a bird in the hand - ice cube

[Big Bird: Sesame Street]
Hey look at this! I was cleaning out my nest
and I found a book of my old poetry

[Ice Cube]
Fresh out of school cause I was a high school grad
gots to get a job cuz I was a high school dad
Wish I got paid like I was rappin' to the nation
but thats not likely, so here's my application
Pass it to the man at AT&T
Cuz when I was in school I got the a. e. e.
But there's no s. e. for this youngsta
I didn't have no money so now I have to hunch the
Back like a slave, thats what be happenin
but whitey says there's no room for the African
Always knew that I would boycott, jeez
but welcome to McDonalds can I take your order please
Gotta sell ya food that might give you cancer
cuz my baby doesn't take no for an answer
Now I pay taxes that you never give me back
what about diapers, bottles, and similac
Do I gotta go sell me a whole lotta crack
for decent shelter and clothes on my back?
Or should I just wait for help from Bush
or Jesse Jackson, and operation Push
If you ask me the whole thing needs a douch
a masengel what the hell cracker sale in the neighborhood
To the whorehouse bitches,
Miss porker, little joe or Todd Bridges
Or anybody that he know
so I got me a bird, better known as a kilo
Now everybody know I went from po' to a nigga that got dough
So now you put the feds against me
cause I couldn't follow the plan of the presidency
I'm never givin' love again
Cuz blacks are too fuckin broke to be republican
Now I remember I used to be cool
till I stopped fillin' out my W-2
Now senators are gettin' hired
and your plan against the ghetto backfired
So now you got a pep talk
but sorry, this is our only room to walk
Cause we don't want a drug push
But a bird in the hand is worth more than the bush

tell the politicians, the hustlers: live and let live (yeah)
tell the politicians, the hustlers: live and let live (yeah)