Keeping It Real: Tell Me, What’s Your Life Like?
With noted exceptions, such as lyricist Kool G Rap, M.O.P. (lyricists Lil’ Fame and Billy Danze), Geto Boys (lyricists Scarface, Willie D, and the late Bushwick Bill), lyricist Freddie Foxxx, and some others, I don’t believe that many hip hop artists practice authenticity.
For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines authenticity as “in existentialism, a mode of being that humans can achieve by accepting the burden of freedom, choice, and responsibility and the need to construct their own values and meanings in a meaningless universe.”
In common parlance, authenticity is defined as the quality of being authentic—not false or imitation. Concerning rap, one who favors authenticity is said to be keeping it real. Further describing this term, one source states:
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 you’re 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 consensus is that it is not.
That aspirational description of keeping it real is a little too moralistic for my subjective view, though you may find it useful. Personally, regarding the hip hop meaning of this phrase, keeping it real simply regards authenticity—irrespective of one’s (or society’s) view of right or wrong.
Given this framing of the matter, I appreciated when lyricist (to whom I’ve mistakenly referred as a rapper) Beanie Sigel released his debut studio album, The Truth (2000). It contained the track “What Your Life Like”, produced by Robert ‘Shim’ Kirkland, as the chorus stated:
Tell me what your life like
Shit, mines is real
Everything signed is sealed
Tell me what your life like
Nigga, mines is real
Everything signed is sealed
Tell me what your life like
Shit, mines is real
Everything signed is sealed
Tell me what your life like
Nigga, mines is real
Everything signed is sealed
As I discussed in a blogpost entitled Matching Bracelets, I was detained in the Naval Consolidated Brig, Miramar from June 13, 2002 to June 18, 2002, and then again from September 30, 2002 to October 23, 2002. It was an undesirable experience.
Still, I meditated on the chorus of Sigel’s song. That helped me to keep in mind who I was, what I was doing, and why I conducted myself as I did. Now, I approach my personal and professional practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in much the same way.
Noteworthy, the APA further defines authenticity as “in psychotherapy and counseling, genuineness and caring demonstrated by the therapist or counselor through a down-to-earth attitude that the client senses to be a reflection of the true person and not simply of a professional acting in their professional role.”
Tell me, what’s your life like? Mine is real. Thus, I’ll be keeping it real if we work together while I provide care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Still, if you prefer a plastic therapist, then there are plenty of other clinicians from which to choose!
If you’re looking for an authentic provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost hip hop-influenced REBT psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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