In 1995, the group released their debut single "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless", charting on the Billboard Hot 100. The release landed them a record deal with Uptown Records. The group contributed a single to the Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood soundtrack, titled "Renee". The song became a major hit, breaking into the Top 40 on the Hot 100 chart. The single also reached Gold status in 1996. On June 4, 1996, they released their debut album Legal Drug Money. The work was highly acclaimed, and the album featured five Billboard Hot 100 hits, including their past singles "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless", "Renee", as well as "Music Makes Me High", "Jeeps, Lex Coups, Bimaz & Benz" and "Get Up". The album was certified Gold by the RIAA in late 1996. Their second album, Love, Peace & Nappiness, was released on June 17, 1997 on Uptown/Universal Records. It featured another Hot 100 hit single, "Me & My Crazy World". One of the most famous songs on the album was the posse-cut "Beasts From The East", featuring A+, Redman and Canibus. The album wasn't as acclaimed as their debut, but fared well commercially, reaching Gold status in late 1997.
Lost Boyz called it a day in '99. On the night of March 28, 1999, at a birthday party for Mr. Cheeks, Freaky Tah was shot in the head while exiting the Sheraton Hotel in Queens. Tah was taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:20 am, at the age of 27. The getaway driver, Raheem Fletcher, was sentenced to 7 years in prison for Manslaughter. In 2001, Kelvin Jones pleaded guilty to the murder. The three remaining group members finished their third album LB IV Life, released in September 1999. The effort fell short critically and commercially, failing to provide any Hot 100 hits, and failing to reach Gold status. The three split-up after the release, and lead MC Mr. Cheeks began a solo career. He released his first solo effort John P. Kelly in 2001, which featured the smash hit "Lights, Camera, Action!". The album also featured a heartfelt tribute song to Freaky Tah, titled "Till We Meet Again", featuring Bob Marley's son Stephen. Cheeks released another album in 2003, titled Back Again!, then followed in 2004 with Ladies & Ghettomen. On January 16, 2004, DJ Spigg Nice was tried and convicted of multiple bank robberies in New Jersey and was sentenced to 37 years in prison. The group released a compilation album Lost Boyz Forever in 2005, featuring past hits and previously unreleased material.
Keep It Real
Lost Boyz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With mans on linden and devane we drinking ghetto champagne
Slinging rocks and packing glocks on the blocks
It's early in the morning I'm selling tumbs from my reeboks
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
Where niggas sling rocks bust shots and push yeahyo
Every man is insane he's got a brain like norman bates
Timberland boots ski hats we pack gats
Carry across town because we tapping niggas 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
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
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
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 wanna 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.....
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
The opening lines of Keep It Real highlight the rapper's past and how he started in the game with a group of men in a particular area: Linden and Devane. They lived that street life in which they slung rocks and did whatever they could to make money. It's a life that the rapper knows all too well and the only one that he's known. He describes the bootstrapping nature of his experience, often this is through selling weed and other substances: "I'm selling thums from my reeboks." The struggles of being in poverty and the difficult choices one makes to survive are described, such as kids having kids, youngsters selling crack, and people drinking ghetto champagne.
The chorus of the song challenges listeners to "keep it real," presumably meaning to stay true to oneself and one's specific experiences. The song ends on a similar note, with lines that express how he may not be around for much longer, but the rapper shares that he was taught to be strong and strive in his upbringing, which is something that he keeps with him. Thus, the overall theme of the song seems to be about adversity and hardship that come with inner-city living, but the struggle and determination to overcome the issues often presented in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo believe I paid the dues man I started in the game
I have been through a lot and I have paid my dues to make it in this neighborhood.
With mans on linden and devane we drinking ghetto champagne
I used to hang out with people in the neighborhood and we would celebrate with ghetto champagne.
Slinging rocks and packing glocks on the blocks
I used to sell drugs and carry guns to protect myself while hanging out in the neighborhood.
It's early in the morning I'm selling tumbs from my reeboks
I used to sell drugs early in the morning out of my Reebok shoes.
Tres nicks and dimes I write rhymes
I used to make money selling drugs in small amounts but I also started to write rap lyrics.
But the ghetto times they got the cheeks doing crimes
Living in the ghetto causes some people to turn to a life of crime.
The street life yeah that's the only life I know
I have grown up in the streets and it's the only life I know.
Where niggas sling rocks bust shots and push yeahyo
The streets are full of people selling drugs, shooting guns, and pushing each other around.
Sit on crates keep their backs against gates
People in the streets often sit on crates and lean against gates.
Every man is insane he's got a brain like norman bates
Everyone in the streets is a little bit crazy and has a mind like Norman Bates from Psycho.
Timberland boots ski hats we pack gats
We wear Timberland boots, ski hats, and carry guns.
Carry across town because we tapping niggas hoodrats
We carry guns as we move around town, tapping people who are involved in selling drugs.
But they don't want the fam
Some people are not interested in being part of our group of friends.
See a south side jamaica queen fellas get down man
In South Side Jamaica Queens, people are tough and always ready to fight.
