So the phrase means what? “To hell with everyone else, I’m gonna do what I want to do.” Is that it?
In my opinion, "Keeping it real" means emphasizing our animal needs and just going with whatever your emotions tell you to do. It's the opposite of being civilized. Civilization is an artificial construct which moves humans away from a purely savage existence. If you "keep it real", you embrace the savagery.
No, no, no. Keepin' it Real means doing will give you street-cred, man. You gots to, otherwise your boyz will be thinkin' you ain't all that. You be soft. Above all, you must stand up to the man and anyone else that might be disrespectin' you. And it isn't just a black thing.
I’ve always thought “Keepin’ it real” applied to idiots that refused to disassociate themselves from past stupid actions and lowlife acquaintances. Make millions of dollars, yet still engage in lower class activities like dogfighting? Hey, just keepin’ it real. Still hang out with junior high friends from the ghetto who just happen to sell crack? Just keepin’ it real.
On it face "Keepin' it real" means remembering where you came from -- not forgetting the people who knew you when you were a nothing, and not selling out and putting on air. Fine, as far as it goes.
But what it usually means in practice is that folks who manage to rise out of the ghetto feel a misguided obligation to retain ghetto values and patterns of behavior, and maintain ties to unsavory characters that drag you back down instead of pulling them and the community up.
So it means hanging out with thugs and gang-bangers. Instead of helping cousin Ray-Ray get a job where he has to show up on time and wear a tie, it means investing in his dogfighting business. It means Ray Lewis, Jayson Williams, Pacman Jones, and Michael Vick, among innumerable others, with all their millions, acting like nothing more than two-bit punks who now have a bigger budget.
It means, "I'm not gonna act like I'm white."
From urbandictionary.com (note... these are definitions submitted online, not unlike Wikipedia). Nevertheless, here 'tis:
1. Keepin it real
When staying true to your "roots"(i.e.,"Real") or your priorities or principles as a person and applying to a certain type of a event or Situation.
Example:
When Rodney was confronted by the police officer for speeding and driving recklessly,he had 2 choices. 1)Either get out of the vehicle and surrender to the police officers or 2)Confront the officers. He decided to "Keep it real" so he advances toward the officer, not knowing that the officers would tazer him and beat him to the ground. His actions leading up to the "LA Riots" Rodney is a perfect example of "Keepin it Real" but its also a good example of "When keepin it real goes wrong"
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(FR poster comment: Sooo... Rodney King refusing to surrender to the cops was just him "staying true to his roots"? Okay, I believe I see what the comments upthread meant about the destructiveness of this phrase. It's being used to cloak uncivilized and criminal behavior behind a "It's a black thing, you wouldn't understand..." excuse. I think.)
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2. Keepin it Real
n. keeping "the game" honest, whatever the game may be.
Wanda tried to maintain her composure when the man insulted her, but she decided to Keep it real
In common usage, it seems to be "behave like an inner-city gangsta thug"