They may have valued P.E. and D.M.C. over Ph.D.s and B.A.s when they were in school, but Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Mos Def, Fat Joe, Wu-Tang Clan, Ashanti and Dead Prez have joined the protest against New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed $1 billion in education cuts.

On June 4, one day before the mayor makes his final budget proposal to the city council, the rappers plan to gather at City Hall alongside Russell Simmons, minister Benjamin Muhammad, Al Sharpton, "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon and thousands of students, teachers and parents to voice their objection to Bloomberg's plans.

During the event, dubbed the Mobilization for Education, the performers are expected to make brief speeches, a rally spokesperson said, adding that the hip-hop community has such an active interest in the event because the proposed cuts would have a devastating effect on inner-city schools.

"We are mobilizing the hip-hop community to join with the United Federation of Teachers and the Alliance for Quality Education because education is a vital issue for hip-hop," Simmons said in a statement. "I visit schools all the time, and I'm tired of hearing about kids sharing books and having no desks of their own. I'm tired of the debate of 'Who will manage the schools?' when the real issue is 'Who will prioritize the funding of our children's education?' The elite have abandoned the war on poverty and education, and it's up to us, the hip-hop community, to stand up. No one else will. Our elected officials have failed us."

In addition, Jay-Z, Sharpton, Nixon and Simmons have recorded public service announcements that are airing on local hip-hop stations.

"On June 4 at 2:30 p.m.," Jay-Z says on one, "I want you to get up, walk out of class and meet me at City Hall in protest of the more than $1 billion cut from the school budget the city wants to make."

Others who have pledged their support to the campaign include Nas, the LOX, Charli Baltimore, Lady May, Megahertz, Rah Digga, the Rev. Run and Chuck D.