One of New York's premier hip-hop artists on the turntables, DJ Hurricane fostered his skills alongside Run D.M.C. in the Hollis, Queens area of New York City before eventually hooking up with the Beastie Boys, where he made a name for himself as the group's DJ before going on to release his own albums. Hurricane began rhyming at the age of 11, during hip-hop's infancy, eventually forming a group called the Solo Sounds and later the Afros. While serving as one of Run D.M.C.'s body guards on the 1986 Raising Hell tour, he became friends with the Beastie Boys, who were the tour's opening act. It wasn't long before the Beasties offered Hurricane an opportunity to be their exclusive DJ. As the Beasties rose to fame with each successive album in the 1990s, Hurricane simultaneously reveled in the spotlight, releasing his first solo album in 1995 on Grand Royal, titled The Hurra (guest artists include the Beastie Boys, MC Breed, and Sen Dog).
Keep It Real
DJ Hurricane Lyrics
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With mans on linden and Devan we drinking ghetto champagne
Slinging rocks and packing glock's on the blocks
It's early in the morning I'm selling tumbs from my Reebok
Tres nicks and dimes I write rhymes
But the ghetto times they got the cheeks doing crimes
The street life yeah that's the only life I know
Sit on crates keep their backs against gates
Every man is insane he's got a brain like Norman bates
Timberland boots ski hats we pack gat's
Carry across town because we tapping Niggers Hoodrats
But they don't want the fam
See a south side Jamaica queen fellas get down man
Listen so what your crew is x-rated
Peoples if you violate you getting violated
[Chorus]
Come on and keep it real; this is saying
that the lost boy and group home fam want it all what would you do
And if you feel that you'se a real soldier from the street
throw your hand in the air we salute you
Bounce it up town bounce it down south
Bounce bounce it up town bounce it down south
I had a messed up childhood the head is mad nappy
I need money in a snap gee kid I'm trying to blow like papi
Fat cat the street life is where it's at
Peeling caps so yo we got to stay strapped
Terrified cause the crew from the south side is bustin
No question
I keep my hear in braids taliq got dreads
Hangin out in the reds wearing levis and pro-keds
Pouring beer on the curb for the dead
I had to bring drama to some powder head
(Freaky TAH) hey yo cut the music down
Yo half the world thought the album failed in this 94 and its on..
I'm smoking weed in 96' with my peeps
Jetting from the police cause police they'se a bunch of creeps
I'm testing off the new burners in the park
We sleep during the day and creep when it's dark
I once had to cry when I seen Tyrone die
This black on black crime I cram to understand why
Baby girls having kids in their teens
Young fellows baggy jeans slinging crack to the crack fiends
That's the type of lifestyle that I lead
With my fams on the corner drinking beers and smoking weed
Yo believe I been through all the struggles and the pain
I'm ripping out my hairs and I can't get to my brain
I want the gold teeth and chains
I hustle with timberland boots and rainsuits when it rains.
Fools make your moves pay dues
Give up your cheese you loose my baby boy need shoes
Stepping to the CHEEKS you made an error
You been to the ?house of pain? now welcome to my yard of terror
What you think I'm some sucka
Word to him I stomp you out with my tim chukkas
Who who you stepping to the lost boy crew
Boy get stomped that ass is through
[Chorus]
See we live the street life
Smoking blunts with the wife stay on point like a ....
Every day on rockaway is getting hotta
I can't do what a want to I do what I gotta
Survive I might not be around in 95
See I was taught young to be strong and just strive
So nowadays we packing guns
We racking grimy hills for funds and I stash all my sons mons
A little man to look after
Taking rap as a joke but I see no laughter
To man Charles Suitte and big tig in Atlanta and Va.....
[Chorus]
In DJ Hurricane's song Keep It Real, the lyrics describe the rapper's experiences growing up in the streets and the struggles he faced while trying to make a name for himself in the music industry. The song highlights the violent nature of inner city life and how it can shape a person's perspective on the world around them. The rapper talks about how he started selling drugs and carrying a gun at a young age, and how he began writing rhymes as a way to express himself and escape his troubled surroundings. The chorus of the song urges the listener to "keep it real" and stay true to themselves, despite the obstacles that may come their way.
The lyrics in "Keep It Real" are raw and unapologetic, providing a glimpse into the harsh reality faced by many inner city youth. The song is a reflection of the struggles and hardships that DJ Hurricane has faced, and his determination to overcome them. The use of slang and street language in the lyrics help to create a sense of authenticity and honesty, allowing the listener to connect with the rapper and his message on a deeper level.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo believe I paid the dues man I started in the game
I have earned my place in the music industry through hard work and starting from the bottom.
With mans on linden and Devan we drinking ghetto champagne
I used to drink cheap champagne with my friends in the rough neighborhoods of Linden and Devan.
Slinging rocks and packing glock's on the blocks
I used to sell drugs and carry guns on the streets.
It's early in the morning I'm selling tumbs from my Reebok
I used to sell drugs even in the early morning, hiding them in my Reebok shoes.
Tres nicks and dimes I write rhymes
I used to sell drugs in small amounts (three nickels and dimes), but also write music.
But the ghetto times they got the cheeks doing crimes
Growing up in the ghetto makes people desperate and turn to crime to survive.
The street life yeah that's the only life I know
I grew up in the streets and that's all I know.
Where niggas sling rocks bust shots and push yeah yo
The street life involves selling drugs, shooting guns, and hustling for money.
