Ice Cube is one of the founding artists of gangsta rap, and much of his musical output has contained harsh socio-political commentary. He was ranked number 8 on MTV's list of the 10 Greatest MCs of All Time, while fellow rapper Snoop Dogg ranked Ice Cube as one of the greatest MC of all time. AllMusic has called him one of hip-hop's best and most controversial artists, as well as "one of rap's greatest storytellers". In 2012, The Source ranked him number 14 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. In 2014, About.com ranked him number 11 on their list of the "50 Greatest MCs of All Time"
He released his solo debut album, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted," in 1990 to critical and commercial success, although upon its release he was accused of racism and misogyny. He has since released 1991's "Death Certificate", 1992's "The Predator", 1993's "Lethal Injection", 1998's "War & Peace Vol 1 (The War Disc)", 2000's "War & Peace Vol 2 (The Peace Disc)", 2006's "Laugh Now, Cry Later", 2008's "Raw Footage", and 2010's "I Am the West."
Ice Cube was raised in South Central by his parents, both of whom were employed at UCLA. He began writing raps while attending George Washington Preparatory High School in Westmont, California, most notably "Boyz 'N Tha Hood", which later became famous when done by N.W.A in 1986. Cube finished his schooling at William Howard Taft Charter High School in Woodland Hills, a predominately white neighborhood in San Fernando Valley, some 40 miles from the high-crime neighborhood where his family stayed.
Cube and a friend, Sir Jinx, rapped as a partnership called C.I.A. at parties hosted by Dr. Dre. After a brief stint in a group called "HBO", Cube showed Eazy-E "Boyz 'N Da Hood," and the pair, plus Dr. Dre, DJ Yella, The Arabian Prince and MC Ren, formed N.W.A.
Cube took one year off to earn a degree in architectural drafting in Phoenix in 1987 but returned in time to participate in N.W.A's debut album, Straight Outta Compton. The album attracted much notoriety for the group, from the FBI and concerned citizen and parent groups. Cube did the lead verse for the album's infamous track "Fuck tha Police."
Ice Cube left N.W.A due to financial and personality conflicts in 1989. With Da Lench Mob and the Bomb Squad (Public Enemy's producers), Cube recorded his debut album in New York City. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was released in 1990 and was an instantaneous hit as rap's popularity increased in mainstream society.
His 1991 follow-up, Death Certificate, was even more controversial. A few songs in the album featured Cube's hate of Uncle Sam and his politics, and a bonus track named "No Vaseline" was a diss to his former N.W.A bandmates. Also that year, he converted to the Nation of Islam. The album was re-released in 2003 with the bonus track "How to Survive in South Central," originally from the 1991 "Boyz N the Hood" soundtrack.
Controversy stirred about racist lyrics in his material: "Black Korea" (a song against Korean shopowners), referring to a former boss as "white Jew" in "No Vaseline", and songs such as "Enemy and Cave Bitch" (songs against "devils", a popular derogatory term at the time for white people). Partially to help deflect criticisms, Cube appointed a female rapper named Yo-Yo (who guested on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted) to the head of his own record label and helped produce her debut album, Make Way for the Motherlode.
That was followed by Cube's acting breakout as the grown-up version of Darrin "Doughboy" Baker in the 1991 coming of age crime drama "Boyz in the Hood." Writer and director John Singleton, another LA native, penned the role specifically Cube. Ice Cube was later named "Most Promising Actor" at the 4th Chicago Film Critics Association Awards in 1992, beating out his co-star Cuba Gooding Jr. and newcomer Brad Pitt from "Thelma and Louise."
Cube toured on Lollapalooza in 1992 and widened his fan base. He released The Predator in November (1992) which debuted at #1 on both the pop and rnb charts, the first album in history to do so. For that album, Cube decided to load some G-funk style beats which at that time was the big thing and some remix tunes which brought a new style to Cube, in which previously he had released some hardcore and extreme work. Singles from The Predator included "Today was a Good Day" and "Check Yo Self (remix)" which all had a 2 part music video.
