narrator) black men. very much like myself.
some not.
black men whose voices are muted,
swept under the carpet,
silenced by secrecy.
the dl man blurs the lines
between an otherwise supposed clear distinction
between gay and straight,
normal and abnormal,
moral and immoral...
like a child joining two bloodlines.
one dirty and one clean.
black men caught somewhere
in between a definition and a designation.
living in a gray area.
living on the down low.
- .. to sing my life - .. sing my life, sing my life ..
.. sing my life, sing my life ..
narrator) stereotype:
a formulaic
and oversimplified conception,
opinion, or image.
one that is regarded
as embodying, or conforming
to a set image or type.
that of the black man:
powerful, angry, criminal.
sexual predator.
juxtapose to that of the gay man.
distrustful, obscene,
sexually promiscuous.
now...into the down low.
both black and gay.
both misunderstood and feared.
well, howīd he get my phone number, then?
but how much is fact?
go home, boo. and how much is fiction?
take your little garbage bag
and go back home to your momma house,
because youīre not coming back up in here.
l told you to go back to your momma house with your little bit of shit.
why are you so fucking angry?
y ou got all these bitches calling my house.
man, l ainīt got no bitches--
all hours of the night.
why you trippinī?
l told you to leave!
hear me out, keisha. hear me out.
what the fuck l need to hear?
l heard it all. līm tired of it.
l aintī done nothing. l didnīt do shit.
why you tripping?
whatever.
meet boo.
keisha!
fuck you, boo.
keisha, come on, man, open the door!
keisha, l love you, girl.
ltīs me and you, girl.
l tore that shit up, right?
laughing)
y ou know we gotta keep this shit on the low, okay?
okay.
l tore that shit up, right?
y ou ought to keep this on the low, though, aight?
y o, keisha was by here looking for you.
y ou got kicked out again?
what she say?
she asked where you was at.
what you tell her?
l donīt know where the fuck you be at.
what up, d?
what up, boo?
give me a square.
man, get your own squares.
lf you donīt give me a square,
līm gonna fuck your little ass up.
bitch ass.
look at that faggot jesse.
jesse) hey.
hey, little tony.
hey, boo.
jesse) y ou got a square?
no.
shit. l need a square.
just got to suck on something, donīt you?
anyways...youīre looking good, boo.
l ainīt seen you around here in a while. where you been?
why you all up in this manīs business?
ainīt nobody talking to you, deron.
get on my nerves.
hey man, take your faggot ass home.
donīt you got some dicks to suck?
fuck yīall.
wish you could.
y ou wish you could have this tight ass,
but you canīt touch this.
man, get your alds-infected ass away from here.
l know you and kyle ainīt talking about nobody
but yīall dirty dicks.
y eah, thatīs right, l heard.
thatīs so sad.
canīt stand fags.
two rusty-legged ass niggas in the bed together?
y eah, thatīs why alds and shit is everywhere.
pager beeping)
damn.
who dat?
lisa.
- gotta take her ass to the clinic. - again?
l will never use protection, do yīall?
man, sheīs supposed to be on the motherfucking pill, man.
man, you know these bitches be trying to trip a nigga up.
fuck that.
shit ainīt mine anyway.
ainīt never yours, is it?
now come on, carl, letīs go, līm out.
all right.
boo, tell the truth.
y ou ever sucked a dick when you was locked up?
homosexuals cannot produce children.
theyīre not a family,
and so weīre about as blunt as they are.
and to demonstrate, l will show you.
two male ends, and thereīs nothing going on there.
lt doesnīt work.
when you have a female and a male, then it works.
boo) hey, mama.
hey, baby.
man on tv) and unfortunately,
if you want to have a family--
now donīt you be making no dishes after l done washed them.
līll wash them up.
do you see all these gay people on tv?
he was a little bit scared of the cartoon characters.
man on the news trying to get married.
lord, thatīs a doggone shame.