Sit on crates keep their backs against gates
People in the ghetto use crates as chairs and lean against gates for comfort.
Every man is insane he's got a brain like Norman bates
In the ghetto, every man is crazy and unpredictable like the fictional character Norman Bates.
Timberland boots ski hats we pack gat's
We wear Timberland boots and ski hats while carrying guns.
Carry across town because we tapping Niggers Hoodrats
We carry guns wherever we go because we have to deal with dangerous people (Niggers and Hoodrats).
But they don't want the fam
Our enemies don't want us to succeed.
See a south side Jamaica queen fellas get down man
In South Jamaica, New York, people are not afraid to fight.
Listen so what your crew is x-rated
I don't care if your crew is explicit or profane.
Peoples if you violate you getting violated
If you cross me or my crew, expect retaliation.
Come on and keep it real; this is saying
Let's be honest with ourselves and others.
that the lost boy and group home fam want it all what would you do
We, the Lost Boy and Group Home fam, want success and are willing to do whatever it takes.
And if you feel that you'se a real soldier from the street
If you consider yourself a true street hustler,
throw your hand in the air we salute you
Raise your hand in pride for your street smarts and hustle.
Bounce it up town bounce it down south
Move to the music, whether you're uptown or downtown.
I had a messed up childhood the head is mad nappy
I had a difficult childhood and my hair is unmanageable.
I need money in a snap gee kid I'm trying to blow like papi
I need money quickly because I want to become successful like other rappers.
Fat cat the street life is where it's at
The best way to make money is through life on the streets.
Peeling caps so yo we got to stay strapped
We have to carry guns to protect ourselves from being shot.
Terrified cause the crew from the south side is bustin
I'm scared because the people from the Southside are violent and could attack us.
No question I keep my hear in braids taliq got dreads
I wear my hair in braids and my friend Taliq has dreadlocks.
Hangin out in the reds wearing levis and pro-keds
We hang out in the projects, wearing Levi's jeans and Pro-Keds shoes.
Pouring beer on the curb for the dead
We pour beer on the curb in memory of those who have died.
I had to bring drama to some powder head
I had to cause trouble for someone who was addicted to cocaine.
(Freaky TAH) hey yo cut the music down
Freaky TAH asks for the music to be turned down.
Yo half the world thought the album failed in this 94 and its on..
Despite other people thinking our album failed in 1994, we are still making music.
I'm smoking weed in 96' with my peeps
I'm hanging out with my friends in 1996, smoking marijuana.
Jetting from the police cause police they'se a bunch of creeps
We run away from the police because we don't trust them.
I'm testing off the new burners in the park
I'm trying out my new guns in the park.
We sleep during the day and creep when it's dark
We sleep during the day and do illegal activities at night.
I once had to cry when I seen Tyrone die
I cried when I saw someone named Tyrone get killed.
This black on black crime I cram to understand why
I cannot understand why there is so much violence between black people.
Baby girls having kids in their teens
Young girls are getting pregnant in their teenage years.
Young fellows baggy jeans slinging crack to the crack fiends
Young men wear baggy jeans and sell drugs to drug addicts.
That's the type of lifestyle that I lead
That is the type of lifestyle I grew up with.
With my fams on the corner drinking beers and smoking weed
I hang out with my family on the street corner, drinking beer and smoking marijuana.
Yo believe I been through all the struggles and the pain
I have experienced all the hardships and challenges of the street life.
I'm ripping out my hairs and I can't get to my brain
I am so stressed that I feel like pulling my hair out.
I want the gold teeth and chains
I desire gold teeth and chains as a symbol of success.
I hustle with timberland boots and rainsuits when it rains.
I wear Timberland boots and a rain suit when I have to hustle in bad weather.
Fools make your moves pay dues
If you want to succeed, you have to work hard and make sacrifices.
Give up your cheese you loose my baby boy need shoes
If you lose all your money, you fail to provide for your family's needs like buying shoes for your child.
Stepping to the CHEEKS you made an error
If you try to fight us, you are making a mistake.
You been to the ?house of pain? now welcome to my yard of terror
If you have experienced violence before, get ready to be even more frightened.
What you think I'm some sucka
Don't underestimate me.
Word to him I stomp you out with my tim chukkas
I will beat you up wearing my Timberland chukka boots.
Who who you stepping to the lost boy crew
Who do you think you're crossing? The Lost Boy crew.
Boy get stomped that ass is through
You will get beat up and it'll be over for you.
See we live the street life
We live and embrace the street life.
Smoking blunts with the wife stay on point like a ....
I'm smoking marijuana with my wife and staying alert like a soldier.
Every day on rockaway is getting hotta
The streets of Rockaway, New York are getting more dangerous every day.
I can't do what a want to I do what I gotta
I can't always do what I want to do, but instead have to do what I need to do to survive.
Survive I might not be around in 95
I might not survive past 1995.
See I was taught young to be strong and just strive
I learned at a young age to be strong and push for success.
So nowadays we packing guns
Nowadays, we carry guns for self-protection.
We racking grimy hills for funds and I stash all my sons mons
We find money in dirty places to make ends meet and I save the money for my sons.
A little man to look after
I have a son to take care of.
Taking rap as a joke but I see no laughter
I don't find rap amusing, I take it seriously.
To man Charles Suitte and big tig in Atlanta and Va.....
I want to give shoutouts to my friends in Charles Suitte, Atlanta, and Virginia.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COURTNEY FITZGERALD PINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind