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 downlow.
Both black and gay.
Both misunderstood and feared.
Well, how'd 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 you're not coming back up in here.
I told you to go back to your momma house with your little bit of shit.
Why are you so fucking angry?
You got all these bitches calling my house.
Man, I ain't got no bitches--
all hours of the night.
Why you trippin'?
I told you to leave!
Hear me out, Keisha. Hear me out.
What the fuck I need to hear?
I heard it all. I'm tired of it.
I aint' done nothing. I didn't do shit.
Why you tripping?
Whatever.
Meet Boo.
Keisha!
Fuck you, Boo.
Keisha, come on, man, open the door!
Keisha, I love you, girl.
It's me and you, girl.
I tore that shit up, right?
(laughing)
You know we gotta keep this shit on the low, okay?
Okay.
I tore that shit up, right?
You ought to keep this on the low, though, aight?
Yo, keisha was by here looking for you.
You got kicked out again?
What she say?
She asked where you was at.
What you tell her?
I don't know where the fuck you be at.
What up, D?
What up, Boo?
Give me a square.
Man, get your own squares.
lf you don't give me a square,
I'm gonna fuck your little ass up.
Bitch ass.
Look at that faggot Jesse.
(Jesse) Hey.
Hey, little Tony.
Hey, Boo.
(Jesse) You got a square?
No.
Shit. I need a square.
Just got to suck on something, don't you?
Anyways... You're looking good, Boo.
I ain't seen you around here in a while. where you been?
Why you all up in this man's business?
Ain't nobody talking to you, deron.
Get on my nerves.
Hey man, take your faggot ass home.
Don't you got some dicks to suck?
Fuck y'all.
Wish you could.
You wish you could have this tight ass,
but you can't touch this.
Man, get your alds-infected ass away from here.
I know you and kyle ain't talking about nobody
But y'all dirty dicks.
Yeah, that's right, I heard.
That's so sad.
Can't stand fags.
Two rusty-legged ass niggas in the bed together?
Yeah, that's why alds and shit is everywhere.
(pager beeping)
Damn.
Who dat?
Lisa.
- Gotta take her ass to the clinic. - Again?
I will never use protection, do y'all?
Man, she's supposed to be on the motherfucking pill, man.
Man, you know these bitches be trying to trip a nigga up.
Fuck that.
Shit ain't mine anyway.
Ain't never yours, is it?
Now come on, Carl, let's go, I'm out.
All right.
Boo, tell the truth.
You ever sucked a dick when you was locked up?
Homosexuals cannot produce children.
They're not a family,
and so we're about as blunt as they are.
And to demonstrate, I will show you.
Two male ends, and there's nothing going on there.
It doesn't 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 don't you be making no dishes after I done washed them.
I'll 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, that's a doggone shame.
The world has gotten so corrupt.
But when jesus come back,
they all gonna have to give an accounting.
Mama, you ain't got nothing to eat in here?
Did you buy something to eat?
Ah, there's a little collard greens in there.
Some leftover chicken.
I don't want soul food.
I could eat some cereal.
Why you ain't over at Keisha's?
she done put you out again.
The gas don't 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?
You 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?
You young people, y'all ain't scared of nothing,
but you better be praying.
Ma, Keisha gonna let me back in.
You know, she just be tripping.
Hmm.
You know, you just hard-headed.
You gonna do what you want to do,
'cause you grown, huh?
Ah, look at there, look at that.
Yes, 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 ain't supposed to be laying with no other man.
Lord, I tell you, it ain't right, all this gay stuff.
Why don't they just keep it to themselves?
I ain't gay.
I mean, ain't nobody fucking me.
Ain't no man going in my ass.
I'll let you suck my dick.
I'll fuck you, but you ain't fucking me,
It's like being with a chick.
A bitch can suck my dick.
And I'll fuck her.
But she can't bang me.
That's the way that shit was in the pen.
I ain't buying no shit like that.
You just let him get my nut off.
Right.
Man, a man ain't 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 weren't nobody tripping.
When we laid the dick,
they had shit to say but "yes, sir."
