Keep Ya Head Up

Keep Ya Head Up was released on 28 October 1993 by Interscope as the third single from Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z... and peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100. Dave Hollister sings on it. It is dedicated to his godson Elijah and to Corin, the daughter of Salt of Salt-N-Pepa, and it centers on Black womanhood. The video opens with a dedication to the memory of Latasha Harlins. The beat samples Zapp's Be Alright and the chorus comes from the Five Stairsteps' O-o-h Child.

Afeni Shakur and Jada Pinkett Smith appear in the video. A sequel, Baby Don't Cry (Keep Ya Head Up II), appeared on Still I Rise in 1999. Alyssa Rosenberg of the Brisbane Times wrote that the song wove together a critique of negligent fathers, an argument for abortion rights and a sharp analysis of misogyny. It was certified platinum in the United States on 31 March 2021.