#593 - Kevin Gates

Summary

Detailed Summary of "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von" Episode #593 Featuring Kevin Gates

Podcast Information:

• Title: This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von
• Host: Theo Von
• Guest: Kevin Gates
• Episode Number: #593
• Release Date: July 1, 2025

---

1. Introduction and Tour Updates (00:00 - 01:22)

Theo Von begins the episode by sharing updates about his upcoming "Return of the Rat Tour," detailing the final show locations and expressing gratitude for fan support. He introduces Kevin Gates, highlighting Gates' versatility as a musician from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who blends genres like rap, R&B, and soul.

Notable Quote:

“Today's guest is a musician out of Baton, Roch, Louisiana... he does it all.” (00:59)

---

2. Fashion and Style (01:22 - 03:12)

The conversation shifts to fashion, with Kevin Gates discussing his hat collection and the wear and tear from his travels. Theo reflects on his own struggles with maintaining hats, leading Gates to share his love for suits. Gates emphasizes his disciplined approach to dressing, mentioning his collection of suits in various colors and styles.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “You inhale for four seconds... it keeps you super calm.” (02:45)

Theo Von: “You've always been pretty stylish...” (02:50)

---

3. Nostalgia for Louisiana and Early Influences (03:12 - 09:34)

Theo and Kevin reminisce about their time attending the Super Bowl together, highlighting Gates' unique style and the playful rumors surrounding him. They delve into the rich musical heritage of Louisiana, discussing influential artists like Master P, Lil Wayne, Mystikal, Soulja Slim, and The D Boys. Gates expresses gratitude for his Louisiana upbringing, emphasizing the Southern hospitality and the challenges that shaped his character.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “I'm grateful for Louisiana because it made me everything that I am right now.” (06:00)

Theo Von: “It's a special time growing up...” (09:34)

---

4. Hustling and Early Life Challenges (09:34 - 16:14)

Gates shares his early hustles, starting with washing cars at a local car wash. He explains the skills he acquired and the mindset required to thrive in Louisiana, where opportunities were limited. The discussion touches on the societal pressures to achieve material success and the importance of being focused and disciplined in one’s endeavors.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “Whatever your hustle is, you gotta give it 110%... it's a rite of passage.” (11:42)

---

5. Incarceration, Education, and Rehabilitation (16:14 - 45:51)

Kevin Gates opens up about his experiences with incarceration, distinguishing between juvenile and adult facilities. He details the educational programs he participated in, which fostered discipline and personal growth. Gates introduces the concept of yoga, initially skeptical, but eventually finds it transformative in managing physical and emotional pain. The conversation highlights the differences in prison education systems, especially comparing Louisiana and Illinois facilities, and the role of anti-recidivism programs in rehabilitation.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “They have weights... if you wanted to be better, you could become better.” (42:52)

Kevin Gates: “I started giving myself grace... learning from mistakes.” (35:57)

---

6. Personal Growth, Self-Improvement, and Mental Health (45:51 - 87:34)

The core of the episode focuses on Gates' journey toward self-improvement and mental health. He discusses practices like box breathing to manage anxiety and the importance of self-love. Theo Von shares his own struggles with self-judgment and the realization of needing to care for himself. They explore themes of authenticity, the impact of social media on mental health, semen retention, and maintaining one's integrity while pursuing personal goals. Gates emphasizes the significance of baby steps in achieving lasting change and the importance of not comparing oneself to others.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “If you possess the ability to laugh at yourself, you never have to worry about being shamed of anything.” (27:07)

Kevin Gates: “Players fuck up, too... Learn from it.” (91:44)

---

7. Family, Parenting, and Breaking Generational Trauma (87:34 - 109:45)

Gates delves into his role as a father, emphasizing open communication and creating a safe space for his children. He discusses breaking free from generational traumas, highlighting the importance of forgiveness and understanding in healing family relationships. The conversation touches on balancing professional commitments with family life, and Gates shares anecdotes about teaching his children accountability and self-worth.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “What makes me a better parent is I was sexually victimized... I created a space for my children to communicate with me.” (82:10)

Kevin Gates: “Everything is baby steps... it's all baby steps.” (35:57)

---

8. Closing Remarks (109:45 - End)

In the closing segment, Gates expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity to share his story with Theo and the audience. He reflects on the importance of authenticity and transparency, appreciating a platform where he feels truly seen and heard. Both Theo and Gates reaffirm their mutual respect and understanding, concluding the episode on a hopeful note about personal growth and continuous self-discovery.

Notable Quotes:

Kevin Gates: “The transparency was beautiful. It was refreshing talking to you... I lost track of time.” (108:53)

Theo Von: “Thank you for sharing yourself with the world... Thank you for spending time with me today.” (109:45)

---

Conclusion

Episode #593 of "This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von" provides a deep and engaging conversation with Kevin Gates, exploring his life’s journey from his challenging upbringing in Louisiana to his personal growth and transformation. Gates’ candid discussions about his struggles, triumphs, and philosophies offer listeners valuable insights into resilience, self-improvement, and the importance of maintaining authenticity and integrity.

---

Note: This summary excludes advertisement segments and non-content sections to focus solely on the substantive discussions between Theo Von and Kevin Gates.

Transcript

[Theo Von]

We're getting into the final shows for the Return of the Rat Tour. Gosh. This red is almost fully returned July 9th. Will be in Philadelphia, Rochester, New York, on July 10th. Then we're in Detroit after that. Moving on, we're in Los Angeles, Anaheim at the Honda center in Oceanside, California. You can get all your [e-mail] tickets t o u R and just thank you so much for your support. Today's guest is a musician out of Baton, Roch, Louisiana, Baby out the boot. He crosses many genres like rap, R B, soul. He does it all this dog. He a 101. He a 101. He's got a new album on the way, Luca Brasi, 4. And he's heading out on a huge tour this October. I'm grateful to sit down with my Louisiana Amigo, Mr. Kevin Gates. It has tough, man.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. I got this from. I collect these kind of hats. I bought two of them this time because I put dents in them.

[Theo Von]

Really?

[Kevin Gates]

Every time I travel.

[Theo Von]

What, just traveling, setting it somewhere.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. And they get smushed every time.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Yeah. A hat is kind of hard to take care of. That's the only thing I don't love about a hat. Like, if I'm on a plane, I'll put it and then I'll take a nap. It'll fall off the seat or something. Yeah. You look sharp, man.

[Kevin Gates]

Thank you.

[Theo Von]

Recently, I started feeling in my own life, man, I wish that I dressed up a little bit more.

[Kevin Gates]

It's like how you do anything is how you do everything. So I'm like, I prepare to. For something great to happen. Every time I leave the house, I prepare for something great to happen. Like, even when I go to the gym, I prepare for something great to happen.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, that's an energy. I think I just started thinking that, like, yeah, I want to. I want to just. Because then I want to be excited about how I even look, you know? Like, I never.

[Kevin Gates]

I mean, I only got. Well, I got multiple suits, but I only got, like four color that I wear. I got a gray suit. Got like three or four of them. Got like three or four black suits. Got like three or four navy suits, and I got like three or four. They like different shades, so I say like a tan and a darker tan.

[Theo Von]

You like them?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I just love suits. I love them. They look fly.

[Theo Von]

You've always been pretty stylish, actually. I remember you and I went to a Super bowl together. I don't know if you remember it or not.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, that was when I Had the turtleneck on with the slack.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. That's when I realized I was like, oh, Kevin's doing something different. Because you hear rumors about Kevin. You hear people like, Kevin. You know Kevin, I'm like, bigfoot, yeah, he's staring at the moon. Kevin out there, he. You know, he. Hiding in the tree branches and stuff. You hear a lot of rumors like that.

[Kevin Gates]

You know, like I was shooting my bow and arrow.

[Theo Von]

He's out there. He babysitting bats or something.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh, excuse me. Shout out to Mike at. At Cabela's.

[Theo Von]

He's your guy?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, he. The one who. He. He. He dialed my bow and arrow in for me. Like, dialed it in. Like, set the sights on it for me.

[Theo Von]

I haven't used one, but, yeah, you hear everything about that Kevin Gates. He's out there. He breastfeeding pelicans and stuff like that. You hear a lot of the mystery, right? The lore. And I love the lore. Cause it makes things really. It's like advertising without you really doing anything in a way, except being yourself. But I remember we were on a limo bus. They were taking us to the Super Bowl. Everybody's on their phones and something like that. Kevin just sitting there. Look, you look like the happiest guy in the thing.

[Kevin Gates]

It's this thing I do called breath work. And I think I said it one time in another interview, but I'm super into Navy seals and shit. I watch. Don't. Don't think I'm weird, but I am.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I just sit there and watch, like, videos or like the training that they do. And I watch people take the Navy SEAL test and fail and then try to come back and do it. And I just watch that shit. And I be watching, like, David Goggins and shit like that. And it's like, you know, the first thing they teach them how to do is breathe. So that's why I be doing the box breathing. And it really helped with anxiety.

[Theo Von]

Explain it to me. You.

[Kevin Gates]

You inhale for four seconds. It's like you pretend like you're looking at a box. You inhale for four seconds. You hold it, you exhale for four seconds, and then you hold it and it keep you super calm.

[Theo Von]

And does it get a little scary at certain points or hard to remember? I guess you just get used to the pattern.

[Kevin Gates]

If it. If it. If you ever get off, you just reconnect to your breath because you're going to talk, you're going to interrupt yourself, and then you reconnect to your breath, and it keep you calm. Like, no anxiety.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. I get rattled pretty easy.

[Kevin Gates]

And I'm an overthinker. Like, especially if I'm about to go somewhere. Like, I put unrealistic expectations on myself about the outcome. And we say that we. And I might say that I'm going in there with a positive attitude, but.

[Theo Von]

Oh, I want to know everything. I want to know how it's going to go. I want to be able to, like, make sure I'm okay no matter what's going on.

[Kevin Gates]

I knew this was gonna be cool because I was already around you at the Super Bowl. I like, man, I do crazy.

[Theo Von]

Oh, I don't think anybody get out crazy. You at this point, you lost everybody, man. Yeah, it's gonna be a little hot.

[Kevin Gates]

And you can maybe scooch to your left just a little bit.

[Theo Von]

Do we have any ice? We don't have any.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't need no ice. I'm good.

[Theo Von]

Okay. I'd like. I was kind of nervous to talk to you because I've known of you. You know, I'm from Louisiana, so I known about you like Louisiana bread. Even growing up, I remember the first time I ever heard about you. Some. This girl I was talking to from Bogalusa was like, have you heard of Kevin Gates? And I thought it was a subdivision, and it is. It is really.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, it is now.

[Theo Von]

Kevin Gates, Damn. I said, I don't know. I don't know. You know, I got a friend that lives in Meadowbrook or whatever, but I never been over there. And she's like, no, you have to hear some of what this guy's doing. And it was intense. It remind. The first time I listened to your music, it reminded me. The first time I saw ufc, I was like, some of this stuff is a little too hard for me, you know, because it's you. Your stuff is very. It's not all of it, but some of it's a great. It's graphic. It is real. It's very rarely. It's really raw. That's my perception of it. But so that's how I got introduced to you, obviously, was just from being in Louisiana. Do you miss those days in Louisiana coming up? What was that like for you? Just kind of coming up. When you look back on it now.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm grateful for Louisiana because it made me everything that I am right now. And the things that we cherish, other people don't really cherish. When you go other places, and then with us having that Southern hospitality, they're like, yes, sir, no, sir, don't Call me that. You make me feel old when you go other places. But we used to catch whoopings for not saying, yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma' am. No, ma' am. Yeah, you know, I done been beat with extension cords and whatever they could find.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Go get a branch out the tree.

[Theo Von]

Go get something. Oh, dude. My mother would beat me with my younger siblings. She would. I like, God damn. Both of us getting it.

[Kevin Gates]

Grab him by the ankle.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, like, damn. What? What. What was some of. Like, did you ever. Did you get to work with other artists? I know people ask you that kind of stuff all the time, but growing up, like, when I was coming up, they had, like, Mr. P, Master P. Mystical.

[Kevin Gates]

Me and Master P did a song together, and I done. I done work with Wayne. We talking about only Louisiana.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I'm just talking about kind of that.

[Kevin Gates]

That time with Lil Wayne. I done work with Master P, if you want to go. Currently, I done work with Fredo Bang, NBA Youngboy Tech.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. I heard that song you got with Youngboy. I just heard it the other day.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know who you say.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. They had. I'm trying to think. Oh, partners in crime. Remember them?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Is that new Mr. Mina with that. Go. Dude, they had partners in crime. Unlv. Always at unlv. Pump the Pump the party they had. I'm trying to think of who else we love. Oh, Mystical was the best. Mystical was great, bro.

[Kevin Gates]

I like that bitch. I'm out. That boot camp flick, Danger. Yeah, I like that.

[Theo Von]

He kind of had his own thing and he had those horns in it.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. If we going that way. I like fiend. Mr. Magic. I liked all. I liked everything that was coming out. You gotta say soul to Slim.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

You gotta say soul to Slim.

[Theo Von]

I didn't. I don't. Somebody didn't put me onto a lot of Soldier Slim.

[Kevin Gates]

You gotta say Stone and Lek. You gotta say the D Boys. You gotta say all of them.

[Theo Von]

I think some of that I didn't get put on then, but I love. Dude, that was a special time. I felt like in Louisiana because every. Oh, there were so many eyes were focused on it. They had, like, just so much sound coming out of there.

[Kevin Gates]

Still do. Yeah, but it sound different.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. Well, things have changed so much, but at that time, I just felt like. I don't know, there was something really spectacular about it. At that time, we still got our.