After The Predator, Cube's audience began to diminish. Lethal Injection (1993) was not very well-liked by critics, and Dr. Dre and the West Coast G-Funk sound was dominating hip-hop. It wasn't until later that the album became popular. Taking a break from his own albums, Cube assisted on debuts from Da Lench Mob (Guerillas in the Mist) and Kam (Neva Again). He later dueted with Dr. Dre on "Natural Born Killaz."
Around this time in 1993, Ice Cube also worked with soon-to-be-acclaimed rapper Tupac Shakur with his album Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. and appeared on a track with 2pac.
In 1994 Ice Cube released Bootlegs & B-Sides.
During this time, hip-hop started making a transition from the West Coast Funk Hip-Hop to a more gritty East Coast hip-hop. With Mack 10 and WC, Cube formed the Westside Connection in 1996, releasing their debut album Bow Down later that year. This album was in due to Ice Cube's theory that the East Coast lacked respect for West Coast hip-hop. Songs like "Bow Down", and "Gangstas Make The World Go 'Round" make reference to this. Sales were brisk, but it did not establish a large audience. This album was later perceived as a classic, especially on the West Coast. Cube released several more solo albums; however, he is now known more for his movies than his music.
In 1998 Ice Cube released War & Peace Vol 1: The War Disc
In 2000 Ice Cube released War & Peace Vol 2: The Peace Disc
In 2003 Ice Cube along with W.C. & Mack 10 released Terrorist Threats as the West Side Connection.
In December 2004, after a long break from recording, he reached #2 in the UK singles chart with the club favourite, "You Can Do It" (featuring Mack 10 and Ms Toi), released as a single 5 years after it was first included on movie soundtracks such as
Ice Cube was influenced by and took his name from African American pimp-turned-author Iceberg Slim, who published his autobiography Pimp in 1969. At one point, Ice Cube was scheduled to play the lead role in a movie adaptation of Pimp, but the project appears to be halted.
Cube's oldest son, O'Shea Jackson Jr., made his feature film debut in the 2015 N.W.A biopic "Straight Outta Compton," portraying his father.
Bird In The Hand
Ice Cube Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gots to get a job 'cause I was a high school dad
Wish I got paid like I was rappin' to the nation
But that's not likely so here's my application
Pass it to the man at AT&T
'Cause 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 punch the
But whitey says there's no room for the African
Always knew that I would clock G's
But welcome to McDonald's can I take your order please
Gotta sell ya food that might give you cancer
'Cause my son 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 douche
A masengel what the hell cracker sell in the neighborhood
To the corner house 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
But 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' high
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 to 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)
In Ice Cube's song A Bird In The Hand, he tells the story of a young African-American man who has just graduated from high school and becomes a father, leading to him needing to get a job. He wishes he could get paid like a rapper but has to settle for a job at McDonald's. He talks about the difficulties of trying to make ends meet and how he feels like he is being treated unfairly due to his race. Ice Cube mentions that the government isn't doing enough to help those who are struggling in poverty and how there is a lack of opportunities for African Americans. He reminisces on his past and how he used to be cool but now feels like he needs to resort to illegal activities to get by.
The lyrics of A Bird In The Hand tackle issues that were relevant at the time of the song's release in 1991, including racism, poverty, and social inequality. Ice Cube is using his platform to voice the struggles and challenges faced by many African Americans in the United States. He's not just a rapper, he's a storyteller who is inviting us to empathize with the plight of the people in the ghetto who feel like they have no other choice. It's a powerful message that continues to resonate with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Fresh out of school cause I was a high school grad
I just graduated high school and now I need to find a job
Gots to get a job 'cause I was a high school dad
I need to get a job, because I also have a kid to support
Wish I got paid like I was rappin' to the nation
I wish I could make money from music like other rappers do
But that's not likely so here's my application
But since that's not possible, I have to fill out a job application
Pass it to the man at AT&T
I need to give my application to someone at AT&T
'Cause when I was in school I got the A-E-E
I did well in school and got good grades
But there's no S-E for this youngsta
But I don't have the money and resources it takes to succeed
I didn't have no money so now I have to punch the Clock like a slave, that's what be happenin'
I don't have a lot of money, so I have to work hard at a job I don't like
But whitey says there's no room for the African
White people in power don't give black people the same opportunities to succeed
Always knew that I would clock G's
I always knew that I would make a lot of money
But welcome to McDonald's can I take your order please
But for now, I have to work at McDonald's and take orders for a living
Gotta sell ya food that might give you cancer
I have to sell food that isn't very healthy, just to keep my job
'Cause my son doesn't take no for an answer
I have to provide for my son, no matter what it takes
Now I pay taxes that you never give me back
I pay taxes, but I don't benefit from them in any way
What about diapers, bottles, and similac
What about all the things my son needs that aren't covered by taxes?