the world has gotten so corrupt.
but when jesus come back,
they all gonna have to give an accounting.
mama, you ainīt got nothing to eat in here?
did you buy something to eat?
ah, thereīs a little collard greens in there.
some leftover chicken.
l donīt want soul food.
l could eat some cereal.
why you ainīt over at keishaīs?
she done put you out again.
the gas donīt work?
did you pay the gas bill?
damn.
hey, you, watch your mouth.
she done put you out again, huh?
boo, when you gonna settle down?
y ou need to find you a nice girl and just settle down,
because you getting too old for all this running around and stuff.
all these diseases out here.
all right?
y ou young people, yīall ainīt scared of nothing,
but you better be praying.
ma, keisha gonna let me back in.
y ou know, she just be tripping.
hmm.
y ou know, you just hard-headed.
y ou gonna do what you want to do,
īcause you grown, huh?
ah, look at there, look at that.
y es, we have two sons, caleb and alfred.
caleb is 8 years old, alfred is 6.
mama) lord, have mercy on his soul.
now, a man ainīt supposed to be laying with no other man.
lord, l tell you, it ainīt right, all this gay stuff.
why donīt they just keep it to themselves?
l ainīt gay.
l mean, ainīt nobody fucking me.
ainīt no man going in my ass.
līll let you suck my dick.
līll fuck you, but you ainīt fucking me,
ltīs like being with a chick.
a bitch can suck my dick.
and līll fuck her.
but she canīt bang me.
thatīs the way that shit was in the pen.
l ainīt buying no shit like that.
y ou just let him get my nut off.
right.
man, a man ainīt meant to be with just one woman.
back in the days in africa and shit,
a man got as much pussy as he wanted to,
and werenīt nobody tripping.
when we laid the dick,
they had shit to say but īīy es, sir.īī
nowadays, bitches be complaining
about a manīs natural desires.
falling in love and shit.
when they know all they want me to do is hit it.
getting jealous.
l mean, fuck, just because līm with you
donīt mean there ainīt enough of me to go around.
līm still a man, you know?
um, l gotta go to work
pretty early in the morning,
and itīs getting kind of late, so...
keisha!
open the door!
open the door, keisha!
well, donīt be making no scene in my building.
why you got me looking stupid out here?
what you come here for in the first place?
come on, keisha.
l said līm sorry, man, aight?
now, why we gotta be fighting like this, man?
this donīt make no damn sense.
y ou fucking around on me donīt make no sense.
l told you, that didnīt mean nothing to me.
now, whatīs most important to me?
how l know you ainīt just talking again?
l seen the error in my ways.
plus, l brought my stuff here.
līm moving in.
for real this time.
ltīs me and you.
and l know you miss this dick.
donīt be frowning.
ainīt nobody gonna pull them lips back like me.
now l know youīre horny.
no one treat that pussy like me, huh?
wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!
what?
y ou got a condom?
y ouīre on the pill, ainīt you?
y eah, but...
goddamn, keisha, you got me all hard and shit.
why you gotta be bringing up the past? l ainīt got shit.
keisha.
hmm.
get up, l gotta go.
what time is it? where you going?
going to get some squares.
l gotta go to the store real quick.
okay.
hey.
y ou got a couple dollars?
sigh)
boo) y ou see, things be real stupid and shit.
man, they donīt know what the hell they want.
any real man would tell them what they want.
y ou see, a chick need a man to tell them what they need.
they may get mad at you and all lonely and shit, and upset with you.
man, truth is, just wait that shit out...
because a little dick will suffice,
and their asses will be content.
y ou play that shit right,
shit, you can get them to do just about anything.
hold up, hold up, līm about to come.
y ou liked that shit, didnīt you?
lt was all right.
move!
where you go last night?
what?
y ou heard me. where you go last night?
what you mean where l go out? l went to get some cigarettes.
well, where they at, then?
man, donīt be trying to dis me.
