Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better … Read Full Bio ↴Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois), better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is a Grammy award winning American R&B singer-songwriter, rapper, actor and record producer. Debuting in 1991 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly went solo in 1993, starting off a successful career with the release of the album 12 Play. He has since released a further nine studio albums, collaborated with Jay-Z on two albums and has had many successful singles including Bump N' Grind, I Believe I Can Fly, Ignition, The World's Greatest and the hip-hopera Trapped in the Closet.

Kelly has also produced and performed in many tracks by other R&B and hip-hop artists. In 1994, Kelly produced and wrote the debut album of R&B singer Aaliyah and in 1995, Kelly co-produced and wrote the song "You Are Not Alone" for Michael Jackson, which was included on Jackson's album, HIStory. Kelly has sung the hooks for many notable hip-hop songs, such as "Fuckin' You Tonight" by The Notorious B.I.G., "We Thuggin'" by Fat Joe, "Gigolo" by Nick Cannon, and "Go Getta" by Young Jeezy, and has collaborated for two albums with Jay-Z.

Let's Be Real Now
R. Kelly Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know if I'ma be able to
Give you what you want

No disrespect to the things that you want but girl you fuckin' crazy
Got me working this overtime shift lovin' you but you don't even pay me
And now you wanna blame me
Say it's my fault for your heartache and pain, shit
You created this storm, so don't try to run, baby here come the rain

Tell me how can I trust you when you're still in contact with all of these guys
Do you really think I'ma come home and lay in your bed full of lies

You're just an actress, and this love is a scene
But you expect me to show up with a ring
Come on

Let's be real now
Let's be real now
Come on, come on, come on
Let's be real now
What do I look like to you, seriously?
Come on, let's be real

No disrespect to the time that we spent but boy you must be trippin'
You expect me to post up at home for you, but now the tables are flippin'
And now you wanna blame me, cause everyone else realized what they was missin'
I bet you feel dumb now, bet you feel so dumb right now
It's hardly a secret, you fucked with my head
Had me believe it was all because I did it for love
And that was enough
When really you put in no effort instead

You're just an actor and this love is a scene
Damn I just wish you would say what you mean
Come on

Let's be real now
Let's be real now
Come on, come on, come on
Let's be real now
(Real now, real now, oh)
What do I look like to you, seriously?
Come on now let's be real
(Let's be real)

There ain't nothin' that I won't do
From jumping off buildings, moving the mountains
Swim the sea for you
Whatever you want babe, I'll do it
You just name it babe, I'll do it
Anything you ask, I'll do it
See that smiling face
There ain't nothin' I won't do for you
Ride or die, I'd take one for you
Any and everything except your fool

Let's be real now
(Girl let's be real)
Let's be real now
(Baby come on)
Come on, come on, come on
Let's be real now
(Real now, real now, oh)
What do I look like to you, seriously?
Come on, let's be real
(Now let's just keep it 100 baby)
Let's be real now
Come on, come on, come one
Let's be real now

(Real now, real now, oh)
What do I look like to you, seriously?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to R. Kelly and Tinashe's Let's Be Real Now explore the idea of two people in a relationship who are unsure about their future together. The song opens with the admission that the singer is unsure if they will be able to provide what their partner wants, and that the partner's priorities are a bit skewed. The partner, according to the singer, is "fucking crazy" and "created this storm" they are currently in. The singer questions their trust in their partner, dreading coming home to "a bed full of lies."

The second verse flips the script, with the partner calling out the singer for their own shortcomings and believing they are "trippin'." The partner admits to feeling "dumb" after realizing they were just a pawn in the singer's game of using love as an excuse for bad behavior. The chorus is a call for honesty and reality within the relationship, with both parties being asked to be truthful about their feelings and intentions.

Overall, the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of being in a relationship with someone who is deceptive, manipulative, or simply not a good fit. The lyrics ask both parties to take a step back and examine their motives and expectations, in order to move forward in a more honest and healthy way.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know if I'ma be able to
I am unsure if I can provide what you desire

Give you what you want
fulfill your wishes

No disrespect to the things that you want but girl you fuckin' crazy
I mean no offense, but your desires are unrealistic

Got me working this overtime shift lovin' you but you don't even pay me
I am devoting extra energy to our relationship, but you're not reciprocating

And now you wanna blame me
you're pointing fingers at me now

Say it's my fault for your heartache and pain, shit
you're blaming me for your emotional distress

You created this storm, so don't try to run, baby here come the rain
you caused this chaos, don't try to escape it

Tell me how can I trust you when you're still in contact with all of these guys
I have trust issues with you because you're still in contact with past lovers

Do you really think I'ma come home and lay in your bed full of lies
I am not going to accept your deceit and dishonesty

You're just an actress, and this love is a scene
you're faking our relationship

But you expect me to show up with a ring
yet you expect me to propose

No disrespect to the time that we spent but boy you must be trippin'
I mean no offense, but you're delusional

You expect me to post up at home for you, but now the tables are flippin'
you wanted me to settle down for you, but now the roles are reversed

Cause everyone else realized what they was missin'
everyone else saw what they were missing and moved on

I bet you feel dumb now, bet you feel so dumb right now
I'm sure you regret your decisions now

It's hardly a secret, you fucked with my head
you messed with my mind, and it's no secret

Had me believe it was all because I did it for love
you made me believe that my actions were motivated by love

And that was enough
you made it seem like love was all that mattered

When really you put in no effort instead
when in reality, you didn't put in any effort

You're just an actor and this love is a scene
you're acting in our relationship

Damn I just wish you would say what you mean
I wish you would be truthful with me

There ain't nothin' that I won't do
I am willing to do anything

From jumping off buildings, moving the mountains
even extreme feats won't stop me

Swim the sea for you
I would swim across the sea for you

Whatever you want babe, I'll do it
I'll do anything you desire

You just name it babe, I'll do it
tell me your wish, and I'll make it happen

Anything you ask, I'll do it
I'll fulfill all your requests

See that smiling face
your happiness is my ultimate goal

Ride or die, I'd take one for you
I am devoted to you, even to the point of risking my life

Any and everything except your fool
however, I won't be your fool

Now let's just keep it 100 baby
let's be honest with each other

Come on, come on, come on
encouraging the other person to be truthful

Let's be real now
let's be honest now

(Real now, real now, oh)
reiterating the desire for honesty

What do I look like to you, seriously?
what kind of person do you think I am?

(Let's be real)
let's be truthful

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOSHUA COLEMAN, MAGNUS AUGUST HOIBERG, R KELLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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