Keep It Street
R. Kelly & Public Announcement Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What you going to do with this mix, man
Yo man
I'm just going to keep it street
Yo R. Kelly
It's time to give the homies
Something to dance to
Push up on one of those cute hotties
Yo, this is what we are going to do
I'm going to take this track
Whip us up one of those nice gorilla beats
Yeah, something like that
I'm going to tell you the real true story
About back in the day
When I was trying to get where I am
Right now
Whip us up a nice intro
It's 1990 and the R is on the scene
Yeah filling up a funky beat
Strictly for the streets
You know what I mean
It took some time
But here I am with a swing
Yo R. Kelly
Tell them what they told you
All we really need
Is a funky groove
With a street swing
With a little street swing
Something you can get with
Bam, here it is
Keepin' it street
[Chorus]
Let's keep it street
Let's keep it street
Let's keep it street
Let's keep it street
Yo bring that beat back
Yo back in the days
The girlies turned me down like collars
Yeah but now they're popping like
"Orville Redenbacher"
And now they wanna holler
That's when I decided to whip up a funky track
I took it door to door
And this is what they said
All we really need from you
Is a funky groove
With a street swing
With a little street swing
Something you can get with
Bam here it is
Keeping it street
[Chorus]
All we really need
Is a funky, funky groove
With a street swing
With a little street swing
Something you can get into
Bam here it is
Keeping is street
[Chorus]
In the song “Keep It Street” by R. Kelly and Public Announcement, R. Kelly is talking about how he and his band are going to keep the music authentic and gritty. When asked what he’s going to do with the mix, R. Kelly replies that he’s just going to keep it street. The song starts with a funky beat that R. Kelly says is for the streets – which means that it’s going to be something that people can dance to in the clubs. The lyrics also talk about back in the day when R. Kelly was trying to get where he is now, and how it took some time to get there, but now he’s here with a swing.
The chorus of the song keeps coming back to the idea that they want to keep it street. They want to create something that is raw, genuine, and true to their roots. R. Kelly sings about how the girlies used to turn him down like collars back in the day, but now they’re popping like Orville Redenbacher, which means they’re now attracted to his success. The song ends with R. Kelly saying, “All we really need is a funky, funky groove, with a street swing, with a little street swing, something you can get into. Bam, here it is, keeping it street.” The song is a nod to R. Kelly’s past struggles and how he’s overcome them to create music that is authentic and resonates with his fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo R. Kelly
Addressing the artist, R. Kelly
What you going to do with this mix, man
Asking R. Kelly his plans for this track
Yo man
Addressing R. Kelly again
I'm just going to keep it street
Stating that the track will stay true to the streets and its sound
Yo R. Kelly
Another address to R. Kelly
It's time to give the homies
Referring to the artist's peers and colleagues, it's time to create music for them
Something to dance to
Creating music that is fun and enjoyable
You know what I'm saying
Asking if R. Kelly understands
Push up on one of those cute hotties
Encouraging interaction with women
Yo, this is what we are going to do
Going back to explain the plan to R. Kelly
I'm going to take this track
Referring to the instrumental they have and what he will do with it
Whip us up one of those nice gorilla beats
R. Kelly will create a drum beat that is easy to dance along to
Yeah, something like that
Reaffirming the previous statement
I'm going to tell you the real true story
Explaining a personal narrative to the listener
About back in the day
Referring to a time in the past
When I was trying to get where I am
Talking about the journey he took to become successful
Right now
Referencing the present time
Whip us up a nice intro
Asking R. Kelly to create an introduction to the song
It's 1990 and the R is on the scene
Describing the beginning of the artist's career
Yeah filling up a funky beat
Creating a catchy and rhythmic instrumental
Strictly for the streets
Making music that reflects the sound of the community
You know what I mean
Checking if R. Kelly's understands
It took some time
The process of creating music takes time
But here I am with a swing
The hard work paid off to create something successful
Tell them what they told you
Referring to the feedback R. Kelly received
All we really need
Stating the basic requirement for good music
Is a funky groove
Emphasizing the importance of a catchy and rhythm-centered instrumental
With a street swing
The sound must be reflective of the community's music
With a little street swing
Re-stating the importance of the community's sound
Something you can get with
Creating music that listeners can connect with and enjoy
Bam, here it is
Presenting the finished product
Keeping it street
The track stays true to the sound of the streets and community
[Chorus]
Referencing the chorus
Let's keep it street
Stating that the sound and creativity must stay true to the community
Yo bring that beat back
Requesting the instrumental be played again
Back in the days
Returning to the past again
The girlies turned me down like collars
Referencing rejection faced in the past
Yeah but now they're popping like
Referencing the newfound success with women
"Orville Redenbacher"
Using a brand name to describe the popularity of the women
And now they wanna holler
Receiving attention from women
That's when I decided to whip up a funky track
Explaining the motivation to create good music
I took it door to door
Marketing and promoting the music by playing it for people
And this is what they said
Sharing feedback from the listeners
All we really need from you
Re-stating the basic requirements for good music
With a street swing
Emphasizing the importance of community sound
With a little street swing
Stressing community sound again
Something you can get with
Creating music that listeners can connect with and enjoy
Bam here it is
Presenting the finished product again
Keeping it street
Stress on staying true to the sound of the community
[Chorus]
Referencing the chorus again
All we really need
Stating the basic requirements for good music again
Is a funky, funky groove
Emphasizing the importance of the instrumental again
With a street swing
Stressing community sound again
With a little street swing
Emphasizing community sound again
Something you can get into
Creating music that listeners can connect with and enjoy
Bam here it is
Presenting the finished product again
Keeping is street
Staying true to the community's sound and creativity
[Chorus]
Referencing the chorus again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT S. KELLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind