Ice Cube - What Can I Do?

(In any country, prison is where society sends it's failures
But in this country, society itself, is failing)

Tadow, how you like me now, I'm in the mix?
It's 1986 and I got the fix with a chicken and a quota
Got the baking soda, let the water boil, workers all loyal
Dropped out the twelfth
'Cause my wealth is shorter than a midget on his knees
Now I slang keys
Infest my hood with crack, 'cause I'm the mack
Take a nation of millions to hold me back
Too big for my britches, and I got bitches
Now I'm hittin' switches, niggas want my riches
Used to get eighteen when my G was alive, now a ki' is thirteen-five
'89s the number, another summer
Police ain't get no dumber
Streets dried up, used to think it would last
But being a king pin is a thing of the past
They tried to blast me for selling a boulder
Now I got my ass in Minnesota
Got my own crew, it's on brand new

Damn, what can I do?
Tadow
(Now it was on, from dusk to dawn and everything jumped)
What the fuck can I do?
Tadow
(Now it was on, from dusk to dawn and everything jumped)

Already done stacked me half a meal ticket
Bought a house next to Prince, so now I can kick it
Now I got ends, wavin' to my friends, rollin' in my Benz
Goin' to see the Twins, play at the Dome
Police all tappin' my mobile phone
I'm almost home
Gettin' excited, indicted, spent a grip and a year tryin' to fight it
Lawyer got paid, plea, no contest
And everything I own got repossessed
Now take a look at the dust
And I'm happy 'cause I only got thirty six months
Never picked up a book
But my arms are 16 inches, niggas, look
Can't wait for '92 so I can get with my crew
And see, what can I do

Tadow
(Now it was on, from dusk to dawn and everything jumped)
And it's on like, yeah

Fucked up in the pen, now it's '94
Back in LA and I'm bailin' in the dough
Everybody know I gotta start from scratch
So where the work at? And nigga's smirk at?
Me say ain't nothin' poppin' from here to the LB
What you tell me?
No, it ain't crackin', everybody's jackin' for a coupe
'Cause, they sent in the troops
Even though I got muscle, that ain't my hustle
Takin' niggas shit in a tussle
No skills to pay the bills
Takin' about education to battle inflation
No college degree, just a dumb ass G
(Yeah, you, nigga)
Who me?
I got a baby on the way, damn, it's a mess
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? Yes
Took some advice from my Uncle Fester
All dressed up in polyester
Welcome to McDonald's, may I please help you?
Shit, what can I do?

Tadow
(Now it was on, from dusk to dawn and everything jumped)

The white man has broke every law known to man, to establish AmeriKKKa
But he'll put you in the state penitentiary
He'll put you in the federal penitentiary
For breaking these same laws
Now, we gon' look and see if this motherfucker is guilty
For the laws he'll put you in jail for
Drug using, drug selling, armed robbery, strong armed robbery, grand larceny
Rape, racketeering, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion
Aggravated assault, mayhem, sodomy of the black man, trespassing
Embezzlement, perjury, kidnapping, smuggling, grand theft, brandishing a firearm
Carrying a concealed weapon, breaking and entering and premeditated, cold-blooded murder

Guilty on every charge

Ayo, what's up homie? Ah, why you just sittin' here lookin' up in the sky?
Waitin' on the Lord
Waitin' on the Lord?
That's right, waitin' on my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
So you ain't gon' do nothing with your life but sit here and wait for Jesus to fall out the sky?
That's right
Alright then

Written by:
Teren Delvon Jones, O'Shea Jackson, Clarence Reid

Publisher:
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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