"Keep it real"

I aim to please:

When Keepin it Real Goes Wrong!

 

keep it real = do/say what you mean.. No BS

 

i've heard it used in reference to abstaining from drugs and alcohol for a time. so that conversations or other activities are not coming from an altered state.

 

I usually hear it as kind of a derisive term directed at African-Americans who make money, speak well, don't get into trouble etc.

Which actually, when I think about it...is almost as racist as something the Stormfront crew might come up with.

 

Yeah, I always thought it meant "act like you black." As if there was only one acceptable way for black peeps to act.

 

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I view it as being true. You know what I'm saying? If someone accidentally steps on your Puma's you clap back. You smack em across the face. You gotta stay true to the game. That's keepin it real!

 

pffft, no one who wears Pumas is keeping it real.

 

I almost posted this same thing yesterday.

 

Why Obama won't be president?

 

You are dealing with Duality
1. What it meant originally - Being True to onself . .. not being fake and acting a way that is not yourself

2. to what it has come to mean - Acting a certain normally ignorant way

It happens often . . .people see someone say I am keeping it real
which they are. . . acting as ig'nant and stupid as they normally act
then think it means acting ig'ant and stupid . . .when that is not it at all

USually it is from a casual observe passing buy . . takes it and runs with it
back to their neighborhood, home or TV show
cause a gross misinterpretation of the original terminology

Rocket River

 

EDIT: nm...

 

I always thought it meant being true to yourself and you background and not conforming just because society expects you to.

 

I think of these things, plus...being direct, not sugercoating, seeing things as they are even if they are not what you want.

I think it is a good/usefull expression.

 

keep it limited
stop being so "proper acting"
simple and remedial easy to grasp "common" sense, get on outta here with the book sense
dont be influenced by anything outside of where you came from,
diversifying is not good, the hood has supplied you with everything you need to get by on
keep dat sh-t GANGSTA, homey
'real'-ize that people are making a good living on both subject matter and image of being 'hard', so do what you can to preserve that, and dont put any expectations on them to be any better

they say "keep it real", but what was it that was so "fake" that there needed to be awareness of whats "real"? they could have elaborated on that more

 

Leon shows you have to keep it real:

Language NSFW:

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Keeps it real:



Does not keep it real:

 

Interesting example.

Someone steps on your shoes and the "keeping it real" response is to react in violence.