- where, boo? - they must be in my pants pocket.
oh, which pants pocket?
l went through the ones you wore last night,
and l ainīt found no cigarettes.
man, keisha, l most have smoked them all.
get out!
see, keisha, damn!
there you go again, tripping, man!
get out!
told you there ainīt no other woman!
give me a square.
got kicked out again.
she gonna let me back in.
phone ringing)
answering machine) hey, this is keisha,
līm not home, līm probably out getting my party on,
so leave me a message, and līll call you back if l feel like it.
keisha, pick up the phone.
pick up the phone, keisha!
phone ringing)
answering machine) what up? this is d.
hit me back. peace.
whatīs up, man? ltīs boo.
ltīs been a minute. where you been?
hit me back, aight?
y ou take care of that business?
no, man. fuck that bitch.
what happened?
she didnīt want to go through with it.
talking about she gonna have the baby and shit.
see, man, whatīs wrong with yīall little shorties
is yīall donīt know how to pimp these bitches like a real player.
man, you fuck with these hos,
they get you all strung and shit.
before you know it they telling you what the fuck is up.
fuck her, man.
that shit ainīt mine anyway.
l know whatīs up.
she think l donīt know she been creeping with her ex
since he been back in town.
so you ought to go fuck him up.
nah. ltīs cool.
been seeing this new honey
from over east.
puerto rican chick.
bad as hell.
she be calling you papi chulo and shit like that, right?
y eah.
hey, uh, letīs go take care of this.
.... distant gospel)
choir) .. god set me free ..
.. lord ..
.. god set me free ..
y o.
whatīs up?
nothing.
all right, hold up, hold on.
all right, turn over.
what?
turn over.
nah, nah. l donīt know.
come on, man, my shit is hard as a rock, man, come on.
turn over.
we ainīt got no hats.
oh, whatīs up, baby. y ou donīt trust me, huh?
open the door!
boo, what is your fucking problem?
- let me in. - boo, it is 7:00 in the morning.
why you ainīt answering my calls?
boo, go back to your momma house and grow the fuck up.
see, keisha, there you go again, you talk--
y ou goddamn right. ltīs 7:00 in the morning,
and you banging on my goddamn door.
man) why donīt you shut up!
y ouīre waking everybody in the building up.
well, let me in, then.
līve been calling your ass for two weeks.
l keep getting that silly-ass answering machine.
and so what?
y ou got somebody in there, keisha?
please.
then why you wonīt you let me in?
keisha, you got somebody in there?
no!
y ou got another nigga in there, keisha?
man) who the fuck is that?
- who the fuck is that? - nobody.
man, stop lying.
lt was the tv.
bitch, you just woke the fuck up.
how the fuck the tv supposed to be on?
y ou better let me in this motherfucker.
- indistinct male voice) - ssh!
go home, boo, itīs too early for your shit.
go home, boo, or līm calling the police!
l donīt care!
y ou gonna violate your parole, and they gonna lock your dumb ass back up.
l donīt care.
keisha!
y o, player, the lady says she donīt want to be bothered.
what?
l said the lady said she donīt want to be bothered,
so letīs just be cool and step on, player.
okay.
aight.
l ainīt even gonna sweat this shit.
aight, then.
this niggaīs dick ainīt even as big as mine.
l know you planning on replacing that milk,
after putting your dirty mouth on it.
but l guess you gotta get you a job first, donīt you?
come on, ma, not right now.
lf not now, when?
boo, you have to start carrying your weight around here.
l canīt keep taking care of you.
līm moving out real soon.
gettinī my own spot.
oh really? with who, keisha?
l ainīt trying to go there.
ah, keisha not gonna let you back in, huh?
l guess you really done did it this time.
y ou just like your father.
sleeping around with everything that sat down to pee.
l ainīt trying to hear that.
y our father fooled around on me so much.
she the one fooling around on me.
l ainīt did nothing to that girl.
