Boogie Down Productions - You Must Learn lyrics

Just like I told you you must learn It's calm yet wild the style that I speak Just filled with facts and you will never get weak in the heart In fact you'll start to illuminate knowledge to others in a song Let me demonstrate the force of knowledge knowledge reigned supreme The ignorant is ripped to smithereens What do you mean when you say I'm rebellious 'Cause I don't accept everything that you're telling us What are you selling us the creator dwellin' us I sit in your unknown cla** while you're failing' us I failed your cla** 'cause I ain't with your reasoning You're tryin' make me you by seasoning Up my mind with see Jane run, see John walk in a hardcore New York It doesn't exist no way, no how It seems to me that in a school that's ebony African history should be pumped up steadily, but it's not and this has got to stop, See Spot run, run get Spot Insulting to a Black mentality, a Black way of life Or a jet Black family, so I include with one concern, that You must learn Chorus: Just like I told you, you must learn (twice) I believe that if you're teaching history Filled with straight up facts no mystery Teach the student what needs to be taught 'Cause Black and White kids both take shorts When one doesn't know about the other ones' culture Ignorance swoops down like a vulture 'Cause you don't know that you ain't just a janitor No one told you about Benjamin Banneker A brilliant Black man that invented the almanac Can't you see where KRS is coming at With Elie Whitney, Holly Selosy, Grand Bill Woods made the walky-talky Lewis Latterman improved on Edison Charles Drew did a lot for medicine Garrett Morgan made the traffic lights Harriet Tubman freed the slaves at night Madame CJ Walker made a straightin' comb But you won't know this is you weren't shown The point I'm gettin' at it it might be harsh 'Cause we're just walkin' around brainwashed So what I'm sayin' is not to diss a man we need the 89 school system One that caters to a Black return because You must learn Chorus