“Keeping it real” is considered to be one of rap’s mantras and reflects the musical genre’s longstanding and complex relation with authenticity. The authenticity of rap artists – or “realness”, to put it into rap and street vernacular – tends to hinge on whether rappers (still) have a connection to the streets. In this blog post, Robby Roks reflects on the recent controversy surrounding Brooklyn rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine to explore the performativity of street credibility, and the intertwinement of rap music, the streets, gangs, violence, and law enforcement agencies.