[Kevin Gates]

Own signature song, L.A. like, that's. What a flavor.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

You get a. You get a Container of juice and you sit it on the table. The flavor falls to the bottom. You have to shake it up for the flavor to go to the top.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

The flavor always at the bottom.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

The bottom of the map.

[Theo Von]

That's it. The bottom of the map, man. The bottom of the boot. Yeah, dude, I love that time. That was a special time growing up, man. What was the styles that y' all had in our 10 art. Because in Covington, we had, like, Jabot jeans. Polo with the. Remember, people will wear that sometimes.

[Kevin Gates]

He'll figure, Polo crazy. I want Polo crazy.

[Theo Von]

I could see that.

[Kevin Gates]

I want Polo.

[Theo Von]

I can see that.

[Kevin Gates]

Dead caps, College, Jabot's. I did Air Force ones, but my thing was the Adidas Stan Smiths. Oh, yeah, I did the Adidas Stan Smiths.

[Theo Von]

I almost wore those today.

[Kevin Gates]

All day. I dream about stacks.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, dude, it was some. That was a great time, bro. I mean, it's all. Times are great, but that was a special time. It's just something you and I can. You know, we both have a little bit of similarity of that.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. I was born eight or six, so.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, you're younger than me. What would you ever get to see? Mystical around the way or.

[Kevin Gates]

No, I seen him a few times when he was out of prison, but I haven't seen him since then.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to think. I remember we'd go to the rec center over at BR Baton Rouge by lsu. Yep. And Master P and his. They would be in there playing ball with, like, Silk. Not. I don't know if C Murder might have been in and out of there, but they definitely had. Silk was in there.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. Silk stay out here now, does he? Yeah, I be seeing him at 24 outfitters.

[Theo Von]

Let's go.

[Kevin Gates]

Every now and then when I used to go there.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I just see him in there hooping. Still Hooping.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. That was a special time, though, man. That was a big, like, explosion for. I felt like. For Louisiana rap, when you think of, like, I know you, there was a lot of hustling and stuff. When you grew up, what do you. What was it like? Like, the hustle. Like when people say I had to hustle a lot when I was young, like, what does that mean exactly?

[Kevin Gates]

Hustle.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I know what it means. Like, you have to grind. You gotta stay busy. You gotta figure things out.

[Kevin Gates]

You gotta be locked in and you gotta be focused. Whatever your hustle is, you gotta give it 110%. Cause being from Louisiana, ain't really nothing to do but die or go to Jail.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So whatever it is that you focus on, you gotta be locked in like juvenile. Say we snatched all the holes and bowls and re. Tenants. We didn't give a fuck if we balled for three minutes. I might have said it backwards.

[Theo Von]

That's how we could edit it into the correct format. What was some of your hustles as a youngster? What kind of hustling did you have to do?

[Kevin Gates]

Personally, I started off washing coils.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Just like any yard, you put up a sign or you get like a.

[Kevin Gates]

I started off working at. They got a car wash on corset and that was my first job, washing coils with the.

[Theo Von]

Like they had an inside and outside.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, Inside and outside. I started on a vacuum.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And then I started being like. Once it come through the washer, you dry it off. And that's how I learned how to get the fender. Well, get the fender wells and the door jambs last.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. Why?

[Kevin Gates]

Because that's where all the dirt at. So if you drying the car, you gotta dry the body of the car first. Then you go back and get the fender back and get the door jambs and the fender wells last. That's where all the dirt at.

[Theo Von]

Because otherwise you're gonna get the rag dirty and put it everywhere else.

[Kevin Gates]

You gonna put dirt on it. Yeah. Yeah. And then even when you. And then even when you wipe the rims, you hold the towel and wipe the rims, you spray the. You spray the tie off, but you hold the tile and wipe the rims on the inside. Clean them real good.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And the best thing to clean windows, I mean the white windows with his newspaper.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

No streaks.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Why was that, I wonder?

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know. I know it don't leave no streaks. Make it look good.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. That was nice, dude. Yeah. When I was growing up, washing probably one of the. It was one of the best things you could do, of course, because you lead. That thing felt beautiful.

[Kevin Gates]

Boy, that was your. That was your. That was your office. Yeah, that was your office. That was your escape. Ain't nothing like a little late night ride.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Waffle House.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Dude. I remember exactly if I lit. If I lit a cigarette at this one point, right when I take off out of work, it would get me all the way home. I pull up right into the driveway. When that cigarette was done, it was like this perfect kind of like. Kind of seance that I had in my life. Life. I love that.

[Kevin Gates]

That was your first car.

[Theo Von]

My first car was a 84 Ford Escort. That was chill but somebody.

[Kevin Gates]

First call was a Nissan Central. Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Really? What year was it?

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know. The old one. The old, old one.

[Theo Von]

Pull. Pull one up. Just pull up a. Pull up a.

[Kevin Gates]

The tan one.

[Theo Von]

Pull up. Pull up a 1990. Let's see what they got. Let's see if we close on it.

[Kevin Gates]

That Nissan, I was a little newer than that.

[Theo Von]

Nuh. Yeah, that's a little too old. Pull up a.

[Kevin Gates]

Pull up a 2001. That's it right there.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. That tasted boy. Yeah. And so. So your first hustle was car Washington. Did you get into stuff in the streets? Did you get into stuff that was kind of illegal type of stuff or no?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, a little bit.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Not nothing major, but a little bit. I did a little something, yeah.

[Theo Von]

Does it feel like if you grow up in certain areas that you have.

[Kevin Gates]

To do that, you gonna want to. Them the only people getting money, right? That's who the girls like?

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh yeah. The girls. Like somebody got a little bit of cash.

[Kevin Gates]

Like I remember telling Gilly and Wallo. I was like, man, when I was young, I remember all I wanted was a car, some money, a girlfriend and a gun.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Because that's all you see.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah, Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I got to pull out a bankroll. That was just, you know, just to show it all. They thought. Did they start calling it wrecks? Yeah, yeah, we got wrecks. We will stay one. From stakes to racks.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. I think the name. Do you think like. Like over the years you hear like things have changed, like the hood, the block, the trenches, the mud, like it all. There's always kind of this evolution of the name.

[Kevin Gates]

I feel like, man, we always. I call it the section. Yeah, they from the section. They from our section.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Are they from out the section?

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Like if somebody. If. If you from my section. Are you from my area where I met at the time? And I'm like, oh yeah, he from outer section, right? Or I'm asking or say I'm just coming home from jail and I see new faces like, who that is? They from out the section? Yeah. That's such and such people. Or that's such and such people. You know what I'm saying?

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Do you feel like. Do you have to live in fear? Like in. Like in the section? Do you feel like in a black area, do you have to live in fear? Did it feel like.

[Kevin Gates]

No, because it's. Anything that you do every day is going to feel regular to you. You know, anything that is new to you, say if it's new. If it's new. You're going to be a little apprehensive, you know what I'm saying? So you going to have to sit back, scope it out, and then you fall in. You in the mix now, but if you grew up in them type of environments, it ain't gonna feel like somewhat dangerous. It's gonna feel like home.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So whatever, go on. It just went on, right? You don't know any different from the outside looking in. It's like, oh, God, it's so horrible there. But when you in it, it's like, man, that's my people. This is my auntie, this is my cousin. This, you know, this is the culture. Yeah. It's like, right?

[Theo Von]

A fish don't know it's in water. Really?

[Kevin Gates]

His family.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Do you think. Because you always hear over the years, you hear like, we got to change these areas, right? You hear like, you'll have people. We got to make things safer. We got to change these areas. Do you think that the people actually in those communities, do you think they really want those communities to change or.

[Kevin Gates]

That is, if given the opportunity.

[Theo Von]

Does it question make any sense to you or.

[Kevin Gates]

No, it make a lot.

[Theo Von]

Okay.

[Kevin Gates]

If given the opportunity, anybody would do better, right? People do. A man. Yeah, this is a wise quote. A man is what he know, not what he's told. And I don't say it in, like, vernacular. A man is what he knows and not what he's told. You are what you know, not what you told. You are what you do, not what you say you will do. So I could sit around and somebody could tell me, man, you know what you should change and you should do this, and there's so many other opportunities. But if I'd never been exposed to these opportunities, all I know is what I know, right? And that's like, that's what recidivism, that's people that. Repeat offenders, habitual offenders, because it's recidivism, because they don't know anything but what they know. And I was like that. I was locked in, focused on one thing till I started experiencing other things. I brought my horizon. I opened my mind.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, I've watched a lot of interviews with you, man, and a lot of it's been really fascinating, man. I feel really thankful that you're here today.

[Kevin Gates]

I just took a.

[Theo Von]

What? An Ambien?

[Kevin Gates]

I just read about a. I just read about Laguna Beach. Like, this was in 2000 and maybe 10 or 11, because I read a lot of, like, vampire novels and all of that.

[Theo Von]

Oh, damn.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. Like, I read a lot. I'm a recordative reader. So this was like, way in 2000, maybe 10 or 11, that I read a book. When I was reading a book that was talking about going to Laguna beach last weekend, I just took my son to Laguna beach for his birthday. So it was like a kind of like a bucket list. Not a bucket list, but I was like, it'll be cool to go to. Like, even, like, with Palm Springs. I read about Palm Springs before, and I just passed through Palm Springs, and.

[Theo Von]

They had vampires that were there in the.

[Kevin Gates]

Rachelle Mead got this vampire academy, and one of the schools that they went to was in Palm Springs.

[Theo Von]

Damn, boy. They started older gay vampires probably over there.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know. But it was so crazy that you say that is because when you given the opportunity to do better, you will. If you never given that opportunity, you not going to do better. We could say, yeah, you just got to overcome and stay focused and lock in. I think me, the beautiful thing about Kevin Gates is I have a very adventurous spirit. And I'm gonna try something. Like, I love to try new things. Cause it's how you create new neuropaths. Like, even if you did it and you didn't like it, you still had the experience. So you created new neuropaths. Because if you do the same thing every day, you become stagnant in the mind. You just become a robot.

[Theo Von]

You become a cul de sac to your own cul de sac.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, that's my biggest fear, is being complacent. I don't ever want to get stuck. So I did that. I went to the beach, and it was like, it unlocked a few things for me. It was like we just took a road trip. It wasn't number, like, two hours, but we did it. We did it.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. We did something different.

[Kevin Gates]

We did something different.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Because I wonder sometimes, like. Because you always, like, you know, like a lot of neighborhoods, especially if it's like, impoverished neighborhoods, you know, they say that type of thing. Predominantly black and predominantly black neighborhoods. It's like, it's also those neighborhoods that give a lot of the culture its flavor and give it its story, right? Or some of its story, right? People say, like, I came out of this, I came through this, right? So sometimes I just wonder, like, it's a bless.

[Kevin Gates]

It's the people that are blessed. I say that because you're looking at people that grew up in hardship in the roughest conditions ever. But we made the best of what we had, and we didn't even know we was poor till we saw rich people. Yeah, that's like when you go to other countries, third world countries, they don't even know they poor till they see people with more than what they have. Like I was telling somebody one time, we just wanted a car, and then once we saw the Bentley, we wanted the Bentley. And then we wanted this and we wanted that because we saw it. But to answer your question about the people that come through that, I believe it's a rite of passage. It's like. It's like the movie Leonidas when the boy went off into the wilderness and he came back a man. Like, we don't have no father figures or none of that in the house. We come from mostly single mother. Your mom had worked, your grandmother raised you, things of that nature. And we had to go out there and just find our way. So it was like a rite of passage. And the beautiful thing about me is I had beautiful people in my life that kind of helped guide me and lead me and steer me in the right direction. Yeah, I made mistakes. I bumped my head. And I appreciate every one of them because they made me this. But to answer that question, it's. I look at it more like a rite of passage.

[Theo Von]

This is an ad by Better Help. You know, men today face immense pressures to keep it all together, to provide, to just freaking be a lieutenant in your own little world. It's a lot. It's responsibility. If you're a father especially, it adds more to it. And sometimes you struggle and sometimes you struggle in silence. And that's the worst. That's the worst, man. I notice if there's things that are just eating up my brain, things that are bothering me so much, they keep recurring. If I can get to a therapist and talk with somebody about it, suddenly my brain just exhales and everything feels like it's going to be a lot more possible. I've personally benefited from therapy through BetterHelp. And what I like about them is you can do it online, you can do it on the phone, you can switch therapists at any time. As the largest online therapy retailer in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Talk it out with better help, our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com/t h e o that's better. H e l p.com/theo. Is pornography causing a problem in your life? Do you find yourself watching porno for longer periods of time and having trouble stopping? Is porn affecting your relationship or dating life. Well, you're certainly not alone. Watching pornography has become so commonplace today and oftentimes men use porn to numb the pain of loneliness, boredom, anxiety and depression. Shame and stigma prevent men from talking about these issues and getting help for them. I want to introduce you to my friend Steve. Steve is the founder of Valor Recovery, a program to help men overcome porn abuse and sexual compulsivity. Steve is a long term sexual recovery member and has personally overcame the emotional and spiritual despair of abusing pornography and has dedicated his life to empowering men to do the same. Steve is an amazing person and he is a close friend of mine. I mean that. Valor Recovery helps men to develop the tools necessary to have a healthier sex life. Their coaches are in long term recovery and will be your partner, mentor and spiritual guidelines to transcend these problematic behaviors. To learn more about Valor Recovery, please Visit them at www.valor recovery coaching.com or email them at adminallor recovery coaching.com thank you.

[Kevin Gates]

But a lot of time when we be having like our body just really needs salt.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, we'd be dehydrated, you know, I noticed that happens more often. I feel like when I was a kid you didn't hear anybody talk about dehydration. Now I feel like people talk about it every day.

[Kevin Gates]

Cause we ate salt, we cooked with seasoning, Louisiana Seasoning.

