Dead Prez on the racist US school system. M-1 and stic.man did not have the best time in high school
Feb. 8, 20001 viewer39.5K views
They Schools Lyrics
[Intro: Sample & stic.man]
Why haven't you learned anything?
Man that school shit is a joke
The same people who control the school system control
The prison system, and the whole social system
Ever since slavery, naw I'm sayin'?
[Verse 1: stic.man]
I went to school with some redneck crackers
Right around the time 3rd Bass dropped the Cactus Album
But I was reading Malcolm
I changed my name in '89 cleaning parts of my brain
Like a baby nine
I took they history class serious
Front row, every day of the week, 3rd period
Fucking with the teachers head, calling 'em racist
I tried to show them crackers some light, they couldn't face it
I got my diploma from a school called Rickards
Full of, teenage mothers, and drug dealing niggas
In the hallways, the po-po was always present
Searching through niggas possessions
Looking for, dope and weapons, get your lessons
That's why my moms kept stressin'
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn't interestin'
They seemed to only glorify the Europeans
Claiming Africans was only three-fifths of human beings
Why haven't you learned anything?
Man that school shit is a joke
The same people who control the school system control
The prison system, and the whole social system
Ever since slavery, naw I'm sayin'?
[Verse 1: stic.man]
I went to school with some redneck crackers
Right around the time 3rd Bass dropped the Cactus Album
But I was reading Malcolm
I changed my name in '89 cleaning parts of my brain
Like a baby nine
I took they history class serious
Front row, every day of the week, 3rd period
Fucking with the teachers head, calling 'em racist
I tried to show them crackers some light, they couldn't face it
I got my diploma from a school called Rickards
Full of, teenage mothers, and drug dealing niggas
In the hallways, the po-po was always present
Searching through niggas possessions
Looking for, dope and weapons, get your lessons
That's why my moms kept stressin'
I tried to pay attention but they classes wasn't interestin'
They seemed to only glorify the Europeans
Claiming Africans was only three-fifths of human beings
[Chorus: stic.man & Keanna Henson]
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we trying to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Telling me white man lies straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teaching us, what we need to know to survive
(Say what, say what)
They schools don't educate, all they teach the people is lies
[Interlude: stic.man]
You see dog, you see how quick these motherfuckers be to like
Be telling niggas get a diploma so you can get a job
Know what I'm saying but they don't never tell you how the job
Gonna exploit you every time know what I'm saying that's why I be like
Fuck they schools!
[Verse 2: M-1]
School is like a 12 step brainwash camp
They make you think if you drop out you ain't got a chance
To advance in life, they try to make you pull your pants up
Students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs
And if that wasn't enough, then they expel y'all
Your peoples understand it but to them, you a failure
Observation and participation, my favorite teachers
When they beat us in the head with them books, it don't reach us
Whether you breakdance or rock suede Adidas
Or be in the bathroom with your clique, smoking reefer
Then you know they math class ain't important 'less you adding up cash
In multiples, unemployment ain't rewardin'
They may as well teach us extortion
You either get paid or locked up, the principal is like a warden
In a four year sentence, mad niggas never finish
But that doesn't mean I couldn't be a doctor or a dentist
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we trying to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Telling me white man lies straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teaching us, what we need to know to survive
(Say what, say what)
They schools don't educate, all they teach the people is lies
[Interlude: stic.man]
You see dog, you see how quick these motherfuckers be to like
Be telling niggas get a diploma so you can get a job
Know what I'm saying but they don't never tell you how the job
Gonna exploit you every time know what I'm saying that's why I be like
Fuck they schools!
