Tuition Lyrics
[Chorus]
In the strip club, got our ones up (Yeah, yeah)
With her hair tied to the back (Yee)
In the strip club, kinda f*cked up (Yeah, yeah)
You been sippin' on dirty, ayy
You leave the strip club (Strip club) with your best friend (Best friend)
Tryna make college tuition at the West End
[Post-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, I like that b!tch
She on all that tracker shit (Okay)
Shawty in here tryna get rich (Oh-oh)
Goddamnit, lil' baby, I like that b!tch
Got a blunt, I light that b!tch (Put it up)
A n!gga too toxic
B!tch pullin' up, get fixed
[Refrain]
I'm on the court like Melo (Yeah, yeah)
The booty get jiggly like Jell-O (Yeah, yeah)
Work on the boy, good fellow (Yeah, yeah)
Shawty been on my level (Yeah, yeah)
[Chorus]
In the strip club, got our ones up (Yeah, yeah)
With her hair tied to the back (Yee)
In the strip club, kinda f*cked up (Yeah, yeah)
You been sippin' on dirty, ayy
You leave the strip club (Strip club) with your best friend (Best friend)
Tryna make college tuition at the West End
[Post-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, I like that b!tch
She on all that tracker shit (Okay)
Shawty in here tryna get rich (Oh-oh)
Goddamnit, lil' baby, I like that b!tch
Got a blunt, I light that b!tch (Put it up)
A nigga too toxic
B!tch pullin' up, get fixed
[Refrain]
I'm on the court like Melo (Yeah, yeah)
The booty get jiggly like Jell-O (Yeah, yeah)
Work on the boy, good fellow (Yeah, yeah)
Shawty been on my level (Yeah, yeah)
Still watchin' out for Winslows
Ain't f*ckin' 'round with the bimbo
Tryna make college tuition at the West End
[Pre-Chorus]
Ooh, ooh, I like that b!tch
She on all that tracker shit (Okay)
Shawty in here tryna get rich (Oh-oh)
Goddamnit, lil' baby, I like that b!tch
Got a blunt, I light that b!tch (Put it up)
A n!gga too toxic
B!tch pullin' up, get fixed
[Chorus]
In the strip club, got our ones up
With her hair tied to the back
In the strip club, kinda f*cked up
You been sippin' on dirty, ayy
You leave the strip club with your best friend
Tryna make college tuition at the West End
[Outro]
Why do you want my high?
How could you waste your time?
In the strip club dancin' for hours and hours and hours
________________ End ________________
Tuition Song Meaning [Don Toliver]
Emerging on January 30, 2026 as part of Don Toliver’s fifth studio album "OCTANE", “Tuition” finds the Houston native navigating familiar sonic territory while wrapping deeper narrative threads around nightlife and ambition. Released through Cactus Jack, Atlantic Records, and Donnway & Co, "OCTANE" marks a continuation of Toliver’s evolution from melodic trap chronicles into a broader stylistic realm that balances mood and momentum. Though not released as a single, “Tuition” sits within the album’s middle sequence, positioned among tracks that explore the complex blend of hedonism and introspection that defines much of the project.
Song Meaning:
The opening verses of “Tuition” thrust listeners directly into an animated but emotionally ambiguous setting. Rather than painting the environment as glamorous or celebratory alone, Toliver frames the late-night scene as a space saturated with both indulgence and purpose. The club isn’t just a backdrop for revelry; it becomes a microcosm of the hustle, a place where time, money, and desire intersect. The imagery teeters between revelrous energy and a more sobering observation of effort and survival.
As the narrative unfolds, Toliver’s attention shifts toward the individuals inhabiting this space. Here, people aren’t merely clubgoers — they’re participants in a cyclical pursuit, trying to convert presence into progress, whether that means money, connection, or status. Toliver’s melodic cadence wraps this depiction in a rhythmic flow that feels almost hypnotic, emphasizing the loop-like nature of repetitive late nights and repeated behaviors.
Mid-song, Toliver contrasts moments of admiration with undercurrents of self-awareness. Rather than presenting love or intimacy, he weaves in elements of detachment and recognition — a kind of emotional balancing act between attraction and acknowledgement of personal or mutual flaws. There’s an implicit understanding that the environment shapes choices, and that adoption of its rhythms comes with psychological costs.
By the latter parts of the track, the musical tone and lyrical stance subtly shift, questioning the value of these pursuits. The setting remains the same, but the internal dialogue feels more reflective, blurring the line between participation and observation. It’s a moment of recognition: that the cycle itself — whether money, time, or emotional investment — might be its own reward and its own trap.
The outro closes this cycle not with resolution but with a lingering question about priorities and emotional expenditure. It’s less a conclusion and more a reflective sigh — acknowledging that the scenes depicted throughout the song are part of a larger pattern that doesn’t easily resolve itself.
Emotional Core and Themes:
“Tuition” thrives on the contradiction between aspiration and inertia. The title metaphor — equating the pursuit of money and status with tuition — highlights an ongoing education in life’s gritty realities. Instead of paint-by-numbers club tropes, Toliver uses setting and repetition to deliver emotional texture: a blend of yearning, self-consciousness, and acceptance. In this way, the song addresses ambition not as a straightforward goal but as a layered process, complete with distractions, setbacks, and repetitive cycles of effort and desire.
Connection with Listeners:
What makes this track resonate is its duality: it’s both an anthem and a reflection. Many listeners are drawn to the hypnotic beat and melodic delivery, but under the surface is a narrative about choices, survival economics, and personal narratives played out in public spaces. Whether fans interpret these scenes as glamorous or cautionary, the song supplies a canvas onto which personal experiences can be projected. For some, that evokes nostalgia for nights out; for others, the tension between external bravado and internal cost feels deeply familiar.
Conclusion:
In “Tuition,” Don Toliver turns a familiar club scene into a multifaceted story of ambition, ritual, and introspection. Without conventional resolution, the song captures the ebb and flow of nightlife and pursuit — not just as entertainment, but as a mirror of larger life rhythms. Integrated seamlessly into "OCTANE", the track supports the album’s broader aesthetic: one foot in nocturnal escapism, the other in self-aware reflection. Through subtle narrative layering and evocative production, Toliver offers listeners both a vibe and a viewpoint, making “Tuition” a compelling chapter in his ongoing artistic journey.
___________ ____________ ___________
Music Video
Song Details
Song Name: Tuition
Artist: Don Toliver
Album: OCTANE
Lyricist: Don Toliver, BNYX®, Rio Leyva, 206DEREK & Ghost (Producer)
Producers: BNYX®, 206DEREK, Rio Leyva & Ghost (Producer)
Genre: Rap
Language: English
Label: Atlantic Records, Cactus Jack Records, Donnway & Co.
Released: January 30, 2025
[Disclaimer: Lyrics are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All rights belong to the original owners.]
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