[Theo Von]

That's a good point. People ask.

[Kevin Gates]

You don't hear people down there talking about you dehydrated, you eat a pickle.

[Theo Von]

Fuck.

[Kevin Gates]

Country boy can't survive.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, bro, that was it.

[Kevin Gates]

Country boy can't survive.

[Theo Von]

That's a good point. Everybody had gout too. Everybody had shit. Sugar, pressure, gout, salt pressure, everything.

[Kevin Gates]

Country boy can't survive everything.

[Theo Von]

That was it. You were practicing Muslim?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I'm a Muslim.

[Theo Von]

Nice. Nice to see you today.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh, like you talking about what I got on?

[Theo Von]

No, I think you.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh no, this ain't got no.

[Theo Von]

It doesn't look like that kind of. No, I don't know.

[Kevin Gates]

No. Cause I got the bow tie.

[Theo Von]

Oh, you thought that was part of it?

[Kevin Gates]

I'm so not sorry. Please forgive me.

[Theo Von]

Nuh, I didn't know what you mean. Because you thought. Because I thought the bow tie.

[Kevin Gates]

Cuz the irony. It's ironic that I got the bow tie home. But you not that kind. But I'm Dave Chappelle said I'm not good at it. But you know, I do the best. I do the best I can, you know.

[Theo Von]

No, I didn't know. I thought. No, I feel like, no. Yeah. I didn't know what I thought I felt like. Dang, Kevin. Yeah. I thought you just seemed like a.

[Kevin Gates]

It's okay.

[Theo Von]

Okay.

[Kevin Gates]

It's okay.

[Theo Von]

Dang.

[Kevin Gates]

That's hilarious. It was just funny. Cause I had to. That's one thing. Like, I possess the ability to laugh at myself. And once I developed the ability to laugh at myself, life became so much more easier.

[Theo Von]

Let's talk about that.

[Kevin Gates]

If I slip and fall. Every time we step outside, we're being judged. If you went to school and you had to. Oh, God, I gotta say it. I got. Not to get off subject. I used to hate free dress day at school. Uniforms saved my life.

[Theo Von]

Really?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

But why you couldn't handle it?

[Kevin Gates]

I ain't had no clothes.

[Theo Von]

Oh, damn. Yeah, you just wore the uniform again.

[Kevin Gates]

Like Kevin, man, for a free dress day, I wore my mama. I wore a pair of my mama jeans to build a school in an old time of Hilfiger shirt in the same shoes I had been wearing to school the whole time. Man, they teased me for then. You know how you got the faded part on the knees?

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

It was like, why your knees white? Would you been on your knees? Nah, that's the style. Everybody got distressed denim now.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So that was hard. That was the worst. But I said that to say this. If you possess the ability to laugh at yourself, you never have to worry about being shamed of anything.

[Theo Von]

I've heard you talk about that. For in fact, man, it's funny. Cause one of the things, it's okay to be human.

[Kevin Gates]

You know what I'm saying?

[Theo Von]

Well, you know, it was most of my life, it was hard for me to laugh at myself. A couple years ago, it's so funny. A couple years ago, there was a moment that happened. I don't remember what it was, but I like, I went, theo. I just kind of laughed at myself and said my name. My whole life, my whole life, it had been this internal thing that had been just judging me always. And for the first time ever, our worst critics. But I just didn't realize how infected I'd been by my own. By judgment of myself.

[Kevin Gates]

But we're taught that because when we come outside, we judge by our peers, we judge by everything. If you do this, if you do that, and then it's like, you know what? I'm gonna be the best human I could be.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't care if I make mistakes. I'm gonna follow my heart. I don't care what nobody think. I swear to God, I'm gonna Be the best human I could be. And something else I used to do before I developed a greater sense of self worth, I would overcompensate. And that's still a form of seeking validation. Like, I would overextend and I would overextend myself as far as just the person I am not to be liked. I was doing this because this is what I really wanted somebody to do for me.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So I will overextend and just over share and over love and over everything. I would do it to the mo. But this is the love that I should have been giving myself, bro.

[Theo Von]

There'll be times I'll text this. Over the past two years, I noticed this will happen for me. I'll text somebody. Hey, man, just wanted to remind you, you're a great. You're a great guy and I'm so proud of you. Right.

[Kevin Gates]

I wish somebody would tell me that.

[Theo Von]

And as I'm typing it to them, tears will come out of my face. And I didn't realize. And it's a nice thing to say to them. And a lot of times it's a person I'll have of a connection with where, like, we share a lot of similar experiences so we can, you know, we'll say that type of thing to each other. But, man, sometimes as I'm sending that, because really, I just like, that's what I always needed, right?

[Kevin Gates]

The dude who did my. My guns on my hands, my. My gun tattoos. His name Trevin Spielman, but some people call him Trevon or Trevin. I call him just T. Okay. Or my brother.

[Theo Von]

But what is he doing? He's out of Louisiana or where I'm.

[Kevin Gates]

About to tell you.

[Theo Von]

Okay. Sorry.

[Kevin Gates]

I always make jokes. He used to always laugh. He used to always check on everybody else. And he sent me a text message. I got on the flight and went to California. When my flight landed, the last text message, he was like, I don't think I could do this anymore. Then I found out he killed himself. So it's like oftentimes the people that's always helping everybody else, it make you want to start checking on them. That's why when I did it. And not to bring up nothing with Drewski, but shout out to Drew Ski. I did a little show where I was on there like a blind date. And he was like, man, you too uptight. And I'm like, I'm not. I just. Most of the time, the people that make all the jokes, I check on they. Well being. Cause that's how my brother Was he used to always make jokes and make me laugh, and he'd be doing my tattoos and I'd be telling them about everything I've been through. Like, he was like my therapist. And he even flew out to California one time just to tattoo me. Came, stayed at my apartment and everything. And you never know what people going through internally. And that's the reason I don't just take people for granted, especially people that's always making everybody else laugh.

[Theo Von]

So I laugh with you, but I also want to be here with you to see what's going on.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. So I'm a laugh with you. But when we finish, I'm going to ask you. You show everything. Okay. Cause if you need to talk, I'm here. And that's just the type of person I am. Because he was one of them people. He was super funny. Everything. I never would have thought, right. He would have took his own life.

[Theo Von]

And that's what he just was dealing with. Too much pain.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, he was dealing with a lot. Yeah, he was dealing with a lot. That's my brother. I love him.

[Theo Von]

Amen. Trevor. Trey. Trey.

[Kevin Gates]

His name. Travon Spillman.

[Theo Von]

Travon Spielman.

[Kevin Gates]

But some people call him Trevor.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And, like, he from Louisiana, too.

[Theo Von]

Trayvon Spielman. Well, good. I'm glad we say his name today, man.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, it just made me think about that, like, the people that give the most, we never ask them, do they need anything.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Yeah, man. It's. You know, it's. Man, a lot of my life, especially, like, as an adult in the past 10 years, eight years, really has been having a journey with myself. Right. I didn't even know who I was. I don't even know if. Honestly, brah, I. I feel sometimes like I've only been alive for about five or six years in some way. Before that.

[Kevin Gates]

You, too?

[Theo Von]

Yeah, you too. Before that, I was alive, but I was just. And I don't even know what was controlling me. I'm grateful that God was giving me guidance.

[Kevin Gates]

You was alive, but you wasn't living, man.

[Theo Von]

I was. Well, I just didn't even know who. Only the only way I was experiencing the world was how you needed me to experience it. You know, kind of type of thing. But I wanted to say one more time, just that, like, yeah, there was a moment where I laughed at myself.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh, hey, I ain't mean to cut you off. Please forgive me.

[Theo Von]

No, you didn't.

[Kevin Gates]

Just got lost.

[Theo Von]

No, it's important. This is good. I think you're totally forgiven. And, yeah, I'M sorry for cutting you off too. But yeah, just to be able to laugh at myself, bro. And then part of me, I felt, man, my whole life, here I am. And I won't even give my own self a laugh. It's like. Because I'm. Not only am I talking, but I'm listening to myself at the same time. And I wouldn't even laugh every time. I'd just been like, man, that's. There's an old thing inside of me. You not enough. You got to be perfect or you're not. Nobody's going to pay attention. It's like just a constant system of judgment, you know? And so, man, to laugh at myself.

[Kevin Gates]

My publicist, crazy. My publicist, her name Alvina. She like, God give you what you need a lot of times when you don't even know that you need it. And me and her arguing, arguing, arguing, arguing. But she always tell me, like, you gonna be great. That's my life's mission, that you be great. So one of the lessons, we have like a lesson every week. And one of the lessons for one week, she was telling me, give yourself grace. Cause I'm super. I'm like you. I'm super critical on myself. If I don't honor the commitments I made to myself, I'm a bitch.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

You know?

[Theo Von]

Yeah, definitely. And here's the crazy thing I would do, Kevin. I would go for a run one day or do something, and then I'd be like, we grinding every day. I'm gonn to go run a million mile. Next week, I'm running seven miles. And then the next day, I wouldn't even go for a run. But I'd have built up all of this steam in my head like I was in the Olympics. And so then I'd let myself. My aspirations were so diabolical and ridiculous that. But when I did let myself down, I would let myself fall from the heights of my aspirations. Not even from you, just from where you was at. Yes. You just took one rum and you just one neighborhood over and you got yourself at the Olympic trials in Atlanta, like. But the. The shame I would feel would be the fall from the Olympic trials. And I only fucking went. Damn. Probably 1100ft.

[Kevin Gates]

That's why everybody that tell me they want to get into fitness, they be like, what you think I should do first? I say, baby steps, baby steps. Take baby steps. If you walk in the gym and walk out, you still showed up. You did something that you wouldn't have done yesterday.

[Theo Von]

Yes.

[Kevin Gates]

Maybe this time you might get On a trail, man. Walk for maybe two or three minutes. I don't know. Who knows? Start drinking more water. Baby steps. Like, every. Like, everything is baby steps.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Yeah. I would never even give myself the grace of, like, let me have those babies, you know?

[Kevin Gates]

And, you know something else I used to do? I used to compare myself to people that was taking steroids and all of that. And I'm like, I want my body to look like this. And I'm like, yeah. And I used to watch them dudes say stuff like, if you ain't got no six pack, you fat, homie. And I was like, damn, I'm fat. So I had unrealistic expectations. I'm just like you. And then I started giving myself grace and I'm like, yeah. I didn't even come in it to look like that. I just wanted my clothes to be able to fit good. Yeah, I just. I just didn't want to be titty man anymore.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. He didn't want to have them nice titties on him.

[Kevin Gates]

Breast assist. I just didn't want to be titty man anymore. And then you start comparing yourself to other people and you lose. We lose ourselves in what we really wanted. What was our goal? I just wanted. I wanted a bedroom body.

[Theo Von]

That's it. That's it.

[Kevin Gates]

That's it. That's all.

[Theo Von]

I don't want to look good in my pajamas.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. I just wanted a nice little bedroom by the. Now all of a sudden, I'm just like, man, I want to be Hercules. I'm like, no.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. I want to have muscles on the side of my. Or whatever. You have them dudes, they'd be showing.

[Kevin Gates]

They.

[Theo Von]

They be flexing. They. They got one dude, he could flex his. I'm like, I don't gotta see that.

[Kevin Gates]

You've been doing them dick lips, huh?

[Theo Von]

Yeah, doing something, bro.

[Kevin Gates]

Putting a little. They get that fishing. Get that fishing string and put it at the end of it with the little weight when you. The sinker.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah. And make it flick with that fishing sinker, that little thing. Hey, man, no, thank you for saying some of that, dude. Yeah, but the first time I ever laughed at myself, I realized what have. How have I been treating myself this whole time?

[Kevin Gates]

Or horrible.

[Theo Von]

I've heard you talk a lot about things like that, man. And some of the stuff you say, man. Just thank you for sharing. I know you're not a prophet or anything like that, but just thank you for sharing, honestly, because I think that's the greatest thing we can Try to do.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. I'm far from a profit.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. But I feel like it's a. We can try to share, honestly.

[Kevin Gates]

Profitable.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. What?

[Kevin Gates]

Only reason I say that because, you know, when you hear about prophets, they like these such perfect people.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I ain't perfect. I will make some mistakes today.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Titty man on the loose today, baby.

[Kevin Gates]

They got a dude at the gym, his name Kevin. When I walk in, he's like, hey, not titty man anymore.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, he showed up, huh?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. Like, because I did an interview, and.

[Theo Von]

I was like, yeah, sorry for calling you titty man.

[Kevin Gates]

No, it's okay. It's no big deal.

[Theo Von]

Just joking.

[Kevin Gates]

It's beautiful because that's where I came from. I was titty man. Like, I was holding a baby, and the baby tried to suck my titty. I had breasts.

[Theo Von]

Got it.

[Kevin Gates]

And that was the most embarrassing moment for me ever. I still talk about that to this day. And somebody was like, no, you're one. Like, I said, yeah, I had breasts. I was titty man. So then they heard the interview, and when I went to the gym, they were like, hey, you're not titty man anymore. I was like, oh.

[Theo Von]

I used to stay up and look at my buddy had some tits on. And my buddy.

[Kevin Gates]

I was gonna do that thing. I used to think that I had what is called gyno glamour, glenogram. Gyno glamastra, Whatever it's called.

[Theo Von]

Pull it up. Glonagomastia. See what it is.

[Kevin Gates]

Gyno glamor.

[Theo Von]

Is it in the Middle East? Oh, gynecomastia, whatever is.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know how to pronounce the word. I'll be hearing a lot of people say it. They like, gyno or whatever.

[Theo Von]

Gynecomastia, a condition where male breast tissue enlarges due to an imbalance of estrogen, intestine, testosterone.

