A fork of Rural Dictionary
Not only tell the truth, but specifically get to the point of the actual matter at hand, rather than beating around the bush.
He said he went to the store, but he didn't keep it real to tell me he also went to the strip club later on.
A term used to define the "realocity" of an individual. Often used to describe how "tough" or "ganga-skilled" one is.
Example: Shanequa:I been sleepin' wit yo man, beyotch! *insert two finger snaps for good measure* Ranaenae:Oh no you did not! Shanequa:Oh yes I did, bitch! Whatchu gonna do about it? Ranaenae:I gonna keep it real, you chickenhead. *insert some low-class rap and a "pimped out" low rider.* ---===15 minutes later===--- Ranaenae shows up at Shanequa's abode in her worn out Cutlass Supreme carring a wooden baseball bat and a half-empty carton of eggs. First, she smashes out the front window of Shanequa's car, and proceeds to cake both the car and house with the eggs. Moments later, police arive on the scene to find Ranaenae scrawling something on Shanequa's house with black spraypaint. The then arrest her, throw her in their cruiser, and take her down to the police station. Ranaenae then claims police brutality and is released, so as promote good relations with the public.
To not any shit from anybody, if they wanna mess then you mess, To keep it real is to do shit that you know will fuck you over later but you do it anyway becuase you know, you got to keep it real
Johnny: "i dunno if i wanna do this, there are people in there" Andre: "Shut the FUCK up bitch, We keep it real!!!, Now light that shit on fire"
Keep it unreal, virtual (shortened to keep it short).
"You say keep it real, but mean the last gasp of reality before it goes six deep, like the last bubbles bursting from a drowning man. It no longer matters whether "real" really means real or phony, or virtual, or normal as usual or any old shit. Reality doesn't need to be kept, thank you, and, in case you haven't noticed, it can't be gotten rid of in the first (or last) place. Reality, good, bad or indifferent, is all there is. You either take it or it takes you. If you leave it, you're dead, which is real for keeps." from Jean-Marie Clarke, Urban Myths Die the Hardest, Ballymore, Ire. 2006.
When someone does not change who they are or what they believe due to societal pressures. Especially true with regards to someone who has attained some financial success but does not change their behavior. Alternatively, may relate to someone who maintains connections to their ethnic background in a multicultural environment.
Example 1: I criticized Netanyahu in front of my Jewish boss. I was keepin' it real. Example 2: At work, I might wear a suit and tie, but if I come in on weekends, I keep it real with baggy jeans and a hoodie. Example 3: Who the fuck pays $50 for a cab from the airport? I keep it real and just take the bus. Example 4: Some gora was complaining about the smell of my dal in the microwave. But I keep it real and eat the same shit I eat at home.
Not being fake or influenced. Being true to yourself and your values, but more importantly, being true to innate values that all people acknowledge as respectable. Not frontin, or inhibiting yourself or pretending to be something your not; but also not following dominant values that should not be acceptable. Honesty, doing the right thing, genuineness, fairness and reasonability are generally aspects of keeping it real. Gandhi kept it real because even though his acts were controversial or illegal, they were never harmful and society now knows he was doing the right thing. Also used in a more jocular way to explain an individual's behavior that they may have thought was the right thing to do out of stubbornness or disregard for others, but it wasn't really keeping it real because the social concensus is that it is not.
- Matt respects everybody, he is genuinely nice to friends and strangers and does not seek out conflict with people or put them down. He is keeping it real. - Joe stands up against bullies at his school and defends kids who are getting made fun of, even though he is quite popular and doesn't hang out with those kids. He is keeping it real. - Ashley skipped Friday night partying with her friends to stay at home and watch movies with her sister who just broke up with a boyfriend. Ashley is keeping it real. - Josh just isn't a very smart person, but he puts effort into doing the best he can. He is keeping it real. Alternative example: Latoya: Tanisha why did you call me out for buying my shoes at Walmart in front of everybody. Tanisha: I'm just keeping it real, why does it matter where you buy your shoes? Latoya: Girl you are not keeping it real, I know it doesn't matter where I buy my shoes but people still might make fun of me for it. It's really just none of their business.