What first sparked your interest in rap?

Kevin Gates: I grew up with music in my household. I’m eclectic. Sometimes I might be riding with a female that I really love and words may not express what I’m feeling, but I might play “Lifehouse,” ‘I’m hanging by a moment here with you/I’m engulfed in this moment/I don’t want this moment to end.’ It might be Aerosmith, ‘I close my eyes just to hear you breathing.’

Having all these different musical tastes, how do you blend them into your music?

Kevin Gates: It’s gumbo. I’m a sponge; I absorb everything. I blend all of the things that I like together and it’s music. That’s what music is. When you look at a beautiful painting, you don’t say, ‘I wonder what color the artist was’ and ‘I wonder how he looks’ and ‘I wonder what he was thinking when he did this line right here.’ You don’t say that. You appreciate it for being beautiful.

Absolutely. Your fan base is just as eclectic as your musical tastes, how do you think you achieved that diversity?

Kevin Gates: God. Because I exhibit versatility and I have a sincere love for all humanity. People see that and people feel that. People know that and understand that. I really don’t see color. I respect myself, everything around me and everyone’s opinion. My music is therapeutic; it’s a release for me. I suffer from severe cases of depression, so other people that may suffer from depression don’t have a fear of advocating that anymore. I made it cool.

Would you consider yourself transparent then?

Kevin Gates: I’m not going to say I’m transparent. Most individuals I speak with, I got to play mental gymnastics with them. They only know what they know and they only allow themselves to know what they know. Me, I’m open-minded. I want to hear every angle and I’m going to process it all.

You’ve described your music as pain music, drawing from your various experiences in Louisiana. Is that what you want to consider your rap style?

Kevin Gates: No, it’s just what it is. Will it grow? I believe so. Anything not growing is dead. Will I exhibit growth? I believe I already have from Luca Brasi to By Any Means. There are songs on that CD that aren’t as dark, so maybe Kevin is freeing himself of that depression, who knows. Who knows what’s to come in the near future.

What is the music scene in Louisiana like?

Kevin Gates: They got something called Jig Music in Baton Rouge and in New Orleans they got something called Bounce Music. I don’t make neither of those. I stay true to form.

When you are back home what is your favorite thing to eat?

Kevin Gates: Corn and Crab bisque from Roscoes with a little hot sauce. I like grilled jalapeños, mushrooms and bell peppers on top of cold lettuce. I love fish too, but most places don’t cook fish better than me. So I don’t really eat from most people because I took culinary arts before. I’m a cook. I do a lot of the cooking when I’m at home.