Please Rise by Griot B Lyrics
This that cure for the crack that Reagan sold
Mansa Musa coming back to slap
Trump with a sack of gold
This that Spook sitting at the door
Lady tired of singing blues
The caged bird, hoarse voice busting loose
This that Order #3 on the nineteenth of June
The poplar tree with strong roots
Fertilized by strange fruit
Rosa Kaepernick sitting on those Woolworth stools
Jamele Hill tweeting that Ray Lewis a coon
This that Unapologetic Black
Black and proud, black power
Black glove, one hand, raised fist, while I’m standing
This ain't code switch, massa’s gone
Back to freedom planning
This the moment Nat turner put that plan into action
This is Cassie in the woods
Beating Lilly Jean with a passion
This ain't Ali vs. Frazier. This is Ali fighting drafting
This is Hughes, this is Basie, this is Grandmaster Flash
Basquiat, Savage, Emory Douglas, This is Jazz
This Zulaikha fighting school to wear Angela’s Afro
Not a black queen clueless ‘bout her past;
Stacy Dash. NO!
The hug Uncle Phil gave to Will. This is THAT SHOW!
The steps Ruby took to get school
When she was hassled
This is Brown Garrison, abolitionist Aide
This is thunder and the rain. Fred Douglas, AGITATE!
This is the Wonder Woman noose of truth
Around the neck of Edgar Hoov’
Selassie World War Two, Shaka Zulu Horn of Bull
This is innovation; Carver with the peanut
Banneker in D.C, Real McCoy how it Steam up
Ghana Gold music in your ear, it won’t Green up
We want our culture back, Uncle Sam signed a Pre-nup
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna loosen it up, I’m tryna stiffen spines
Make you stand up and raise your fist with some pride
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna loosen it up, I’m tryna stiffen spines
Make you stand up and raise your fist with some pride
I’m tryna help us Rise out these systems of oppression
My people need to Rise, that’s why I’m always stressing’
I wanna see us Rise out their HIStory lessons
This is OurStory Rise up and get this blessing
Because in school we learn us half-truths
Or nothing ‘bout our past at all
We never learn we ruled the court
I ain't talking basketball
We were kings and queens, merchants
Innovators making things
Doctors, lawyers, warriors
Every “IST” we made every “Y”
AstrologY, geologY, philosophIST we taught the Greeks
But all they ever teach our kids is slavery and Dr. King
Yeah, that’s important
‘Cus it taught us that we persevered
But that’s all they hear, plus that crap in their ear
This new age rap that gets whacker every year
No substance in the words blasting in their ears
Tupac rolling in his grave!
They mumble every word
Can’t hear nothing that they say
It’s like a broken record and they say the same phrase
If you change the channel every song sounds the same
All you hear is Lean, Cop it, Drop it, Shake it, Pop it
We celebrate this nonsense, it’s getting out of pocket
I mean I like to Milly Rock, I’m a Que I set out Hops
But these lyrics leaving kindergarteners saying them, Brainwashed!
They need options! They need to hear they can veer
From the path that they’re steered
They’re their own deepest fear
So this Album is needed. Yeah this album is needed
So I spent all my money, used my students as features
And I started a GoFundme and some people believed in
The curriculum coming, it will help all the teachers
This ain't History this is OURstory
Black History is OURstory
This for the student in the back of class
Bored out his mind
That parent who wants more for their child
Than what’s designed
For that priceless teacher who values
The value of our race
For that principal who wants their school to go from
Good to GREAT
And for that Trump voting, tea cupping
FOX news elephant
Let me tell you why that black fist you fear is relevant
Black Pride don’t mean I hate you Bro
Black pride just means that I love my soul
That I love my folk
I love my people, that Fist is pride that I’m POWERFUL
Since we came into this country we’ve been building it
Making it, we made it rich, it profited
And schools don’t acknowledge it
We used our hands to grab the branch
While massa used the whip
We used our hands to block the water, fire hose spit
We used our hands to show compliance
Bullets still were sent
So instead of using hands, we’re raising up a Fist
Mansa Musa coming back to slap
Trump with a sack of gold
This that Spook sitting at the door
Lady tired of singing blues
The caged bird, hoarse voice busting loose
This that Order #3 on the nineteenth of June
The poplar tree with strong roots
Fertilized by strange fruit
Rosa Kaepernick sitting on those Woolworth stools
Jamele Hill tweeting that Ray Lewis a coon
This that Unapologetic Black
Black and proud, black power
Black glove, one hand, raised fist, while I’m standing
This ain't code switch, massa’s gone
Back to freedom planning
This the moment Nat turner put that plan into action
This is Cassie in the woods
Beating Lilly Jean with a passion
This ain't Ali vs. Frazier. This is Ali fighting drafting
This is Hughes, this is Basie, this is Grandmaster Flash
Basquiat, Savage, Emory Douglas, This is Jazz
This Zulaikha fighting school to wear Angela’s Afro
Not a black queen clueless ‘bout her past;
Stacy Dash. NO!