Do I gotta go sell me a whole lotta crack
Do I have to turn to illegal activities just to provide for my family?
For decent shelter and clothes on my back?
Do I have to resort to desperate measures just to have a roof over my head and clothes to wear?
Or should I just wait for help from Bush
Should I wait for help from the government, which may never come?
Or Jesse Jackson, and operation Push
Should I wait for help from Jesse Jackson and Operation PUSH?
If you ask me the whole thing needs a douche
Honestly, the entire system needs to be improved and cleaned up
A masengel what the hell cracker sell in the neighborhood
What kind of useless items are white people selling in our communities?
To the corner house bitches
Who are they trying to sell to at the corner stores?
Miss porker, little Joe or Todd Bridges
Specifically, who do they think they can sell to, Miss Porker, Little Joe, or Todd Bridges?
Or anybody that he know
Basically, anyone they know will do, even if it's not actually useful
So I got me a bird, better known as a kilo
So instead of turning to government programs, I've turned to selling drugs
Now everybody know I went from po' to a nigga that got dough
Now that I'm making money selling drugs, everyone knows I've gone from being poor to being rich
So now you put the feds against me
Now the government and the police are after me for selling drugs
'Cause I couldn't follow the plan of the presidency
Because I couldn't find help through government programs, I turned to selling drugs
I'm never givin' love again
I'm never going to trust or depend on the government again
But blacks are too fuckin' broke to be republican
But black people are too poor to be Republicans, who often help the rich
Now I remember I used to be cool
Now I remember when I used to not have to resort to desperate measures
Till I stopped fillin' out my W-2
Until I stopped working a real job and stopped filling out tax forms
Now senators are gettin' high
Now people in power are abusing drugs themselves
And your plan against the ghetto backfired
All of the government's plans and policies to help the poor have failed
So now you got a pep talk
So now the government is trying to give us a motivational speech to get us to do better
But sorry, this is our only room to walk
Sorry, but our options are limited and we don't have many choices
'Cause we don't want to drug push
We don't want to sell drugs, but sometimes it's the only option available
But a bird in the hand is worth more than the bush
Sometimes it's better to take what you have instead of waiting for something better that may never come
Tell the politicians, the hustlers, live and let live (yeah)
We need to tell politicians and those trying to make it to just live and let others live as well
Tell the politicians, the hustlers, live and let live (yeah)
We need to tell politicians and those trying to make it to just live and let others live as well
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: O'SHEA JACKSON, MARK S. JORDAN, GEORGE JR. CLINTON, RONALD DUNBAR, DONNIE RAY STERLING, GARRY MARSHALL SHIDER, WILLIAM EARL COLLINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cornellallen5229
Every time I hear this song, I picture that double barrel coming out the window. (WHAT PUNK,WHAT FOOL)
@brzdley1458
hehehe MARK
@milesgaming1240
MARK
@sandraruiz3834
Mark! 🚗💨
@dadzilla8640
Mark!!!!!! Lol 😆 🤣 😂
@neshamojanay9423
One of my favorites part of the movie lol
@nazzswift8114
What up punk what up fool. Mark
@bmat961
Same thing I thought about, Boyz N Da Hood
@swissbeats2k
Mark lol
@stdomingoblues1187
Sick