[Verse 2: M-1]
School is like a 12 step brainwash camp
They make you think if you drop out you ain't got a chance
To advance in life, they try to make you pull your pants up
Students fight the teachers and get took away in handcuffs
And if that wasn't enough, then they expel y'all
Your peoples understand it but to them, you a failure
Observation and participation, my favorite teachers
When they beat us in the head with them books, it don't reach us
Whether you breakdance or rock suede Adidas
Or be in the bathroom with your clique, smoking reefer
Then you know they math class ain't important 'less you adding up cash
In multiples, unemployment ain't rewardin'
They may as well teach us extortion
You either get paid or locked up, the principal is like a warden
In a four year sentence, mad niggas never finish
But that doesn't mean I couldn't be a doctor or a dentist
[Chorus: stic.man & Keanna Henson]
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we trying to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Telling me white man lies straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teaching us, what we need to know to survive
(Say what, say what)
They schools don't educate, all they teach the people is lies
(Y'all know they don't give a fuck about us)
[Outro: stic.man]
Cuz for real, a mind is a terrible thing to waste
And all y'all high class niggas with y'all nose up
Cuz we droppin' this shit on this joint, fuck y'all
We gon speak for ourselves
Knowhatimsayin'? Cuz see the schools ain't teachin' us nuthin'
They ain't teachin' us nuthin' but how to be slaves and hardworkers
For white people to build up they shit
Make they businesses successful while it's exploitin' us
Knowhatimsayin'? And they ain't teachin' us nuthin' related to
Solvin' our own problems, knowhatimsayin'?
Ain't teachin' us how to get crack out the ghetto
They ain't teachin' us how to stop the police from murdering us
And brutalizing us, they ain't teachin' us how to get our rent paid
Knowhatimsayin'? They ain't teachin' our families how to interact
Better with each other, knowhatimsayin'? They just teachin' us
How to build they shit up, knowhatimsayin'? That's why my niggas
Got a problem with this shit, that's why niggas be droppin' out that
Shit cuz it don't relate, you go to school the fuckin' police
Searchin' you you walkin' in your shit like this a military compound
Knowhatimsayin'? So school don't even relate to us
Until we have some shit where we control the fuckin' school system
Where we reflect how we gon solve our own problems
Them niggas ain't gon relate to school, shit that just how it is
Knowhatimsayin'? And I love education, knowhatimsayin'?
But if education ain't elevatin' me, then you knowhatimsayin' it ain't
Takin' me where I need to go on some bullshit, then fuck education
Knowhatimsayin'? At least they shit, matter of fact my nigga
This whole school system can suck my dick, BEEYOTCH!!
They schools can't teach us shit
My people need freedom, we trying to get all we can get
All my high school teachers can suck my dick
Telling me white man lies straight bullshit (bullshit)
They schools ain't teaching us, what we need to know to survive
(Say what, say what)
They schools don't educate, all they teach the people is lies
(Y'all know they don't give a fuck about us)
[Outro: stic.man]
Cuz for real, a mind is a terrible thing to waste
And all y'all high class niggas with y'all nose up
Cuz we droppin' this shit on this joint, fuck y'all
We gon speak for ourselves
Knowhatimsayin'? Cuz see the schools ain't teachin' us nuthin'
They ain't teachin' us nuthin' but how to be slaves and hardworkers
For white people to build up they shit
Make they businesses successful while it's exploitin' us
Knowhatimsayin'? And they ain't teachin' us nuthin' related to
Solvin' our own problems, knowhatimsayin'?
Ain't teachin' us how to get crack out the ghetto
They ain't teachin' us how to stop the police from murdering us
And brutalizing us, they ain't teachin' us how to get our rent paid
Knowhatimsayin'? They ain't teachin' our families how to interact
Better with each other, knowhatimsayin'? They just teachin' us
How to build they shit up, knowhatimsayin'? That's why my niggas
Got a problem with this shit, that's why niggas be droppin' out that
Shit cuz it don't relate, you go to school the fuckin' police
Searchin' you you walkin' in your shit like this a military compound
Knowhatimsayin'? So school don't even relate to us
Until we have some shit where we control the fuckin' school system
Where we reflect how we gon solve our own problems
Them niggas ain't gon relate to school, shit that just how it is
Knowhatimsayin'? And I love education, knowhatimsayin'?
But if education ain't elevatin' me, then you knowhatimsayin' it ain't
Takin' me where I need to go on some bullshit, then fuck education
Knowhatimsayin'? At least they shit, matter of fact my nigga
This whole school system can suck my dick, BEEYOTCH!!
About
Genius Annotation
Dead Prez on the racist US school system. M-1 and stic.man did not have the best time in high school
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 3.They Schools
- 4.Hip-Hop
- 5.Police State
- 8.Mind Sex
- 10.Be Healthy
- 11.Discipline
- 12.Psychology
- 13.Happiness
- 14.Animal in Man
- 17.Propaganda
- 18.The Pistol
Credits
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Label
Additional Vocals
Released on
February 8, 2000
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