The hug Uncle Phil gave to Will. This is THAT SHOW!
The steps Ruby took to get school
When she was hassled
This is Brown Garrison, abolitionist Aide
This is thunder and the rain. Fred Douglas, AGITATE!
This is the Wonder Woman noose of truth
Around the neck of Edgar Hoov’
Selassie World War Two, Shaka Zulu Horn of Bull
This is innovation; Carver with the peanut
Banneker in D.C, Real McCoy how it Steam up
Ghana Gold music in your ear, it won’t Green up
We want our culture back, Uncle Sam signed a Pre-nup
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna loosen it up, I’m tryna stiffen spines
Make you stand up and raise your fist with some pride
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna move your body
I’m tryna move your mind
They just wanna loosen it up, I’m tryna stiffen spines
Make you stand up and raise your fist with some pride
I’m tryna help us Rise out these systems of oppression
My people need to Rise, that’s why I’m always stressing’
I wanna see us Rise out their HIStory lessons
This is OurStory Rise up and get this blessing
Because in school we learn us half-truths
Or nothing ‘bout our past at all
We never learn we ruled the court
I ain't talking basketball
We were kings and queens, merchants
Innovators making things
Doctors, lawyers, warriors
Every “IST” we made every “Y”
AstrologY, geologY, philosophIST we taught the Greeks
But all they ever teach our kids is slavery and Dr. King
Yeah, that’s important
‘Cus it taught us that we persevered
But that’s all they hear, plus that crap in their ear
This new age rap that gets whacker every year
No substance in the words blasting in their ears
Tupac rolling in his grave!
They mumble every word
Can’t hear nothing that they say
It’s like a broken record and they say the same phrase
If you change the channel every song sounds the same
All you hear is Lean, Cop it, Drop it, Shake it, Pop it
We celebrate this nonsense, it’s getting out of pocket
I mean I like to Milly Rock, I’m a Que I set out Hops
But these lyrics leaving kindergarteners saying them, Brainwashed!
They need options! They need to hear they can veer
From the path that they’re steered
They’re their own deepest fear
So this Album is needed. Yeah this album is needed
So I spent all my money, used my students as features
And I started a GoFundme and some people believed in
The curriculum coming, it will help all the teachers
This ain't History this is OURstory
Black History is OURstory
This for the student in the back of class
Bored out his mind
That parent who wants more for their child
Than what’s designed
For that priceless teacher who values
The value of our race
For that principal who wants their school to go from
Good to GREAT
And for that Trump voting, tea cupping
FOX news elephant
Let me tell you why that black fist you fear is relevant
Black Pride don’t mean I hate you Bro
Black pride just means that I love my soul
That I love my folk
I love my people, that Fist is pride that I’m POWERFUL
Since we came into this country we’ve been building it
Making it, we made it rich, it profited
And schools don’t acknowledge it
We used our hands to grab the branch
While massa used the whip
We used our hands to block the water, fire hose spit
We used our hands to show compliance
Bullets still were sent
So instead of using hands, we’re raising up a Fist