who you think youīre fooling?
l know my sons.
well, at least yīall ainīt walking around here trying to be gay,
trying to be a woman,
like miss washingtonīs son up the street.
whatīs that boyīs name?
jesse. y eah, jesse.
l feel so sorry for miss washington.
well, līm going to church.
līm gonna pray for yīall.
going to put your name on the altar.
tv turns on)
knocking)
man) excuse me, maīam.
l got a call that you were having cable problems?
līm here to check your connections.
woman) oh yeah, thank you for coming.
līve been having some trouble in bed--
oh, l mean in the bedroom.
man) why donīt l take a look for myself?
banging on door)
who is it?
who the fuck you think it is?
- banging on door) - open the door!
damn, boo.
y ou ainīt gonna believe this shit.
what up?
deron.
what about him?
he got fucked up.
he got jumped?
nah, they say that fool got alds,
and his girl lisa, she got it, too.
for real?
ah, man, how do you know that shit true, man?
fools be making up stories everyday.
l was wondering why he ainīt been around lately.
kyle found out his ass has been in the hospital with pneumonia.
he didnīt want anybody to know and shit.
what the fuck pneumonia got to do with it?
any motherfucker can catch a cold.
man, if you donīt get your ass out of my room, man--
on popīs grave, boo, on the real.
his girl found that shit out
when he took her to the clinic that day.
l think she gave it to him
because she be out there wildinī
with a whole bunch of dudes.
even kyle hit that shit.
thatīs fucked up, ainīt it?
phone ringing)
male operator) welcome to southwest bell. what listing?
hello?
y eah, um...
what listing, please?
can l have the number for--
operator) līm sorry, sir, what was that?
sir?
hello?
sir.
phone ringing)
answering machine) hey, this is keisha.
līm not home, līm probably out getting my party on,
so leave me a message, and līll call you back if l feel like it.
keisha, this is boo.
keisha, pick up the phone.
keisha, call me back, aight, itīs important.
y ou like it?
y es.
y ouīre on it, baby.
oh, yeah!
aw, fuck.
oh! like heaven!
līm gonna co--
oh, no, līm coming.
l ainīt no fag!
līm a man like any other man.
l just like to fuck, thatīs all.
y eah, l know itīs wrong, creeping and shit.
but we all creep.
women, too.
who l like to fuck ainīt nobody business.
this ainīt nothing new.
naw.
līm just keeping it real.
hey, boo, you got a square?
man, l donīt know how you do it, dude.
honey, it ainīt easy being me.
but itīs better than being somebody else.
just got to do my thing, you know?
muffled car stereo)
.. damn, l really want a taste ..
.. īcause a really mm-mmm good ..
girl) come here!
.. letīs get a little stud ..
.. better think twice with the wood ..
.. letīs all get grown ..
.. hit the bar, letīs sip patron ..
.. l ainīt ever gonna let you take me home ..
.. īcause līm gonna be here ītill 6:00 in the morning ..
what up, nikka?
whatīs up, boo? where you been?
chillinī.
y eah?
whereīs keisha?
we ainīt together no more.
well , you know, she didnīt deserve no real man like you anyway.
and where your man at?
probably somewhere fucking around.
whatever.
so what you trying to get into?
just trying to see whatīs up with you.
y ou want a ride?
narrator) the one truth about stereotype is,
like beauty, it lies in the eye of the beholder.
y et the down low man carries the brunt of blame
because his stereotype provides an easy answer
to a fault that lies with us all.
.. who better, more qualified ..
.. to sing my lifeīs chronicles than me? ..
.. who better, more qualified ..
.. to sing my lifeīs chronicles than me? ..
.. who better, more qualified ..
.. to sing my lifeīs chronicles than me? ..
.. who better, more qualified ..
.. to sing my lifeīs chronicles than me? ..
.. who better, more qualified ..
closed-captioned by j.r. media services, lnc. burbank, ca