Nowadays, bitches be complaining
about a man's natural desires.
Falling in love and shit.
When they know all they want me to do is hit it.
Getting jealous.
I mean, fuck, just because I'm with you
don't mean there ain't enough of me to go around.
I'm still a man, you know?
Um, I gotta go to work
pretty early in the morning,
and it's getting kind of late, so...
Keisha!
Open the door!
Open the door, Keisha!
Well, don't 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.
I said I'm sorry, man, aight?
Now, why we gotta be fighting like this, man?
This don't make no damn sense.
You fucking around on me don't make no sense.
I told you, that didn't mean nothing to me.
Now, what's most important to me?
How I know you ain't just talking again?
I seen the error in my ways.
Plus, I brought my stuff here.
I'm moving in.
For real this time.
It's me and you.
And I know you miss this dick.
Don't be frowning.
Ain't nobody gonna pull them lips back like me.
Now I know you're horny.
No one treat that pussy like me, huh?
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!
What?
You got a condom?
You're on the pill, ain't you?
Yeah, but...
Goddamn, Keisha, you got me all hard and shit.
Why you gotta be bringing up the past? I ain't got shit.
Keisha.
Hmm.
Get up, I gotta go.
What time is it? Where you going?
Going to get some squares.
I gotta go to the store real quick.
Okay.
Hey.
You got a couple dollars?
(sigh)
(Boo) You see, things be real stupid and shit.
Man, they don't know what the hell they want.
Any real man would tell them what they want.
You 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.
You play that shit right,
shit, you can get them to do just about anything.
Hold up, hold up, I'm about to come.
You liked that shit, didn't you?
It was all right.
Move!
Where you go last night?
What?
You heard me. Where you go last night?
What you mean where I go out? I went to get some cigarettes.
Well, where they at, then?
Man, don't be trying to dis me.
- Where, Boo? - They must be in my pants pocket.
Oh, which pants pocket?
I went through the ones you wore last night,
and I ain't found no cigarettes.
Man, Keisha, I most have smoked them all.
Get out!
see, Keisha, damn!
There you go again, tripping, man!
Get out!
Told you there ain't 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,
I'm not home, I'm probably out getting my party on,
So leave me a message, and I'll call you back if I 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.
What's up, man? It's boo.
It's been a minute. Where you been?
Hit me back, aight?
You take care of that business?
No, man. Fuck that bitch.
What happened?
she didn't want to go through with it.
Talking about she gonna have the baby and shit.
See, man, what's wrong with y'all little shorties
Is y'all don't 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 ain't mine anyway.
I know what's up.
She think I don't know she been creeping with her ex
since he been back in town.
so you ought to go fuck him up.
Nah. It's 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?
Yeah.
Hey, uh, let's go take care of this.
(distant gospel)
(choir) god set me free
lord
god set me free
yo.
What's up?
Nothing.
All right, hold up, hold on.
All right, turn over.
What?
Turn over.
Nah, nah. I don't know.
Come on, man, my shit is hard as a rock, man, come on.
Turn over.
We ain't got no hats.
Oh, what's up, baby. you don't 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 ain't answering my calls?
Boo, go back to your momma house and grow the fuck up.
See, Keisha, there you go again, you talk--
You goddamn right. It's 7:00 in the morning,
and you banging on my goddamn door.
(man) Why don't you shut up!
You're waking everybody in the building up.
Well, let me in, then.
I've been calling your ass for two weeks.
I keep getting that silly-ass answering machine.
And so what?
You got somebody in there, Keisha?
Please.
Then why you won't you let me in?
Keisha, you got somebody in there?
No!
You got another nigga in there, Keisha?
(man) Who the fuck is that?
- Who the fuck is that? - Nobody.
Man, stop lying.
It was the tv.
Bitch, you just woke the fuck up.
How the fuck the tv supposed to be on?
You better let me in this motherfucker.
- (indistinct male voice) - Ssh!
Go home, boo, it's too early for your shit.
Go home, boo, or I'm calling the police!
I don't care!
You gonna violate your parole, and they gonna lock your dumb ass back up.
