What Can I Do?

By Ice Cube

On Lethal Injection

Released on December 7, 1993

26K Views

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[Intro: sampled announcer]

"In any country, prison is where society sends its failures

But in this country, society itself is failing..."


[Verse 1]

Tadow, how you like me now? I'm in the mix

It's 1986 and I got the fix

With the chicken and a quarta', got the baking soda

Let the water boil, workers are 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 18 when my G was alive, now a key is 13-5

'89's the number, another summer

Police ain't get no dumber

Streets dried up, used to think it would last

But being a kingpin is a thing of the past

They tried to blast me for sellin' a boulder

Now I got my ass in Minnesota

Got my own crew, it's on brand new

Damn, what can I do?


[Chorus]

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)


[Verse 2]

Already done stacked me half a mill 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 are 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 dunce

And I'm happy 'cause I only got 36 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?


[Chorus]

Tadow

(Now it was on from dusk to dawn

And everything jumped)


[Verse 3]

Fucked up in the pen, now it's ninety-fo'

Back in L.A., and I'm bailin' in the dough

Everybody, now I gotta start from scratch

So where the work at?

And niggas smirk at

Me sayin' "Ain't nuttin' poppin from here to the L.B."

What you tell me?

No, it ain't crack, and everybody's jackin' for a coupe

Cuz, 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

Talkin' 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?


[Chorus]

Tadow

(Now it was on from dusk to dawn

And everything jumped)


[Outro]

"The white man has broke every law known to man to establish AmeriKKKa

But he'll put you in the state penitentary

He'll put you in the federal penitentary for breaking these same laws

Now we gonna 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, embezzelment, purgery, kidnapping, smuggling, grand theft, brandishing a firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, breaking and entering, and premeditated cold-blooded murder...

Guilty on every charge"