Street cred
Meaning: Respect and credibility earned through real-life experience, especially in urban communities.
Street cred (short for 'street credibility') is respect earned by authentic experience rather than money, education, or fame. It comes from proving yourself in your community, being trustworthy, and having genuine life experience. In hip-hop, street cred is essential — artists lose credibility if they're perceived as fake.
Examples
- He grew up in that neighborhood, so he has serious street cred. 他在那个社区长大的,所以有很硬的街头声望。Se crió en ese barrio, así que tiene mucha credibilidad callejera.あいつはあの地域で育ったから、本物のストリートクレドがある。걔는 그 동네에서 자라서 진짜 스트릿 크레드가 있어.
- That politician is trying to get street cred by visiting the hood, but nobody's buying it. 那个政客去贫民区走访想刷街头声望,但没人买账。Ese político intenta ganar credibilidad callejera visitando el barrio, pero nadie se lo traga.あの政治家はフッドを訪問してストリートクレドを得ようとしてるけど、誰も信じてない。저 정치인이 게토를 방문해서 스트릿 크레드를 얻으려고 하는데, 아무도 안 속아.
- Working at that underground venue gave her a lot of street cred in the music scene. 在那个地下场馆工作的经历让她在音乐圈积累了很高的街头声望。Trabajar en ese local underground le dio mucha credibilidad en la escena musical.あのアンダーグラウンドの会場で働いた経験が、音楽シーンでの彼女のストリートクレドを大きく高めた。그 언더그라운드 공연장에서 일한 경험이 음악 씬에서 그녀의 스트릿 크레드를 크게 높였다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: hip-hop, urban culture, casual conversation
Tone: respectful, evaluative
✓ Do Say
- He has street cred.他有街头声望。Tiene credibilidad callejera.あいつにはストリートクレドがある。걔는 스트릿 크레드가 있어.
- That move killed her street cred.那一步毁了她的街头声望。Esa jugada destrozó su credibilidad.あの行動で彼女のストリートクレドは地に落ちた。그 행동 때문에 스트릿 크레드를 다 잃었어.
✗ Don't Say
- Don't claim street cred you don't have — authenticity is the whole point不要声称自己没有的街头声望——真实性才是核心No presumas de credibilidad callejera que no tienes — la autenticidad es precisamente de lo que se trata持っていないストリートクレドを主張しないこと — 本物であることがすべて없는 스트릿 크레드를 주장하지 말 것 — 진정성이 핵심이다
Origin & History
Originated in AAVE and urban culture in the 1980s, becoming a central concept in hip-hop. The idea of 'keeping it real' and having authentic street experience became a measure of an artist's legitimacy. The term crossed into mainstream use in the 1990s.
Cultural Context
Era: 1980s-present
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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