"What It's Like" is a single from Everlast's 1998 album Whitey Ford Sings the Blues. The song is typical of the style Everlast embraced after leaving hip-hop trio House of Pain, being a combination of rock, hip-hop and blues incorporating characterization and empathy towards impoverished protagonists.
The song went to #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for one week and #1 on the Hot Modern Rock Tracks for nine weeks. It also peaked at #13 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the singer's only solo Top 40 hit on the US pop chart to date. In the United Kingdom, the song reached #34 on the UK Singles Chart.
Everlast performed the song on Saturday Night Live in 1999, on the show hosted by James Van Der Beek. He also references "What It's Like" on his 2000 song "Whitey's Revenge" in response to an ongoing verbal dispute between him and rapper Eminem. This song was also used as a promo for the 2006-2007 seasons of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
Read more about What It's Like: Song Structure, Charts
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