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 class while you're failing' us
I failed your class '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