[Kevin Gates]

And I. And they had this surgery where you go get your. Your titty cut out. And I was like, man, I do that. I'm tired of this. And I didn't know you got abs under here. And when you work the abs, that's what lip. Like your ab muscle don't just. It go all the way up to the pectoral, and that's what lift it. And then doing dips and doing abs, that's what made all of that disappear. Just lift.

[Theo Von]

Got that titty off.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

God, yeah. My buddy had them. And we used to. I used to stay up at night, and he would have his shirt off, and I'd look at Them, bruh.

[Kevin Gates]

I hate that.

[Theo Von]

I liked it.

[Kevin Gates]

Like when I used to go to the ymca.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah? Which one?

[Kevin Gates]

I used to go to the one on. On College. The old one, though. Not the. Not the new. The old one.

[Theo Von]

Pull up that YMCA in Baton Rouge. The one. There's one over there by the Walgreens.

[Kevin Gates]

It's kind of not on college. On foster.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, on foster.

[Kevin Gates]

The whole one. On all Foster. I used to go to that one. I'm talking about when I used to come out my shirt. They used to free Willie some out the will.

[Theo Von]

Damn. Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh, my God. Life.

[Theo Von]

I didn't know people were going through that. Yeah, that's A.C. lewis right there. That's a good YMCA. Free Willie out there.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Did you go to school over there ever? Did you. Do you go to college over there too?

[Kevin Gates]

Something like that. I went to community college.

[Theo Von]

Did you? Where you go? Brcc.

[Kevin Gates]

Of course.

[Theo Von]

Let's go. My sister used to work over that communications over there, man.

[Kevin Gates]

What is it?

[Theo Von]

Yeah, my brother went to Southern for a little while. Dang, bro. That's why. What were you studying over there?

[Kevin Gates]

Business. Yeah, business.

[Theo Von]

And you graduated, Bro, I ain't graduated, but overall. You did.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I graduated.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Big facts, man.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm a billion miles past.

[Theo Von]

Did you get a degree at some point? I saw that or I read in that you got a degree in jail, in prison.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Is that true?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, that's true.

[Theo Von]

Wow. What was the classes like in there and stuff? What is it?

[Kevin Gates]

It's not. It wasn't no classes. You just test. I got credits by testing.

[Theo Von]

Oh, so they don't have, like. Do y' all do, like. I'm trying to think of what it's called. Do y' all have, like, group projects or whatever?

[Kevin Gates]

No, they. You have an administrator that administer the test.

[Theo Von]

Oh, damn.

[Kevin Gates]

And you test. Whenever you ready to test. You test. Well, you can't say whenever you're ready to test. Like, you might test once a month or something like that. But I had a little way that I was able to keep testing. Shout out to them.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. Shout out to them. But. So you don't. You don't have group projects? I was wondering if you got a group project or something. What if your group leader gets put in, like, in a solitary confinement or whatever?

[Kevin Gates]

It wasn't like that. Yeah, it was not like that. In Louisiana prison, it's like, really every man for theyself.

[Theo Von]

So you take your test and then, like.

[Kevin Gates]

Was it instead of the curriculum and then you go take a test? You have an administrator that makes sure you don't cheat.

[Theo Von]

And did other people look down on you if you was trying to study in there or. No?

[Kevin Gates]

No. You trying to get out? Just trying to get out the dorm.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Trying to get out the door.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. I was just wondering if you had, like, a.

[Kevin Gates]

Now, when I went to prison in Chicago, when I. What does Illinois. It was. I forgot. It's emcc East Moline. But I forgot the place in Illinois that it was now. They had individual classrooms, like, on the campus.

[Theo Von]

Y' all would go to class.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, it was beautiful.

[Theo Von]

Dang.

[Kevin Gates]

That last bit I did, it changed my life completely. That's how I got into yoga. Like, they offer programs and everything at the prison. At the prison. And they had weights. And I say that, like, I would live in weights, but, like, if you wanted to be better, you could become better.

[Theo Von]

But, dude, that reminds me, you ever been at, like, a hotel or motel? You'll be in the gym, working out. They have a family just come look at the gym equipment and then just walk out.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, they just take a gym. That just happened to me. And you say at the gym?

[Theo Von]

Yeah, like, you'll be in the gym.

[Kevin Gates]

That just happened to me. And I was in South Carolina. Yeah, I was in South Carolina working out at a hotel in a gym. And they had people passing by the gym, and they'd look in the gym and open the door and leave out. But they was having, like, a. A fraternity reunion there. I forgot what fraternity it was, but it was, like, from all over the, like, country. They was there having some kind of.

[Theo Von]

Reunion, like Pan Hellenic or something like that, maybe?

[Kevin Gates]

Nah, they was a. They was frets. They was fraternity. And they told me they was in a fraternity. A few of them came in there and talked to me.

[Theo Von]

Masons or something?

[Kevin Gates]

Nah, they weren't Masons. They was like, college.

[Theo Von]

Oh, Frau Deltas or something.

[Kevin Gates]

Chopper dirt. And they was like, yeah. They was like, yeah, bro, we down here for some kind of get together. They having parties.

[Theo Von]

Oh, they drinking.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, we big fans. I was like, yeah, thank you.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, sometimes it's wild. I'll be in the gym and people will come in. Just look at the gym. Like, well, look at this. If it ain't a gym, you know? And then they just leave out.

[Kevin Gates]

At least they showed up.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, that's a good point. Huh? That's baby steps.

[Kevin Gates]

They showed up.

[Theo Von]

That's baby steps. Yeah. Because I was just wondering, if you're in jail, do you have group projects or is there, like, most likely to. You Know, like that kind of thing. Like, is it like a real, like most likely to succeed or most likely to. It's the get out of jail or whatever.

[Kevin Gates]

It's the individual based learning. But you do earn good time by going to school. I like. I like the. The way they had to set up in Illinois. They had programs and you earn good time by going to school. It's like that in Louisiana. In some facilities, you earn good time by going to school. But the way they had it set up in Illinois was different. Like they had real programs, like real classrooms that you go to. They got some facilities that offer that, but it's not the same.

[Theo Von]

So it's more organized over there.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, it was more. I'm going to say this. It was based to help people. It was geared toward anti recidivism. Recidivism is repeat offenders. Anti recidivism is people that go to jail and become better and don't come back. It was geared toward anti recidivism. Like in Louisiana. It's not geared toward that. It's geared toward. It's a revolving door. You're gonna come back, right?

[Theo Von]

We'll see you soon. Yeah, yeah. Welcome back. That type of thing. See you next time.

[Kevin Gates]

You know, like, you going in there, they.

[Theo Von]

We missed you.

[Kevin Gates]

This is one of the worst things. But it was the most beautiful thing that ever happened too. Cause I needed this. They called me in and they had switched my po. They switched my po. So they called me in. I go in, I'm thinking, I'm just going to piss. Like, you know, give an update on what's going on. Yeah, put your hands behind your back. Took me to jail. They say you traveled without notifying anybody. I'm like, y' all switch my P.O. i had been attempting to contact and nobody had ever picked the phone up.

[Theo Von]

Dang. And where'd you go? You took a vacation?

[Kevin Gates]

No, I didn't take a vacation. I was working.

[Theo Von]

I won't say anything.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, in the same spot that. The same spot that the PO had already approved travel for. And that's what made me start getting copies of everything.

[Theo Von]

Right. So you got proof of what somebody said?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. Can you sign it? Can I get a travel for me? Can you sign it? And I started getting copy. Can you make me a copy? And I started keeping a folder and keeping copies. It was beautiful, though. It made me be more organized.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, get some organization in your life and recognize. Yeah, you gotta have proof of what's going on, even for yourself, because you can't even rely on other people's proof. Because they'll forget the proof. They'll alter the proof. You don't even know.

[Kevin Gates]

Sometimes I don't believe it's that sometimes people get so busy and caught up with what they got going on.

[Theo Von]

That's true.

[Kevin Gates]

That it's easy to forget. If you're dealing with 100 different people, you not going to possibly remember little old me till my name start buzzing. Right.

[Theo Von]

Well that's a good point too because that's an interesting way. Sometimes I'll think this is the way that I'll think. I'll think, oh, they doing that on purpose to me. As opposed to what you just said. Sounds you like diversity.

[Kevin Gates]

Build character.

[Theo Von]

But people got a million things going on. They're not thinking, they're just doing their shit.

[Kevin Gates]

They say never suspect malice of what could be mistaken for incompetence.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Never take as malice for what could be misinterpreted as incompetent.

[Theo Von]

And it usually is. This usually is just kind of incompetent.

[Kevin Gates]

People don't just go out of their way to do fucked up shit to you. They just be so preoccupied with what they got going on, they don't even know that this is what they doing.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Until made aware.

[Theo Von]

But see I do. Were times in my head I'm like, these motherfuckers. That's how they treat. But it's not anything like that, you know. But I would take that on.

[Kevin Gates]

We're going to automatic, you know this. We're going to automatically place. I still plague sometime. Like have a developer complex about feeling like I'm being, you know, mishandled and things of that nature. But I don't even look at it like that. That should be so petty. Because I look at it now like it's an invitation for me to lower my frequency. I stay.

[Theo Von]

What is something you miss about prison?

[Kevin Gates]

I don't miss nothing about prison.

[Theo Von]

Even something little.

[Kevin Gates]

No, I don't miss nothing about prison.

[Theo Von]

So there's nothing in it. What about even just getting some rest every now and then? Was it like that or.

[Kevin Gates]

No, I can get rest out here. I need to go to prison for the guy.

[Theo Von]

You're right. You're right, man. I'm trying to. Yeah. What I miss now, I'm gonna read ads for some of the prison.

[Kevin Gates]

Somebody coming. That was somebody coming up. Making sure you in compliance be made up, all that. I ain't got time for that shit. I do that on my own anyway.

[Theo Von]

And what about a cellmate at night? Like do people say Goodnight to each other or people just quietly go to sleep.

[Kevin Gates]

It depend on if you and your cell are cool. If you ain't, you got a cell and y' all cool like that, you know. But with me, anytime I leave, any set I have, they gonna always, man, I'm gonna miss you, bro. Cause I just. I keep it going. Yeah, I run eps and everything. And when I say run eps, that mean like I'm running an episode. Like we talking about shit. But it might go. When I first get in the cell, it might go about 90 days. My cell is gonna always ask me the same thing. Hey, you sleep all day and you be up all night. You don't watch TV and you don't get on the phone. I be reading. I just read. I read books. I got stacks of books here.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Then I don't even go to child. So, like, say if you indigent. Indigent mean, don't nobody send you no money. I'mma ask you. You got family out there, they love you, they send you money. You gonna tell me no. That what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna put $100 on your books. You gonna give me 80 worth of shit and you gonna just keep the 20 for you?

[Theo Von]

Yeah. That's business.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. So you know, you eating and I'm eating. Cause I don't even go to child. So I do hookups every night. I cook.

[Theo Von]

So you in your own space then.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I'm gonna cook every night.

[Theo Von]

So you kind of try to create your own system within that system. Do you feel like in a way.

[Kevin Gates]

No, that's just how I live. That's how I do my time. I do my. Be like that. I don't really go to child. This is on chicken day, right? And then, no judgment on that. I probably don't go on chicken day because all the chicken gonna get brought to me anyway. And I'm gonna just cut all that. I'm gonna cut all that up and put that in a soup, put that in a hookup. A hookup? Like where you get a big bowl and you, you know, we cook.

[Theo Von]

You got your own thing on. Now, how do you heat the food up in the cell?

[Kevin Gates]

It depends on what spot we at. It depends on where we at. They got some people, they cook on the bone, like on the middle. They got some people, they got some jails where they give you a hot pack, but you gotta rig it for to make it boil. It depends. Some people make a stingle.

[Theo Von]

What is that?

[Kevin Gates]

A stinger. That's the Thing they hook in an electric socket in a little stinger. It depends.

[Theo Von]

Oh, there you got somebody grilling something right there on a bed sheet. Oh, that's good.

[Kevin Gates]

It depends on what spot we at.

[Theo Von]

They have some good chefs in prison.

[Kevin Gates]

The best.

[Theo Von]

Amen. Amen, dude. Yeah. Where's that cooking show, huh?

[Kevin Gates]

They got people make pizzas, everything. Anything you could think of. Stir fry, everything.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I love that.

[Kevin Gates]

They got. I was locked up in Florida, they got some. They do. They call making a brick where they take it. Man, they put everything in there. Turkey, sausage, everything. And they just. I'm talking about everything you could think of. They can get out the kitchen, they put in a. And they make it. They cook it in a Dorito bag and make it like a whole lit brick. Oh, yeah, man. I'm talking about the truth.

[Theo Von]

Good, huh? You ever do a prison night or something at the house? Remake some food like that or try to. You ever remake any stuff like that for your friends so they can taste it?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I done did that for my partners and my little son, he like all that.

[Theo Von]

Oh, hell yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But we come from that. Anywhere on the street number Ramen noodles and all that. We come from that. Putting anything you could find in.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, well, the big thing in our house was.

[Kevin Gates]

Oh, yeah. My partner used to make my. He wasn't my celly, but he was like two doors down, about three doors down. He used to make burritos.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. Diddy really is a Mexican guy.

[Kevin Gates]

Nuh, he wasn't Mexican, but he used to make burritos.

[Theo Von]

He pretended he was Mexican for dinner.

[Kevin Gates]

You would have thought he was a Mexican.

[Theo Von]

God, I love a burrito, bro.

[Kevin Gates]

Man, he used to make the best ones.

[Theo Von]

I didn't like him at first because I didn't want to do. I like sandwiches. I didn't want to betray a sandwich.

