“What it is” seemed to come from late 1960s black culture, including the Black Panthers, so-called “soul music” and more. Then it meant, “It’s part of The System”, or “It’s just part of how African-Americans have to live in the USA”, implying restriction, being the object of racism and prejudice, and adopting a philosophical and pragmatic way of living under pressure. It sounds to me as if this term is descended from “What it is”, a Black-American expression that goes back to the 1960s.
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