I don't care.
Keisha!
Yo, player, the lady says she don't want to be bothered.
What?
I said the lady said she don't want to be bothered,
so let's just be cool and step on, player.
Okay.
Aight.
I ain't even gonna sweat this shit.
Aight, then.
This nigga's dick ain't even as big as mine.
I know you planning on replacing that milk,
after putting your dirty mouth on it.
But I guess you gotta get you a job first, don't you?
Come on, ma, not right now.
If not now, when?
Boo, you have to start carrying your weight around here.
I can't keep taking care of you.
I'm moving out real soon.
Gettin' my own spot.
Oh really? With who, Keisha?
I ain't trying to go there.
Ah, Keisha not gonna let you back in, huh?
I guess you really done did it this time.
You just like your father.
Sleeping around with everything that sat down to pee.
I ain't trying to hear that.
Your father fooled around on me so much.
She the one fooling around on me.
I ain't did nothing to that girl.
Who you think you're fooling?
I know my sons.
Well, at least y'all ain't walking around here trying to be gay,
trying to be a woman,
like miss washington's son up the street.
What's that boy's name?
Jesse. Yeah, Jesse.
I feel so sorry for miss Washington.
Well, I'm going to church.
I'm gonna pray for y'all.
Going to put your name on the altar.
(tv turns on)
(knocking)
(man) Excuse me, ma'am.
I got a call that you were having cable problems?
I'm here to check your connections.
(woman) Oh yeah, thank you for coming.
l've been having some trouble in bed--
Oh, I mean in the bedroom.
(man) Why don't I 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.
You ain't 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.
I was wondering why he ain't been around lately.
Kyle found out his ass has been in the hospital with pneumonia.
He didn't want anybody to know and shit.
What the fuck pneumonia got to do with it?
Any motherfucker can catch a cold.
Man, if you don't get your ass out of my room, man--
on pop's grave, boo, on the real.
His girl found that shit out
when he took her to the clinic that day.
I think she gave it to him
because she be out there wildin'
with a whole bunch of dudes.
Even Kyle hit that shit.
That's fucked up, ain't it?
(phone ringing)
(male operator) Welcome to southwest bell. what listing?
Hello?
Yeah, um...
What listing, please?
Can I have the number for--
(operator) I'm sorry, sir, what was that?
Sir?
Hello?
Sir.
(phone ringing)
(answering machine) Hey, this is Keisha.
I'm not home, I'm probably out getting my party on,
so leave me a message, and I'll call you back if I feel like it.
Keisha, this is Boo.
Keisha, pick up the phone.
Keisha, call me back, aight, it's important.
You like it?
Yes.
You're on it, baby.
Oh, yeah!
Aw, fuck.
Oh! Like heaven!
I'm gonna co--
I ain't no fag!
I'm a man like any other man.
I just like to fuck, that's all.
Yeah, I know it's wrong, creeping and shit.
But we all creep.
Women, too.
Who I like to fuck ain't nobody business.
This ain't nothing new.
Naw.
I'm just keeping it real.
Hey, Boo, you got a square?
Man, I don't know how you do it, dude.
Honey, it ain't easy being me.
But it's better than being somebody else.
Just got to do my thing, you know?
(muffled car stereo)
damn, I really want a taste ..
'cause a really mm-mmm good ..
(girl) Come here!
let's get a little stud
better think twice with the wood
let's all get grown
hit the bar, let's sip patron
I ain't ever gonna let you take me home
'cause I'm gonna be here 'till 6:00 in the morning
What up, Nikka?
What's up, Boo? Where you been?
Chillin'.
Yeah?
Where's Keisha?
We ain't together no more.
Well , you know, she didn't 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 what's up with you.
You want a ride?
(narrator) The one truth about stereotype is,
Like beauty, it lies in the eye of the beholder.
Yet 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 life's chronicles than me?
who better, more qualified
to sing my life's chronicles than me?
who better, more qualified
to sing my life's chronicles than me?
who better, more qualified
to sing my life's chronicles than me?
who better, more qualified