[Kevin Gates]

He used to do it with all the. All beef, all turkey, all chicken. I'm talking about the truth.

[Theo Von]

My God.

[Kevin Gates]

Onions, everything. Bell peppers, everything. Oh, he was putting everything in it.

[Theo Von]

Now, all the ingredients, you get them through the jail or some people smuggle in a Bell peppers.

[Kevin Gates]

You get that from commissary, but like. Like vegetables and shit. All that's gonna get broke. That's coming from the kitchen. Yeah, that's gonna get broke. That's broke.

[Theo Von]

And what about it? Got any good desserts in prison? Was there ever like a. Yeah, they.

[Kevin Gates]

Got dudes in there that make candy. They got dudes in there that make ice cream.

[Theo Von]

God dang. Really? Wow. I would love that.

[Kevin Gates]

They got Dudes make everything in there. Them some of the most creative people you gonna ever meet in your life.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Really?

[Kevin Gates]

So them some of the most intelligent people you gonna ever meet in your life? Yeah, the most intelligent.

[Theo Von]

You talking about weights, you talk about yoga? You got into yoga when you were in there?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I accidentally got into yoga.

[Theo Von]

How'd that happen?

[Kevin Gates]

My partner kept telling me, man.

[Theo Von]

Bro, but I think a lot of black men, they. You can't just say, I got into yoga. I think you have to be like, accidentally go to yoga.

[Kevin Gates]

I was against it. I was all the way against it.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

He was telling me, man. Bro, I'm telling you, bro, they got yoga classes. I said, well, you going there and bend over. I'm not going in there and doing that shit. You going there and bend your ass over.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So that was. I was just. I was like, too hard for myself. Just whatever, whatever, whatever. So one of my partners from across the hall, he was like, yeah, bro, I'm gonna holler, y' all. I'm about to go do yoga. I say, for what? He was like, man, I couldn't even. Like, he was telling me he had knee pains and all kind of different pains in his joints. He said, I don't even have that shit no more. Since I've been doing yoga, he say, man, everything on me, like, he say, it's been healing my body. So I'm like, whatever. Like, two days pass, I give it a try. Going up the first maybe two poses of the shit I did. I'm thinking it's some bullshit. Like, oh, yeah. When you see on tv, you see people. Oh, namaste. Yeah, you know, you thinking it's bullshit. So I did it.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, maybe after the third pose, I ran to the bathroom and shitted everything. Like, it cut my appetite is really what started my. Kind of Started my fitness journey. Like, a lot of the people that was lifting weights and doing all that was still come and do yoga. Because I had read in a. What's it? Was that the Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia, that big yellow book.

[Theo Von]

What's he got on there? He had a big. It's called.

[Kevin Gates]

There you go right there. Arnold Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia. That's the one. But he did yoga. He was like, whenever a lion wake up, a lion stretch first before they do anything. So I started looking at it. And, you know when you start feeding yourself that, you know, your brain open up to something different when you reading it. Cause you become like an information freak. You become like a seeker of knowledge. But because this is the only thing that's stimulating you mentally. You know what I'm saying? You being stimulated by new information. So then I was like, man, yeah, I'm gonna go with it. So I started fucking with it. I came home, I got off it, but then I had got back on it and now I'm like, fully committed.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah, dude. I've definitely done some yoga where you'll. I mean, you will. You have shit. You're like, damn, this shit been missed.

[Kevin Gates]

You catch your appetite and everything.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

If I don't do yoga, I feel weird.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, dude, there's nothing better when you get done with yoga and you cut off the computer or however you do.

[Kevin Gates]

You know, I love when my yoga coach used to tell me, thank you for allowing me to share this space with you. Namaste.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm like, I bet you not like this at the house, but in my brain, you know?

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. Oh, dude, yoga. Sometimes, bro, there'd be a pose. One time I would do something with my shoulder.

[Kevin Gates]

I had shoulder pain, all that.

[Theo Von]

It unlocked something inside of me. My tears just coming out of my face just stuck in my muscles, you know?

[Kevin Gates]

That's crazy that happened to me. Doing a pigeon pose. And I was just in the pose. I was laying there and I ain't want to lift back up because I was just crying uncontrollably. And she came and put her hands on my back and she was like, the energy that you're feeling right now is not your own. It's just psychic debris. You're having an emotional detox.

[Theo Von]

Damn.

[Kevin Gates]

Release it. And I was just breathing through it. And then I did the left side. And then I. Whoever tell us about emotional detoxes. I ain't grew up knowing about that shit. I ain't know that everything that we go through traumatically, it harness itself somewhere in some type of muscle fascia or somewhere in the fascia. I ain't know that shit.

[Theo Von]

Well, there's not a lot of guys talk. There's not a lot of guys. I don't feel like where you're from talking about this stuff, man. What do you think? Really took?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I felt like it was. I'm gonna be honest, I did prejudge it. I thought that was for pussies.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

When I first. When they first told me about yoga, I'm not about to do that bitch ass shit.

[Theo Von]

Especially in prison. I didn't even know they had different sports. I thought homosexuality was the only sport in prison.

[Kevin Gates]

The first thing I told him, I Said, man, you going there and bend your ass over. I'm not about to do it.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, fucking little zesty.

[Kevin Gates]

Next thing I know, I was doing them warrior poses and all that shit. You in there, bro, this shit ain't no joke.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, you get in there with your little sugar cane in there. I ain't going in there. That's how I would think at first. You know, you get in there with your little spicy baby body.

[Kevin Gates]

You only victim of what you entertain.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, but that was. I was all. Did I? That's how I was. I was against everything.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I used to plex like that. I think in juvenile detention because you hear so many up stories about jail, when you go in there, they gonna try to. Yeah, they people. And you think that's how it's going. So.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, don't wear no cologne.

[Kevin Gates]

When you go in there, the first thing you do is plex. And what I mean by plex, you have a complex. You're in defense. You're in defense mode. But when you get there, you really see that prison is structured. Yeah, it's really off respect. It's ran off respect, respect, run the compound. Ain't nobody going to pass by you and not say, excuse me. It's different.

[Theo Von]

Do you admire the level of respect that was in there? In some ways.

[Kevin Gates]

I give my respect first, but at the end of the day, I still demand it.

[Theo Von]

Did you get treated special because you had celebrity in your life? You think?

[Kevin Gates]

I wasn't a celebrity at first. Got it like juvenile detention through that circuit. I wasn't a celebrity.

[Theo Von]

Was it scary to go back to prison? Like, damn, now they know me.

[Kevin Gates]

Juvenile facilities are more chaotic than adult facilities.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah, I could see that.

[Kevin Gates]

They way more chaotic. So that's where the fighting and all that go on every day. An adult prison. It's structured. It ain't like that. It's laid back. That shit they be showing on tv. Them Mickey Mouse camps.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

That's not no right.

[Theo Von]

It's not real shit.

[Kevin Gates]

That's not no maximum security. That's not no. None of that. Them Mickey Mouse camps, I used to wonder. That's not like Louisiana. Like Louisiana prisons are the roughest prisons from my perspective. Cause I done been around a little bit. I haven't been to prison in Canada.

[Theo Von]

So it sounds nice.

[Kevin Gates]

So, man, they had the best food.

[Theo Von]

Oh, man, Canada's great. I would go to prison in Canada.

[Kevin Gates]

It was different. Like the way they respect you there is total. Like the way the guards respect you there is different. When you get To Louisiana. It's a whole nother story.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, always. Definitely. There's a different way that people communicate overall. Dude, I'll tell you this. Even what I noticed about racial stuff in Canada when I was up there, I feel like sometimes in America, especially growing up in the south, there's. There's not. There's. There's some tension between black and white, I feel like. But there's a lot of history, right?

[Kevin Gates]

Louisiana, Mississippi, all white boys different.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, okay. But in Canada, if you. In Canada, there's no racial tension.

[Kevin Gates]

They're not regular white boys. In Mississippi, Louisiana, they built different.

[Theo Von]

Well, some of them. Some of them got. They. Some of them seem like, I got.

[Kevin Gates]

A partner right now. We is locked up. If you call him G White, you might as well just go and get rid of. Just don't even call him. If you call. Cause you know that be like, what up, G White? You know, you say that to like, you know, he think he a nigger. You know, like, what up, G White? Man, they got some white boy. They not going for that. Yeah, I'm not going. You not about to call me G White. We could fight all, hey. Or we could play with that knife. And that's how they coming. They built like that.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. It's changed a little bit, huh?

[Kevin Gates]

No, it ain't changed. It been like that.

[Theo Von]

You think?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, you got real niggas and bitch niggas everywhere you go.

[Theo Von]

God dang, I hope so.

[Kevin Gates]

It's like. It's like.

[Theo Von]

I'm glad to know that, I guess.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, it's. You only victim of what you entertain.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

See, like when you went to the sugar cane, baby, that conversation, I ain't even grinning. Cause I'm not in, right? If you grin, you in.

[Theo Von]

Oh, dang.

[Kevin Gates]

That was your conversation.

[Theo Von]

I'm not. I'm not talking to me.

[Kevin Gates]

Like when you was like, yeah, I wanna be in there with my sugar baby and a yoga thing. I was like.

[Theo Von]

I said there were men in there. I think there's creative men in there.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I just. That wasn't my conversation.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm a real vic, so that just went over my head. I ain't no new J.

[Theo Von]

Me, too, bro. I ain't about that shit.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, so when you. Like when somebody had them kind of.

[Theo Von]

Conversations, I ain't having them.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, that just go over my head.

[Theo Von]

Me too.

[Kevin Gates]

Cause if you grin, you in. You only victim of what you entertain.

[Theo Von]

I'm chilling. I ain't smiling about nothing. I feel that.

[Kevin Gates]

Not like, if you grin, you in. But if you entertain it, right?

[Theo Von]

Oh, I see.

[Kevin Gates]

You open the door for that.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, not me. I'm locking that up.

[Kevin Gates]

And that's one thing I teach my son. Like, sometimes he'll see something on the Internet, like a comment. I say, hey, you don't entertain that. You a man, right? Don't never let nobody defeat you with words. You don't entertain it.

[Theo Von]

How did you start to get to know yourself? Right? Because you talked about that.

[Kevin Gates]

Solitude, really? Solitude.

[Theo Von]

Cause you're one of the few people. You're one of the few kind of rappers I feel like, that are. That I've met or experienced or paid attention to, that I know of, that talks about that kind of stuff, their relationship with themselves, Right.

[Kevin Gates]

Most of the things that we did. Excuse me. I can't say we. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna speak for me, all right? Most of the things that I did in my life that people would consider heroic or violent or that I got stripes for, that was out of fear or seeking validation from somebody older than me.

[Theo Von]

But how did you start to realize that, that.

[Kevin Gates]

That.

[Theo Von]

That that's what was going on? Like, that you. Like when you say, like, solitary, being.

[Kevin Gates]

By yourself, being in solitude, spending time alone.

[Theo Von]

So what was that practice? Did you have a practice that started. I mean, you said like a little bit of yoga, so that kind of opened up your idea to, like, doing something different. But what. Like, what was. Was there somebody who started to teach you these practices? Because it's hard to get from.

[Kevin Gates]

Just when a student ready to learn, the teacher appear. Once you start walking this path, like this path led me to doing this right now, today. And when I leave here, I don't know who I'm gonna meet that may give me a tidbit of knowledge that's gonna propel me forward. I don't know. And it just. You pick it up. The reward really is in the journey. So I just pick up little T beers along the way.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Or how you say it. Tidbits. My bad.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, that's.

[Kevin Gates]

That Louisiana. That's the Louisiana. My tongue heavy, that Tidbits.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So I. I gotta. I talk lazy.

[Theo Von]

What. When you look on your life, what's like, what are some of the worst pain that you felt like you ever have ever been in?

[Kevin Gates]

Physical? Emotional.

[Theo Von]

Emotional, probably, I would say. Or mental, like. Cause I've heard you talk about trauma and overcoming past traumas. You don't hear a lot of people talk like that, you know? So, like, I'm just like, recently 20.

[Kevin Gates]

20, I was gonna kill myself.

[Theo Von]

Damn.

[Kevin Gates]

I had deleted my Instagram for like a year and a half. I was gonna kill myself. Cause I only felt appreciated for my ability to do. And then I was always looking at Instagram and it was like I was comparison. I was comparing and I spoke about this before, I was comparing my life to other people's life. And comparison really is the killer of all joy. And I didn't understand that until I started looking at my life like, damn. Like I'm seeing everybody highlight real. But at the end of the day I'm just me. But everybody else living so great. But that's just the highlights. That's not what they going through every day. And it took me getting off Instagram and getting off social media period, to see that people really do love me and enjoy the world and start having gratitude. Like think about the things you grateful for, not what you don't have and not how shit not going. But think about all the good shit and just be thankful. Like, I'm grateful for this, I'm grateful for that. And that's when things started to kind of change for me.

[Theo Von]

A lot of people say that kind of stuff, but it's not a practice in their life, right. It's not like a real truth that they're living. I think that's one thing to me that's interesting by you, it feels like that's really how you have chosen to live your life. What were like practices I don't have.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm gonna be honest every day, not gonna be a good day, right. For me. But I'm still gonna go to the gym, right? Cause that is my therapy. And I kind of train myself to know that whenever I have like a fucked up feeling, like the days that I don't even wanna go them, the days that I had the best workouts, I didn't kind of start playing a game with myself. I know when certain people started texting me and it's low vibrational people, something good must be about to happen. There's gotta be a test. Something good about to happen. And I just started training myself to look at it like that. And that's really how it be going now.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. Alternate at like taking the opposite choice, making the opposite choice. Because everything inside of you is like, take it, take off today, take it easy. Don't do it.

[Kevin Gates]

I swear to God. Yeah, like I went jogged and everything before I came here.

