According to Smooth Radio, Obie Benson said Marvin Gaye, "added some things that were more ghetto, more natural, which made it seem like a story than a song." While "Bloody Thursday" inspired Benson to write the initial version of "What's Going On," Gaye's inspiration was more personal.

At the height of the Vietnam War, Gaye's younger brother, Frankie, had spent three years in southeast Asia fighting. Aural Cave reports that he wrote letters to his famous brother about the war, conditions, and the treatment of African American veterans upon returning home. While Frankie himself returned home, Marvin's cousin, also named Marvin, would lose his life in Vietnam. According to Song Meanings and Facts, "What's Going On" was released as a single in January 1971, peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the top spot on U.S. Billboard R&B/Soul Singles.

The album of the same name, released the same year, is told through the perspective of a Vietnam veteran returning home to the turmoil and trials happening in the United States. Issues such as racism, poverty, and police brutality were just some of the topics focused on in the album. While the album today is seen as a masterpiece, it was almost derailed by one of the most powerful men in the music industry.

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