“Be Thankful for What You Got” is a 1974 soul hit written and performed by William DeVaughn.

Originally recorded in 1972 as “A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy” but retitled for its 1974 single release, the song, with its Curtis Mayfield-inspired sound and positive lyrical message, became a huge crossover hit for DeVaughn. It charted at #1 on the US R&B chart and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and also received heavy radio play from Gospel stations. Nearly two million copies of the single were sold.

It was ultimately a one-hit wonder for DeVaughn, who only recorded one album before losing interest in music and returning to his prior job as a draftsman.

The song is often mistakenly attributed to Curtis Mayfield, owing to his vocal similarities with DeVaughn, but Mayfield never recorded the song.

The song has been extensively sampled, referenced and covered since its release, particularly the famous lines that coined the term “gangsta lean.” For example, Parliament, N.W.A, De La Soul, Dre and Snoop, Ice Cube, Master P, Snoop, Luda, Ne-Yo and Rihanna, among many others, have all shouted-out or sampled the song; Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Massive Attack have recorded straight covers.