COOL TO KNOW HOW

[Intro — Spoken] We taught the kids how to look successful Before we taught them how success works How to recognize every logo But not every opportunity Looking good is cool But knowing what to do when something breaks? That’s power [Verse 1 — Melodic Rap-Singing] Fresh shoes, new fit Everybody knows the brand But ask who knows the interest rate They don’t understand the plan We can name a hundred rappers Every player, every score But can’t name the people making Everything we’re paying for We know what the watch is worth Don’t understand the value of time Know the price of every chain But not the chains inside the mind A label tells them who designed it Knowledge teaches you design One makes somebody else look wealthy One can make the future mine I’m not saying don’t look good I’m saying add something underneath ’Cause fashion may command attention But your mind decides what you keep [Pre-Chorus — Harmonies Build] What you wear can open eyes What you know can open doors Looking rich may get applause Knowing how can make you more [Chorus — Fully Sung] It’s cool to know how Cool to build, cool to grow now Cool to walk inside a broken room And be the one who knows how Cool to read, cool to lead Cool to turn ideas to reality Anybody can look like the boss But the boss knows how it works underneath Put some knowledge with your style Let your mind stand out in the crowd Looking good might get you noticed But it’s cool to know how [Post-Chorus — Call and Response] Can you build it? (I know how!) Can you fix it? (I know how!) Can you learn it? (I know how!) That’s what cool looks like now! [Verse 2 — Melodic Flow] Give me somebody who can read prints Trace wires and diagnose Turn a fault light to a lesson Find the source and get it closed Somebody who can frame a house Write code or balance books Grow food, repair an engine Make a product people took That’s intelligence in motion Education isn’t only school It’s knowing how to learn the answer Knowing how to use the tool A degree can hold some value A trade can change a family too The flex is being valuable Wherever life has placed you When the power quits working That expensive chain won’t make it light But the person with the knowledge Can bring the whole building back to life [Pre-Chorus — Rising Harmonies] What you wear will lose its value What you learn can multiply Drip can make them watch you enter Skill decides how long you rise [Chorus — Fully Sung] It’s cool to know how Cool to build, cool to grow now Cool to walk inside a broken room And be the one who knows how Cool to read, cool to lead Cool to turn ideas to reality Anybody can look like the boss But the boss knows how it works underneath Put some knowledge with your style Let your mind stand out in the crowd Looking good might get you noticed But it’s cool to know how [Bridge — Music Strips Down] We made ignorance look fearless Like not caring made you strong Made the student feel embarrassed For pronouncing something wrong Called the smart kid “acting different” Then paid strangers for their skill Made fun of the one who studied Then asked them for help when life got real That has got to be corrected Being brilliant is not weak There is nothing cooler than a mind That can create the things we need [Rap-Sung Breakdown] Learn credit before the car lot Learn contracts before you sign Learn ownership before the outfit Learn patience before the grind Learn a trade, learn technology Learn your history, learn the law Learn to question what they hand you Learn to find the hidden flaw Don’t just teach a child to consume it Teach them how to make and sell Education isn’t memorizing It’s escaping someone else’s spell [Choir Build] Books are cool! (Being skilled is cool!) Trades are cool! (Knowing business too!) Building wealth! (Fixing what is broke!) That’s the kind of flex They can never take from you! [Final Chorus — Massive Harmonies] It’s cool to know how Cool to build, cool to grow now Cool to walk inside a broken world And be the one who knows how Cool to read, cool to lead Cool to turn ideas to reality Anybody can purchase an image But knowledge creates identity Wear your confidence with style Let your wisdom speak it loud Looking good might get you noticed But it’s powerful to know how [Outro — Spoken] Wear the shoes But know who owns the company Drive the car But understand the financing Use the technology But learn how to build it Looking good gets attention Knowing how creates options That’s cool