[Theo Von]

Amen. I heard you talk about before about like a lot of men you don't feel like are living their truth Right.

[Kevin Gates]

Pretty neck.

[Theo Von]

I feel like we're in a tough spot, like, with, like, love and the value, the moral value of relationships and.

[Kevin Gates]

Stuff like that, you know, like, ain't nobody. Ain't nobody really loving people no more. I think I'm the only person right now that's like, really living in my authenticity. I'm talking about as far as, like, on the main stage, like, people say what's politically correct. And I don't give a fuck what nobody think about me because if everybody like me, then I'm pussy. You know what I'm saying? I'm just. I want to be liked by everybody. He who is a friend to everyone is a friend to no one. I'm not a good. I'm not friendly, but I'm a great friend. And that's just my perspective on it. Like, it's a lot of people that won't allow themselves to love somebody based on their past situations or the bumps and mistakes that they made and for fear of how the rest of the world will look at them. Yeah, I don't care how the world look at me. Don't care. I'm living life out loud.

[Theo Von]

Damn. Really?

[Kevin Gates]

Really?

[Theo Von]

Dude, I. I'll tell you this, Kevin. I. Yeah, I've had. I remember times in my life, I was like, man, I wouldn't date a certain girl because of what my friends would think of her, bro. And then I spent like a couple.

[Kevin Gates]

Years, like that one time I had that problem, but.

[Theo Von]

But then I missed out on a.

[Kevin Gates]

Good opportunity, man, once I started. Man, listen. Once I started with this little chick, everybody told me, don't with her. She ended up being. And still to this day, we still good friends. She's one of the most solid people I ever met. And it's back from when I was still on the block and we still cool. She doing good for herself now. She in the real estate and now. But this from back when I was on the block with it. Oh, yeah, she was dancing. She used to dance. Everybody, man. Don't mess with her. She a stripper. She. And she ended up being one of the most silent people. And that's when I realized it's the people that the world say the most fucked up shit about. Be the best people. And the people everybody praise and be like, yeah, this person, he's such a great guy. They really be barbaric behind closed doors.

[Theo Von]

Damn.

[Kevin Gates]

They don't have no morals. They don't have no principles. They don't stand for nothing. So I just noticed, like, some of your better People be the people that everybody don't like.

[Theo Von]

Well, I think it's tough for people.

[Kevin Gates]

You kind of one of them people. Like, when I say authentic, like, you pretty much do your own shit. You one of them people to me. To me, like, you live in your authenticity. A lot of people be like, the stuff that you say, a lot of people wouldn't say it for fear of how it would be perceived. You just say it and I'm like, I with. I can't help but to with it.

[Theo Von]

Like, that's a good point, right?

[Kevin Gates]

You just real people.

[Theo Von]

Thanks for the compliment, man. Yeah, I try my best. I think the tough part is it was the truth.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, it was the truth, right?

[Theo Von]

I think the tough part, it's just. I'm just always still trying to figure out who I am, and I'm amazed at new things that come along.

[Kevin Gates]

Most people want to admit that, like, one of my albums that's about to come out is called Don't Know what I'm Doing. Because I don't know what I'm doing. Yeah, most people want to admit that they don't know what they doing. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm still discovering new parts of myself every day. I don't know. People be asking me, so what you gonna do today? I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet.

[Theo Von]

How do you keep your ego? Because this is something I've noticed in my life, right? Like my ego. What do I do? How do I figure out what is. Is my ego and what is self confidence and self worth? Like, do you know what I'm talking about? Your ego can slip in.

[Kevin Gates]

To be honest, 20, 25. Some people could say that I'm operating out of ego. But I'm not giving to nobody but me. Like, I'm not. I've given everything I had to give, and now everybody else can just figure it out and as. And we can say, that's ego, that's cool. But when I go to the gym, I don't ego lift, right? I don't lift the heaviest weights in there. I do what's comfortable for me. I work at my own pace. Hey, you know what? What I eat doesn't make you shit. And what you eat doesn't make me shit. So if you want to go in there and be the world's strongest person, you know, good luck, buddy.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, great for you.

[Kevin Gates]

I do what works for me. And I always make sure. Am I getting what I came for? I just wanna get what I Came for.

[Theo Von]

Like, what do you mean by that?

[Kevin Gates]

Like, when I go to the gym, I don't get sidetracked. And socializing. What I mean by socializing is I knew I had this interview today and I already made the commitment, so I'm gonna honor that commitment. So when I went. I'm just giving you an illustration for sure. For example, so when I went to the gym today, I went in there to get what I came for. I ain't coming here to be friendly. I ain't coming here to socialize. And what I mean by socializing? You know your uncle paid by y' all over there socializing, huh? Yeah, socializing. Yeah, y' all over there socializing. You lying to him and he lying to you. Y' all lying to each other. I ain't coming here to socialize.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, man, I think having parameters for yourself and boundaries for what your goals are, that's. I think what.

[Kevin Gates]

Had I not did what I needed to do to raise my frequency, me going to the gym today was committing an act of self love, I wouldn't have been able to do this right. I feel great now.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I feel amazing.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, your energy comes in and yeah, it's funny. Cause you come in, I feel like, damn. I gotta. I wanna be on a level. I wanna.

[Kevin Gates]

Well, you came in. When I saw Jesse, and every time I see Jesse, I'm. Jesse is a friend. And he's always been a good friend of mine. Lately, something's changed. If you're watching this, Jesse shout out to you, Jesse. He was like, every time I see him, he was like, every time he sees me, talks, makes a song about stealing my fucking girl. And that's just a joke that we got. Every time I see you.

[Theo Von]

Good to see you, Jesse, bro.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, Jesse, if you're watching this.

[Theo Von]

He'S watching, man.

[Kevin Gates]

If you're watching, Jesse, this one's for you, brother.

[Theo Von]

It's for you, buddy. It's for you, buddy. Did you have self hatred and stuff? Did you deal with that?

[Kevin Gates]

Of course.

[Theo Von]

How'd you know you had it?

[Kevin Gates]

My actions. You know who told me? Who kind of started the conversation? I was talking to plies one day.

[Theo Von]

Really?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. And it may not seem like it, but that's a real intelligent dude. So he was like, man, Gates, that's something I be noticing, bro. He said, gates, man, you be acting like a ugly nigga, man. I said, what you mean? You just be. Yeah, you be moving around like a ugly nigga, man. And you not no ugly nigga. You handsome. But I'M just saying, you be like a ugly nigga, and I be like, what you mean? Man, you got to have some security with you. Can't nobody be just touching you. And then we were sitting down at the table and a lady was trying to tell me. He said, hold on, I'm delicate. I know what he meant. But he was talking about setting those energetic boundaries for yourself. Like, everybody not supposed to have access to you because it's taxing on your spirit. It's draining. It's draining. Certain phone calls is draining. Oh, hello. Yeah, what's going on? They about to tell you some bullshit, some bad news. I don't want to hear that shit. Yeah, maybe that's my ego. You. You act like you don't care. I don't. It's not that I don't give a. I could just give a. Less. Yeah, I care about me. Right, That. I don't want to hear that.

[Theo Von]

Damn. Yeah. It's so true, man.

[Kevin Gates]

There's a person that. You'll take it on, a person that don't. You're not doing the work every day.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So it's like, I'm doing the work every day. So a person that's not doing the work every day, it's really nothing you could tell me because I'm doing the work every day. Like, I go weeks sometime without eating. When I'm fasting, when I need clarity, I just stop eating. I'm three days in, no food. You wouldn't even go three hours. Yeah, I'm hungry. I have a headache. That's your body detoxing. So I don't even listen to people like that.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

People don't care.

[Theo Von]

People get all fattened out or whatever they cook. Yeah. People just.

[Kevin Gates]

I mean, food could be used as a drug sometimes. Sometimes food could be used as a coping mechanism. Cause I used to use food as a coping mechanism. Sometime I overeat or sometime I wouldn't eat.

[Theo Von]

What would your snack be if you had a destined, like an evening snack, nighttime snack, good night Kevin, or whatever.

[Kevin Gates]

Snack now or then. Back then, I used to drink a lot of syrup.

[Theo Von]

Straight syrup?

[Kevin Gates]

No, I used to mix it with, like, the pineapple. The pineapple Sunkiss. That's when Activist was out. I used, like, the cough syrup. I used to mix it with pineapple Sunkiss, Sprite and Mountain Dew. Them was my favorites.

[Theo Von]

Damn. And some syrup.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

What kind of Log Cabin Light or whatever. Uh.

[Kevin Gates]

And then I used to have to eat. What was my thing, My favorite thing to eat. I Liked the. Them little crust, the uncrustables, the little.

[Theo Von]

With the peanut butter and jelly.

[Kevin Gates]

I liked the dim. And what else? I used to eat something else I used to eat all the time.

[Theo Von]

I don't know if it was Doritos maybe or something.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know if it was chicken wings. It was something I forgot. It was something I used to eat all the time. I forgot. I know it was unhealthy, whatever it was, but.

[Theo Von]

You're talking about drugs. Yeah, I used to do codeine syrup.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Okay. I didn't know what you're talking about at first.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Wow. And you were addicted to it.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't say addicted, but you enjoy. I didn't like it. I loved it.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I loved it. But now we went to rehab.

[Theo Von]

Either you didn't.

[Kevin Gates]

Rehabs for quitters.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm not trying to quit.

[Theo Von]

How. But you don't do that anymore, though.

[Kevin Gates]

Because I found a new drug. Fitness. My new drug of choice.

[Theo Von]

Do you notice, though, are you able to notice a different feeling of how much different you feel making those?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I miss choices. Yes. I'm gonna be honest, and I hate to say what I'm about to say when people be like, I miss the old Kevin. I get it. Cause I missed the old Eminem when he was on drugs. That's the Eminem I like. That's the Eminem. I like the Eminem that was on drugs. So I know what people mean when they. Man, I Mr. Old Kevin. I'm like, I get it. I get it. Cause I miss him, too. I do. But I'm not about to sacrifice the way I feel for that. Like, I love where I'm at now.

[Theo Von]

Well, I think that's a trap, too, is to stay where you are. You know? It's a trap, man.

[Kevin Gates]

You can grow with me or you can grow without me, but either way, it's on with enough with me. But I do get it, though, when people say, man, I miss the old Kevin. Cause I miss the old Eminem. I do. I miss the old Eminem. I swear to God I do.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. I believe that I missed. There's times in my own life that I missed. There's times in my own life where I felt like I was funnier or, like, had better ideas and stuff. But things just change and sometimes it's different.

[Kevin Gates]

I like where I'm at now.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, this.

[Kevin Gates]

I like where I'm at now, man. I'm a motherfucking supermodel, man. I love where I'm at. Now this shit different now. I used to couldn't even do the wheel, the ab wheel. Now I do that shit. Effortless, really. I go jogging in the morning, effortless. It's just automatic. When I stretch, it's effortless. When I fuck my bitch, it's just effortless. And I do everything better. And I hate to say what I just said, but it's the God honest truth. I just. I wouldn't change this for the world. It was time drinking, sir. My dick wouldn't even get hard.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And not to get off on those sexually related type, but I had erectile dysfunction at 20, what? 23, 24 years old because of all the drugs I was doing. So I'm okay. I would never trade that for this. I love where I'm at now. I can sing better. Like, my singing voice has matured now because I'm not on drugs. So I love where I'm at now. The music that I make is. I make music that I can work out in the gym too now. So I, you know, not other. I get it though. I get it. I understand. Yeah, but I don't care. But I understand. Yeah, I missed the old gay.

[Theo Von]

Oh, dude. Yeah. I think great. But I think the new gates is really prophetic. I think the new gate says some things that are really.

[Kevin Gates]

Man. I think the new gate says, bro, Say, bro. I love you, bro. You scaring me right now.

[Theo Von]

I am.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Sorry.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't want to be a prophet.

[Theo Von]

Okay.

[Kevin Gates]

I was scared, like.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, that's true, man.

[Kevin Gates]

Scary. When you say shit like that, like, you know, you. That's crazy. Like you the first person that I ever sat in front of that said that to me. Like, thank you. I love you for being able to see me. But that's. That's scary.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Maybe it's unnecessary, kind of.

[Kevin Gates]

And I don't mean. I don't mean it like that is somebody else. That's. When they see this, they gonna be like, see, I told you. Because there's some people that argue with me. Like, I told you, as a prophet, I'm like, but prophets are perfect. I'm not perfect.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, no, I don't think that I.

[Kevin Gates]

Wouldn'T have made it in the book. Hey, it's a good thing I wasn't around Jesus. I made us look bad.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, yeah. Instead of a disciple, you didn't need.

[Kevin Gates]

Some automated us look bad. You know what I'm saying?

[Theo Von]

In general, most. Let's get prophets right here. In general, most religious traditions do not consider prophets to be Perfect in the sense of being entirely free from error or sin. While they're often revered for the divine connection and ability to convey God's message, there's still a lot of pressure. I just like, man, I like the new bars you have just as much as the old bars, man. That's what I like.

[Kevin Gates]

Hey, at least somebody cares.

[Theo Von]

That's what I like, dude.

[Kevin Gates]

At least somebody cares. But it's just. And it's not to say that. That you wrong for saying that. It's just a few people in my camp, in my circle, they'd be like, you know, you're a prophet, right? And I'm like, no, I don't want to be that. And I guess it's me shying away from the responsibility of it. I don't want that responsibility. If I said something and it helped, take it. For what it's worth, I made a bunch of mistakes to get whatever knowledge and wisdom I gave you. I made a bunch of mistakes to get to that point.

[Theo Von]

Did. How do you be a parent that was different than how you was parented? Because that's one of the most important things.

