced into prostitution due to the need to support their children. It encourages them to keep strong and keep going on for the sake of their loved ones.[5] Some lyrics were accused of victim-blaming, for example, the verse where the male singers accuse the woman of making "tired excuses."[6]
Track listings
US CD single and Australian CD1[7][8]
- "What Would You Do?" (album version)
- "What Would You Do?" (instrumental)
- "Caramel" (snippet)
- "Best Friends" (snippet)
- "Didn't Ya" (snippet)
UK CD single[9]
- "What Would You Do?" (album version) – 2:50
- "It Ain't the Same" – 3:41
- "What Would You Do?" (X-Men vocal remix) – 4:22
- "What Would You Do?" (CD-ROM video) – 3:18
UK 12-inch single[10]
- A1. "What Would You Do?" (album version) – 2:50
- A2. "What Would You Do?" (instrumental mix) – 2:48
- B1. "What Would You Do?" (X-Men remix) – 4:22
UK cassette single[11]
- "What Would You Do?" (album version) – 2:50
- "What Would You Do?" (X-Men vocal remix) – 4:22
European CD single[12]
- "What Would You Do?" (album version)
- "What Would You Do?" (X-Men remix)
Australian CD2[13]
- "What Would You Do?" (album version)
- "What Would You Do?" (X-Men remix)
- "What Would You Do?" (instrumental)
- "What Would You Do?" (video)
Credits and personnel
Credits are taken from the City High liner notes.[2]
Studios
- Recorded at Trackhouse Recording Studios and Booga Basement (New Jersey, US)
- Mixed and mastered at The Hit Factory (New York City)
Personnel
- Robby Pardlo – writing, production
- Ryan Toby – writing, production
- Andre Young – writing
- Calvin Broadus – writing
- Brian Bailey – writing
- Wyclef Jean – production
- Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis – production
- Serge "Sergical" Tsai – mixing, engineering
- Joe Yannece – mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
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Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[54] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[55] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| South Africa (RISA)[56] | Platinum | 50,000* |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[57] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
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* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Release history
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | March 27, 2001 | Rhythmic contemporary radio |
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[58] |
| June 5, 2001 | Contemporary hit radio | [59] | ||
| United Kingdom | September 24, 2001 |
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[60] | |
| Australia | October 1, 2001 | CD1 | [61] | |
| December 3, 2001 | CD2 | [62] |