Editor’s Notes: Needs a lot of work, or at least some. Feel free to request editorship.
About
The Struggle is Real is a phrase usually said to imply hardship. However, the phrase can also be said comically when associated with a small problem or task[1]. The phrase is also mostly used in rap lyrics to depict a hardship called “The Struggle”.
Origin
It’s speculated that the phrase originated from rap lyrics, talking about the hardships of living in the ghetto (usually mentioned in the rags-to-riches genre). This means the phrase might pre-date the Internet itself. When the Internet came around, people started using the phrase as a meme, like in the picture above.
Spread
W.I.P.
Notable Examples
External References
[1]Urban Dictionary- The Struggle is Real Definition