[Kevin Gates]

You could go anywhere. We could go anywhere. Like, because the truth hurts, but it heals. So we could go. We could have any kind of conversation. What makes me a better parent is I was sexually victimized. And I didn't have a safe place to communicate. I created a space for my children to communicate with me. So they say when you work on yourself, you hear seven generations backwards and seven generations forward and damn, I hate to say this, but somebody before me, they was sexually victimized also. So it was like something that kind of ran in the family.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah. Like a learned behavior or. Okay, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

It was like they had went through the same thing.

[Theo Von]

And.

[Kevin Gates]

By me creating that space for my children to be able to communicate with me. Don't nobody never touch you there. Nobody. You know, you always talk to. To me. I don't judge my children. As long as you tell me the truth, I'm never going to be upset with you. No matter what it is. I'm here to help you figure it out. You know, that's me. So anyway, I broke those generational curses or, excuse me, generational traumas, let's say that they not generational curse. Generational traumas. So I broke that. And the reason I don't really speak on it, like, because it was my family's still kind of healing from this situation that's understood. Like, me and my mother, we got a beautiful relationship now. Like, it's super beautiful. But it was estranged for a while.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Because I wasn't able to communicate. So now it's beautiful because we communicate. And me going back and forgiving my mother and forgiving myself and things of that nature. You gotta realize, they didn't know what they was doing. Nobody handed them a pamphlet and said, this is how you rear children.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So when they hear shocking news like that, the first thing they do, panic. They don't think to act. But me, I think to act. I don't think to just say, oh, God. What? That's not how you stop bullying. Fighting solves everything. I teach my children that fighting solves everything. Like, I tell my son, like, if you go to school and if somebody say something to you, don't worry about that, but if somebody put their hands on you, you punch them right in their nose. And you don't stop. You keep going. When I come to the school, I'm gonna be like, I can't believe you did all this bitch ass shit. I swear to God, I'm gonna kill your motherfucking ass. I'm so. I'm gonna do all that. I'm gonna make it look good when I get there. Then after that, I'm gonna take you and buy you every toy in the store. Because fighting solves everything.

[Theo Von]

You gotta. Yeah, you gotta.

[Kevin Gates]

Hey, we don't. What's that, coach? That Texas ain't. What? He said, we don't raise no pussies. I forgot that football guy. Yeah. He said, we don't raise no pussies.

[Theo Von]

He died, didn't he.

[Kevin Gates]

I forgot the coach name. I just seen that shit.

[Theo Von]

Woody Allen. Yeah. Michael Leach.

[Kevin Gates]

He was like, we don't raise no pussies. Yeah.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But that's just one of my biggest things. When I could say the way I parent is different. I don't parent like that. I parent different.

[Theo Von]

Like, were you like, I parent like Coach Knight. Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But, yeah, I parent like Coach Knight. I parent like a coach.

[Theo Von]

Okay.

[Kevin Gates]

My grandfather was like a coach. Like that. Tough love. That's how I parent.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. I think people don't realize, like, how they look at their children, too is important. If you always look at your child with like, will you go do that? Or this is wrong or something, then date. That's. They feel like something is always wrong. Right. Like the look you put into your child's eyes, like your child is kind of like a cup and you're like a picture.

[Kevin Gates]

It is accountability going on. Like, they have to make their beds. They have to go to School, they have to do these things. And if not, then you can't play the game right. You're going to have to take accountability. Like my son and my daughter know. And my daughter. Yeah, she not even 13 yet. She came to me and told me, daddy, is there anything I could help do around the house to make your life more easier? Like one of her chores is you keep the kitchen clean, still gotta make your bed, still gotta go to school, but you keep the kitchen clean. My son, you gotta make your bed, still gotta go to school, but you make sure the trash put out. And I just give them little jobs. Yeah, and then you earn what, you. You earn your wages? Yeah, I pay them. I pay em.250 a week.

[Theo Von]

Do you really? 250? God dang, bro.

[Kevin Gates]

I pay em 250 a week. You want Robux? You want that? You know you gotta. I pay him.

[Theo Von]

Wow, Dan, they could have worked. Oh yeah, they could have a Chevy sedan by September. That's a good amount of money.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, my daughter, she like into the furry costumes. They be dressing up like. Don't kill me. Cause I don't want to say she real defensive about this. No, dad, it's not. That's what it's called. It's called this. I don't know the name of it, but they dress up like little animals. Little animals. I did it one time with her and that was my way of like going into her world. And she was like, I want to post the video that me and you did on TikTok, but I'm scared people are going to hate on it. I say, promise me you're going to do one thing. She said what? I heard Floyd Mayweather say this, say, no matter what you do, if you do something good, if you do something bad, if you do something for yourself or you do something for other people, people going to always have something to say about you. So just promise me that you're going to make yourself happy. Oh yeah, that's me right there.

[Theo Von]

Which one?

[Kevin Gates]

I'm about to come in on the fur. Yeah, that's me right there, look.

[Theo Von]

Ooh, Kevin. Yeah, that's beautiful, man. Ooh.

[Kevin Gates]

Ooh.

[Theo Von]

Wow. And what an animal is that?

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know what I was. I think I was like a little wolf or something.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, that's a damn little Cajun wolf.

[Kevin Gates]

And then so she was afraid to post it, but then once she posted it, the shit went viral, like. Cause she was already lit in the furry community. Oh, I hope I'm saying it right. Easily. If you Watching me. Don't.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Young lady, we're just trying.

[Kevin Gates]

I love you.

[Theo Von]

Your father's just honoring what you guys got going on there.

[Kevin Gates]

But that was my way of going in the whole world, right?

[Theo Von]

And saying, look, I'm proud of what I do. I spend time with my daughter. Yeah, yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, it's important. I'm proud of them. Like, just telling them you love them every day, hugging on them and letting them know I'm proud of you. Oh, yeah, like that reassurance. Oh, dude, they not afraid to make me mad. You know what they're afraid to do? Disappoint me. The same way I'm afraid to disappoint God. They're afraid to disappoint me.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. That relationship is just so important, man. It's so important, you know? Like. Yeah, I remember. Oh, I was. I was so angry as a kid. Man, I wish I'd had that relationship.

[Kevin Gates]

I used to get angry. Like, if I see somebody spending time with their father playing basketball, I'd be like, ass.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Because I wanted it. But now I am that. And then I can't be upset with my real father because we had some beautiful times together. Oh, yeah, we had some beautiful times together. The times we had.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. What was a special time? My mom. I remember one time. So my mom delivered, like, newspapers and stuff, you know? So one time, I think I got sick as I couldn't go to school, but she had to work. And so I got to go on her route with her and she would go. And then we took a ride. We went out to over by Picuin and we went. They had a Wendy's over there, and we got a Wendy's sandwich over there. And it was like the only time I ever remember doing something just me and my mom, but I remembered us, everything about it. How I was sitting, what we were doing. Just. We had like a nice day together, you know, and. But I had to get sick at school to even. Just because my mom always had to work. So I'm not, like, whining about it. It's just like. But I remember that it was important to me, you know, as we get.

[Kevin Gates]

Older sometime it let us know that the act of love that they had coming from where we come from was them sacrificing time with us to make sure that we had food on the table. Is looking at it in hindsight.

[Theo Von]

That's a good point.

[Kevin Gates]

Make me like, damn, like, I appreciate you more. Like, even my children understand, like, in October, I'm going on tour. I love y' all, but I got to go do this. But I love y' all, right? So I spend as much time as I can with y' all, but also, I gotta go do this in October. But I love y' all.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. For me to have a new perspective instead of. Man, I bet my mom didn't want to leave me to go to work. Instead, I'm thinking, what parent does right?

[Kevin Gates]

Nobody leaves earth saying, hey, I should have wish I could have spent more time throwing the papers out, delivering the papers. Everybody leave. Even the most, the richest businessman on men on Earth, they leave and say, I wish I could have spent more time with my family.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But it's beautiful. Cause it's about balance. And I don't beat myself up for the time that I'm not there. I understand that they understand. Cause I talk to them. I don't baby talk. I talk to them regular.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. I think that's the biggest thing, is communicating what's going on. Probably, you know, what's different about your tour this time? How do you feel about it? Like, do you notice that that changes for you as you grow up?

[Kevin Gates]

What's different about my tour this time?

[Theo Von]

Because in October, it starts.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, me, Me.

[Theo Von]

It's just another.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm different. I'm not the same person I was last year. I'm better.

[Theo Von]

Okay?

[Kevin Gates]

Way better. And, man, I could go down the list. But I could say one of the biggest things, I started giving myself grace. I don't beat myself up no more. I used to beat myself up.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. What would you say, like, in your head, what would that be? Like? You think you.

[Kevin Gates]

I beat myself up? The way I would beat myself up is I will replay something I did, and it'll bring shame till I almost cringe when I think about it. Like, yeah, like, no, man, play us. Like I tell myself. Like, I. Well, excuse me, you probably don't know this. I talk to myself, okay? All geniuses talk to theyself. And ever since I read that, it kind of gave me the green light to start talking to myself more. But if I do something, I be like, players fuck up, too. Oh, players fuck up, too.

[Theo Von]

Players do fuck up.

[Kevin Gates]

Players fuck up, too. And I always tell myself, man, players fuck up, too. Learn from you. Mistakes don't make them no more. And I talk to myself. I used to be hard on myself, like a coach like that. Like, hey, yeah, but I'm still like a coach in the gym.

[Theo Von]

Get in there.

[Kevin Gates]

I'd be like, hey, hey, hey. The weights ain't gonna push theyself yeah, you know what I'm saying? You got enough strength to do that, but you ain't got enough strength to lift the COVID and get up and go to the gym. You know what I'm saying? So it's just. I'm more like motivational toward myself with that. But if it's a cause, you know, you have moments that might come up from the past, and it might just come up in your mental inventory. And then when it come up, instead of running from it all the time, I go like that instead of. Yeah, I do that all the time. And then you know what I start doing? I sit with it, man, play the fuck up too. That shit ain't nothing. You the only one remember that, Kevin. Don't nobody else even remember that shit.

[Theo Von]

That's crazy.

[Kevin Gates]

Don't nobody remember that shit.

[Theo Von]

The only thing keeping that feet that messed up moment alive is you.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I'm giving energy to that, man. Players up too, man. I'm fly.

[Theo Von]

Players up too.

[Kevin Gates]

Players up too, man. I might walk out of here and trip, but I'm gonna make. Hey, it's gonna be a fly when I trip. I might do a little dance move or something. It's gonna be a fly trip when I trip. Oh, hell, ain't nobody trip better than me.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, man, that's a beautiful little trip.

[Kevin Gates]

Players fuck up too.

[Theo Von]

Dude, if I see you trip, I'm be like, man, Players. Hey, that's grateful, bro. Players.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm gonna laugh at myself. Yeah, I don't care who see me make a mistake. I've been on stage sometime. Make a mistake. Excuse me, I just made a mistake. Hey, the beautiful thing about mistakes is it's okay for people to see you make a mistake. Just don't never let a motherfucker see you quit. You gonna watch me make mistakes, but you ain't gonna never watch me quit. Hell yeah. Like I tell people, I still don't get tired. I've been up since 3:30.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I've heard that in your song too.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, I still don't get tired. I've been up since like 3:30 this morning.

[Theo Von]

Dang, bro, I'm fired up all of a sudden.

[Kevin Gates]

Energy only translate to more energy.

[Theo Von]

Is that true?

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, like energy translate to more energy. Now once I go eat my meal. Supposed to be having. Supposed to be having. Between me and you're supposed to be having dinner tonight. Oh, that's why I had on this suit. Okay.

[Theo Von]

It's nice.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, yeah, I'm supposed to be having dinner, but to me.

[Theo Von]

But anyway, but you got a date for dinner.

[Kevin Gates]

Supposed to be having dinner, but after I get. After I eat that meal, gonna get some good rest.

[Theo Von]

Oh, I love that. I love getting a good rest. Do you have. I'm gonna ask you a couple more things. Where you go. You. You have a. You are religious, man?

[Kevin Gates]

Religious smidges. Yeah, religious smidges, but yeah, I guess.

[Theo Von]

Or do you feel like a. Because people say that you're a Muslim man.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm gonna be honest. I'm spiritual.

[Theo Von]

Okay.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm spiritual, but like, the word Muslim in Arabic, it only means believer, right? So I'm a believer, but I'm very spiritual.

[Theo Von]

Got it.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, I believe spirituality is if I walk in a room and something don't feel right and I leave, something bad happened. I believe I was guided by God to leave. I done been in a club in New York. I'm like, come on, let's go. We go outside. As soon as we go outside, a fight break out, somebody gets shot. But I just felt like it was time to go. And I just always been like that.

[Theo Von]

Why do you think it's so hard for us to step into what we really believe we want? Because when I hear you say that, that's what it hits me as.

[Kevin Gates]

I've been saying that, though. I said in my song, I said, when Allah said, my new wife will pray together and I'm gonna keep a sacred. I say that in the song. So I manifested this. I didn't know it was gonna be her.

[Theo Von]

But as men, why do you think it's so hard for a lot of men to just. Yeah, it's like, man, I'm just so tired of everything that's not mean something.

[Kevin Gates]

Cause it don't give. You don't get fulfillment. I done had more hoes than clothes. I never got no fulfillment from having a bunch of different women. That shit is stressful. It's vexating to my spirit. It don't give me no fulfillment. A lot of men ain't gonna say that. And then I've been on a semen retention journey for the last, what, maybe five years. I talked about, like, retaining the life force, retaining the semen, not watching porn, not jacking out, taking that sexual energy and transmuting it into something else. So if I have a craving to go jack off, or I'm horny or whatever you wanna call it, I go to the gym or I go to the studio, or I transmute that energy into something else. And you realize.

[Theo Von]

And most people that's out here jacking.

[Kevin Gates]

Off man, you realize, though, when you see dude with a lot of women, but them dude be stressed out, like, you know what I'm saying? As a man, you gonna see shit that you gonna look. But at the same time, you ain't gonna help me on my mission. You gonna take away. You ain't gonna add value to me. You gonna take from me. You know, behind closed doors, do you speak life into me? Do you help me become greater? Are you helping me become greater? Like, it don't really be that. And if you are helping me become greater, are you helping me become greater for me, or are you helping me become greater for you? Are you manipulating me? Are you verbally abusive to me behind closed doors? You know what I'm saying? Like, are you using my flaws against me? You know, there's a lot of women that'll do that too. And no, excuse me, I can't say women. It's a lot of people that are doing that.

[Theo Von]

Oh, for sure.

[Kevin Gates]

Cause I done had men do that too. Like, bring up stuff from the past and try to hold it against me to keep you within whatever kind of energetic construct that they have for you because they need your energy. Everybody's life is great, but we suffer. So that's why I'm at with it right now.

[Theo Von]

Like, yeah, that seems to be something that's kind of vexing our community.

[Kevin Gates]

I wasn't even gonna talk about this, but you the one. You got it out, B. Oh, I.

[Theo Von]

Wasn'T even trying to get anything. I'm just trying to survive.

[Kevin Gates]

I already know, but it's like, this gonna be healing for somebody.

[Theo Von]

Oh, it's healing for me. That's why I'm curious about it. It's like, because I'm sick of, like, you know, in my own life, but also I'm the one keeping me there. That's the crazy thing. It's like I have the ability to change things, and I do a good job.

[Kevin Gates]

I say in my song, I'm only excited about spiritual things. And I swear I can't wait to move on. I'm only excited about spiritual things.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. I think I'm just amazed sometimes that I don't know. But I'm also, you know, I got a late start sometimes, man. I got a late start.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm 39. I just look you up. Said, oh, yeah, I don't age. I'm 39, though, so I feel like it's never too late. Yeah, it's never too late. But when you said that about all the women, that was draining.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Well, just I have so many of my friends, like I'm going on this date, I don't care. Just like, well, what are we doing? And then you have people. It's like you're giving yourself away to people. And I'm not accusing anybody else. I'm talking about myself and my own life. And then it's just me about it.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, tell me about it.

[Theo Von]

And it's like, what kind of journey am I making? What am I really building here?

[Kevin Gates]

And then another word. Once I start operating and looking for reciprocation, it shouldn't cost anything if I fuck with you. It shouldn't cost anything if you fuck with me. It shouldn't cost us anything. It should be reciprocated. The energy that I'm giving you should be reciprocated. If it's not reciprocated, then you not nobody that I even need to know. And a lot of times when you look at relationships, I could be somebody best friend, but they not my best friend. It's not the energy not being reciprocated. And a lot of people are victims of that. Being in relationships that are one sided. The door don't really swing both ways. It may look like it swing both ways, but it don't.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, it's just a trap too. I mean a lot of the date, like the sex, the dating, just the pornography. Cause that's been something I've dealt with.

[Kevin Gates]

You know, when you stop watching, watching porn, it's gonna change everything. Yeah, it's gonna change the way you have sex. Once you realize these people acting, this is fake, this is not real. This is not a connection. This is no disrespect to people that do porn. They just.

[Theo Von]

But they know it. They know it's fake. You know, they know it's.

[Kevin Gates]

That's just not my cup of tea. That just ain't no like how a man told me he was like, you jacking off to another man's success. Like, I ain't that dang.

[Theo Von]

That's crazy. God. Oh my God.

[Kevin Gates]

I'm jacking off to watching another man's success. I'm not doing this.

[Theo Von]

It is kind of crazy, huh?

[Kevin Gates]

When you think about, think about it. It's psychotic in nature. And then you gotta hide and sneak to do it. Oh, they got some people probably just go do it publicly.

[Theo Von]

But I ain't doing.

[Kevin Gates]

You gotta sneak and do it.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I sneak.

[Kevin Gates]

And then under the guise of I'm having me time.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But then after you do it, you feel guilty, feel horrible, like Damn. Why I did that? Cause that was precious life force I just wasted on somebody else's success.

[Theo Von]

God dang it.

[Kevin Gates]

Listen, I've been there. I've been there. I know about it, so I've been there.

[Theo Von]

And what was the thing that got you out of that? Like, how you able to stop that, specifically?

[Kevin Gates]

Even I took baby steps. I was like, I'm only gonna release on Fridays, okay?

[Theo Von]

Shabbat Shaboom. Huh?

[Kevin Gates]

And I started saying, well, maybe this is my creative energy. When you release your life force, that's your creative energy. So I'm not gonna release my creative energy. Like, when you boxing, are you preparing for a fight? While I'm working on this album, I ain't gonna release no semen or why I'm doing this. I ain't gonna release. And it just. I became better and better and better. But it was baby steps. I ain't just start off just saying cold turkey.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

But by the time it was like, it's semen.

[Theo Von]

Has babies in it, which is crazy. And you're taking baby steps.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah. If I ain't getting no. That's wrong. If I ain't get no.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. What am I doing?

[Kevin Gates]

I can wait.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I can wait. That's the thing. It's just that relationship with yourself, you know, and having, like, having conversations with yourself, like, what am I doing? What do I. What would I really like to do? And then how do I get through?

[Kevin Gates]

You respect yourself different.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. Your integrity changes.

[Kevin Gates]

Like, I respect myself different. Not that I don't play around like that.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I respect myself different now.

[Theo Von]

And when you show up, people. Because here's the funny thing. People could see either the integrity you have for yourself.

[Kevin Gates]

You know what people tell me? They say your aura is big. I'm like, I don't know why. And they were like, what kind of practices do you do? I say I practice semen retention.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

It's my precious life force. And they was like, that's what it is. You have a glow.

[Theo Von]

That's bad. Yeah. What's that? Semen. Damn.

[Kevin Gates]

As your life force.

[Theo Von]

Like, oh, yeah. It's everything you are. It's your truth. It's your script.

[Kevin Gates]

Yes.

[Theo Von]

It's just. I mean, that is. That is. And it's not even your script. It's a script of all your ancestors.

[Kevin Gates]

Just wasting it in a sock.

[Theo Von]

And you bl. Yeah. You blasting it out here in a dang church sock, too, at times. God. Oh, my God.

[Kevin Gates]

I forgive myself.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, you're right, man. Because sometimes I'll have That shame, feeling, all the misfires.

[Kevin Gates]

I forget myself. Yeah, we learn from our mistakes. We move on. But somebody needed to hear this.

[Theo Von]

No, I think somebody did today. And I think. You know what? I think it's like we need more leaders in the community to say things like that. Le. We have to get. I don't know. We got to do. Something has to start to be different.

[Kevin Gates]

I feel like the greatest teachers teach without teaching.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, you're right.

[Kevin Gates]

The greatest teachers teach without teaching. So when the student is ready to learn, the teacher will appear. You'll be amazed where wisdom could come from.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

Even the homeless person standing on the street corner, it smell bad. The person that you would be afraid of, the person that you would look down upon, one of those people, the wisdom and the knowledge that they can impute, you would be amazed.

[Theo Von]

Oh, yeah, they got bars over there.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't care what you do with the money. Just here. I committed an act of giving. He's just going to buy drugs with it. I committed an act of giving. Whatever he did do, that's his choice. Now, one lady made me mad, though, because she was holding a sign talking about, she'll work for food. And I gave her a sandwich.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And she put it in her book set. And then I say, you know what? Maybe she had children to go feed. But I don't know, like, yeah, she what?

[Theo Von]

She thinks you gonna sell it.

[Kevin Gates]

Maybe you had children to go feed or something. So I was like, I did overreact because I got pissed off.

[Theo Von]

Kevin, not everybody eats immediately when you serve them.

[Kevin Gates]

I mean, you know, maybe she was saving it for later. I don't know.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, maybe she got baby birds in a nest or something.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't know. Maybe she got saving it for her kids or something. And I just said, you know what? I ain't tripping. Whatever you do with it is on you. I committed an act of giving.

[Theo Von]

Probably so, Kevin, I bet. Yeah, I think she probably is doing something nice, hopefully.

[Kevin Gates]

I hope so.

[Theo Von]

Yeah, I bet she was.

[Kevin Gates]

I hope you ain't take advantage of me, but if you did that, if you did, that's your Carmenic bag, right?

[Theo Von]

I did what I did.

[Kevin Gates]

I did the right thing, right?

[Theo Von]

I did what I did. Yeah. Kind of like, man, I think one interesting thing is like, yeah, we just. We need. We got to have leaders making things cool, you know? I think it's why it's one to me. And this might be. I guess I'm afraid to say this, probably because it's probably.

[Kevin Gates]

Where do you say Go.

[Theo Von]

I think it's cool that. To have a black man say something about that, because black people, notoriously, I feel like, make things cool. Right? Like, people go to the black community to make something cool. Like you give a. You give a metal plate in it to somebody in a black community, then I think they got a ram out of it, you know, I'm saying they make things cool. So I think to hear a. Creativity.

[Kevin Gates]

Thrives in the darkness.

[Theo Von]

Okay, perfect. Well said.

[Kevin Gates]

You didn't say anything wrong.

[Theo Von]

Okay. So I think to hear a black guy say that, to act certain ways. Yeah, I think that makes it cool because we all take. I feel like a lot of culture comes from what's cool, comes from the black community.

[Kevin Gates]

Creativity thrives in the darkness.

[Theo Von]

So I just.

[Kevin Gates]

You're not saying nothing wrong.

[Theo Von]

Okay. Yeah, I think it's. Yeah. Makes it cool, you know, and we need. We need things that, like, I think have moral value and integrity to be cool.

[Kevin Gates]

Like. Like I watch anime because they have more moralistic value than regular movies.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

So I watch a lot of anime.

[Theo Von]

I don't watch a lot of it. Israel Adesanya watches a lot of it. You know, he is UFC fighter.

[Kevin Gates]

The last Style bimbo.

[Theo Von]

Yeah. He's incredible, dude.

[Kevin Gates]

The last Style bimbo. Yeah.

[Theo Von]

You and him. With. You and him would be such a neat. I mean, you guys are. I mean, both humans, so whatever. I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm trying to think of anything else we want to talk about. You have a new tour coming up.

[Kevin Gates]

Yeah, a new tour coming up. I got coffee.

[Theo Von]

You had a new album that came out on my birthday, I think March 19th or something. You had one come out. I'm here.

[Kevin Gates]

Nah, I'm him too.

[Theo Von]

I'm him too. Yeah. I'm trying to think, is there anything else that you wanted to talk about today?

[Kevin Gates]

If. If anybody watched this and they gained any insight, I'm grateful for that. If you didn't gain any insight, I could give a fuck less.

[Theo Von]

That's fair.

[Kevin Gates]

That's it. That's all.

[Theo Von]

That's it. That's all.

[Kevin Gates]

Whenever I drop an album, I'm like, get it if you want to get it. If you don't, don't get it. Like, I'm not here to force you. If you want to get it. If you don't want to get it, don't get it. It's already going to do what it's going to do.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

I didn't do. I could say this. This album that I put out this last one, I was proud of it. Usually I'm upset when a project come out. I'm like, I wasn't happy this and this and that whenever release. But this time I was like, I celebrated myself the whole way through and I was like, man, I love this project. Like, out of my other projects, I go back and appreciate them after the next one come out. But now this one, I'm like, nah, I fuck with this one all the way through.

[Theo Von]

Why do you think that was?

[Kevin Gates]

Cause I'm in a different space. Like, I don't make depression music anymore. And then if I do make depression music, I'm just venting. It's my therapeutic release. I got it all out. I know there's somebody out there that could relate to what I'm going through, but this is how we combat that as onward and upward. That's it. That's all. I don't stay stuck in a sunken.

[Theo Von]

Place Nah, yeah I don't stay stuck in a I don't stay stuck I don't stay stuck in a sunken place.

[Kevin Gates]

I don't stay stuck in a sunken place Amen. I'm a snap out of it quick.

[Theo Von]

That's it. Nothing changes if nothing changes they say.

[Kevin Gates]

Nothing changes if nothing changes yes, sir.

[Theo Von]

Kevin Gates, man, the pride of Louisiana. Thank you so much, man, for spending time with me today, man. It's a blessing. I really appreciate it.

[Kevin Gates]

Thank you for having me. And I just want to tell you this sincerely, I mean it sincerely. Thank you for being you. This was like the most different type of interview, podcast, whatever you want to call it. It was just like. We was just talking shit. But it was beautiful because not too many people could see me. Like, really see me.

[Theo Von]

Yeah.

[Kevin Gates]

And I just appreciate you for that. Usually when I go places, I have to meet the person at the level of the person. I had to see where they at and just. But with this, it was like. The transparency was beautiful. It was refreshing talking to you. Like, I lost track of time. If you ever watch when I go other places, I have to meet the person at the level they at. And I hate what I'm about to say, but it's the truth. I look at my watch to keep time. I didn't do that one time here because it was refreshing. It's refreshing.

[Theo Von]

Well, I appreciate you sharing yourself with the world, sharing what's going on in your head and your spirit with the world, man. It's been. Some of the things you say make me think, and I appreciate that because I think me taking time to think is more important than I knew it needed to be. For myself. Yeah. So thank you very much, Mr. Gates.

[Kevin Gates]

Thank you for having me. Now I'm just floating on the breeze and I feel I'm falling like these leaves I must be cornerstone oh but when I reach that ground I'll share this peace of mind I found I can feel it in my bone up but it's gonna take a little.