Listen so what your crew is x-rated
I don't care if your group is considered explicit or offensive.
Peoples if you violate you getting violated
If you try to mess with us, we will retaliate.
I had a messed up childhood the head is mad nappy
I had a difficult childhood and my hair is not well-kept.
I need money in a snap gee kid I'm trying to blow like papi
I need money quickly and I'm trying to become successful like my dad.
Fat cat the street life is where it's at
Being a successful drug dealer in the streets is where it's at.
Peeling caps so yo we got to stay strapped
We need to stay armed and ready to shoot at any time.
Terrified cause the crew from the south side is bustin
I'm scared of the tough guys from South Side Jamaica Queens who are always ready to start a fight.
I keep my hear in braids taliq got dreads
I wear my hair in braids and my friend Taliq wears his hair in dreadlocks.
Hangin out in the reds wearing levis and pro-keds
We hang out in the neighborhood, wearing Levi's jeans and Pro-Keds shoes.
Pouring beer on the curb for the dead
We pour out beer on the street as a symbol of respect for those who have died.
I had to bring drama to some powder head
I had to create a difficult situation for someone involved in drug use.
(Freaky TAH) hey yo cut the music down
Hey, someone please lower the volume on the music.
Yo half the world thought the album failed in this 94 and its on..
Many people thought our album was a failure in 1994, but we're still here and still producing music.
I'm smoking weed in 96' with my peeps
In 1996, I'm still smoking weed with my friends.
Jetting from the police cause police they'se a bunch of creeps
I'm running away from the police, who I consider to be creepy.
I'm testing off the new burners in the park
I am trying out new guns in the park.
We sleep during the day and creep when it's dark
We sleep during the day and only come out at night to be stealthy.
I once had to cry when I seen Tyrone die
I was brought to tears when I witnessed someone named Tyrone die.
This black on black crime I cram to understand why
I'm struggling to understand why there is so much violence between African American people.
Baby girls having kids in their teens
Young women are having babies when they are still teenagers.
Young fellows baggy jeans slinging crack to the crack fiends
Young men are selling drugs to people who are addicted to crack cocaine, while wearing baggy jeans.
That's the type of lifestyle that I lead
This is the type of life I'm living and I relate to this type of experience.
With my fams on the corner drinking beers and smoking weed
I hang out with my friends on the street corner, drinking beer and smoking weed.
Yo believe I been through all the struggles and the pain
I have been through all the difficult experiences and emotional pain of living in the streets.
I'm ripping out my hairs and I can't get to my brain
I'm going through a lot and feeling really stressed out.
I want the gold teeth and chains
I want to display my wealth by wearing gold jewelry.
I hustle with timberland boots and rainsuits when it rains.
I make money by selling drugs and wear appropriate clothing to be comfortable in all weather conditions.
Fools make your moves pay dues
If you're foolish, you'll pay the consequences for your actions.
Give up your cheese you loose my baby boy need shoes
If you give up all your money, you will lose and my child won't have shoes.
Stepping to the CHEEKS you made an error
If you try to mess with our group of friends, you will regret it.
You been to the 'house of pain' now welcome to my yard of terror
If you have experienced a lot of pain before, then you should be prepared for even more scary experiences with us.
What you think I'm some sucka
Don't underestimate me or think that I'm weak or gullible.
Word to him I stomp you out with my tim chukkas
I will kick you hard while wearing my Timberland Chukka boots.
Who who you stepping to the lost boy crew
Who do you think you're messing with? We're the Lost Boyz crew!
Boy get stomped that ass is through
If you're a boy and you mess with us, we'll beat you up and you'll be done for.
See we live the street life
We are immersed in the street life of the neighborhood.
Smoking blunts with the wife stay on point like a ....
I smoke marijuana cigarettes with my girlfriend and we always stay alert and ready for anything.
Every day on rockaway is getting hotta
It's getting hotter every day on Rockaway Avenue, where we live.
I can't do what a wanna I do what I gotta
I can't do everything I want to do, but I do what I have to in order to survive.
Survive I might not be around in 95
It's possible that I won't even survive until 1995.
See I was taught young to be strong and just strive
I was taught from a young age to be strong and to work hard in order to achieve my goals.
So nowadays we packing guns
These days, we always carry guns with us.
We racking grimy hills for funds and I stash all my sons mons
We are making money by getting involved in shady business deals, and I save all the profits for my son's expenses.
A little man to look after
I have a small child who depends on me to take care of them.
Taking rap as a joke but I see no laughter
Although some people view rap music as a joke or a joke, I don't find it funny at all.
To man Charles Suitte and big tig in Atlanta and Va.....
Shoutout to my friends Charles Suitte and Big Tig in Atlanta and Virginia.
Lyrics © BEHIND THE ROPES ENTERTAINMENT, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BARRY WHITE, SMEAD HUDMAN, TERRANCE COCHEEKS KELLY, LAMONT COLEMAN, DEXTER A. ARCHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind