Selected Kevin Gates Quotes
Kevin Gates- Kevin Jerome Gilyard (born February 5, 1986), better known by his stage name "Kevin Gates", is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records. His debut studio album, Islah, was released in January 2016. It peaked at number two on America’s US Billboard 200 chart. Prior to this, he also released a number of mixtapes. These include "Stranger Than Fiction" (2013), "By Any Means" (2014), and "Luca Brasi 2" (2014), all of which peaked in the top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart.
His songs are described as autobiographical in nature with lyrics often dealing with subjects like: depression, poverty and prison time. He began his rap music career at the early age of 14. Although successful in music, he has had many legal issues and has been in and out of prison multiple times. He had a checkered upbringing and was arrested for the first time at 13 for being a passenger in a stolen vehicle.
Selected Kevin Gates Quotes:
“Don’t mimic pretenders, just be who you are.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Self made stand up guy.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“And I came up from nothin’ just imagine that.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“You know everyday you grow, everyday you changin’.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Show me your true colors girl, I just want to see.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t believe in conspiracy theories. I’m just a cold-blooded investigator.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I’m an introvert somewhat. There could be a room full of people, I’ll go stand in the corner.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Whatever an individual chooses to do with themselves, long as it doesn’t affect me and they’re respectful with it, I don’t care what they do. Because I’m not perfect and I have flaws, so who would I be to be judgmental?”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t let the left hand know what the right hand is doing.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Can you keep up with the lingo.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t want no handouts. I want to get it out the mud.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I always knew who I was, and I always ran from my true purpose… I know what my job is. And I always ran from it.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I love to be clean. I wear the same things, all of my clothes pretty much look the same. I’m a plain and simple type of guy. I don’t really do a lotta busy colors and things of that nature. I feel like less is more.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t get tired..what you tired of.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I’ve just always been a reader.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“You don’t have to like it but you gotta respect it.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Don’t stress over people who couldn’t give 2 pennies about you.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Sometimes you have to let people bump their heads to realize that they are not making sense. Don’t try to figure them out or it will drive you crazy.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Climbin forward, strivin’, I’m a grinder. Rearview watchin’ what’s behind you: Peripheral, watchin’ what’s on side you.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“When trying to destroy you, they destroy themselves in the process. Fuck em’ — work harder!”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Struggles that I’m overcoming.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“When people say my name, I want them to feel a certain way, everybody walks around so numb. They’re not in touch. In the technological age, we become cold-hearted. I’m going to provoke you to feel. That’s what Islah does.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“A vision without action is merely a dream. Action, it’s the grind, it’s the hustle, it’s the persistence.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I’m a big skeptic so I won’t just go off what an individual may tell me. I gotta do the research. I’ma get different literature on that one subject and just compare and contrast. I do my own selective studies.”.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I’ve always stood on my own toe. I don’t need a team. don’t do the entourage thing, 30 people. I Just do not do that. That’s just not me.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I adapt and I adjust to whatever environment I’m in.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“When you stand for something, you’ve got to stand for it all the way, not halfway.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Don’t let nobody know that you are a monster. Keep it on the tuck and then surprise ’em.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I never go into a situation with any type of expectations.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t really like talking. I like to execute. I’m not a talking person. I’m an action person.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I have respect for every man that demands your respect.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“If you not in your own lane, create one.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I’ve had good times and I’ve had bad times and I reminisce, maybe when I lay down, but throughout my day I keep myself engulfed in whatever moment I’m in because it could steer me into a depressed state.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Use the things that make you angry — as fuel to make you better.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Came from the bottom, we aim for the stars.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“My daily conversation, it consists of hustle. Grinding from the bottom sick and tired of struggle.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“If it matters to you, pursue it aggressively.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I always wanted a family.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“To inform, to improve, to make better, and I believe that’s what my first daughter did to me, so I named my first album after my first daughter.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I live by the ten percent rule. Save one, you save a thousand.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“I don’t sleep much. I don’t sleep much – I work, I work, I work.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Never break or fold, that’s what it takes to be major.”
Kevin Gates, Goals
“Love everything and everybody.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Love
“Sometimes it’s painful to relive the past, but sometimes you gotta relive the past in order to heal from it.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Life
“The energy in the daytime is so different because everyone is so unhappy and depressed, and you can pick up on that energy psychokinetically. So I like to come out at night. Everything’s settled; you can see more.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Life
“In 7th grade, I believe, I wrote my first rap song. It was about everything I was seeing, everything that was going on around me.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Life
“Watch people daily and you will see their true colors.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Life
“I put my flaws on front street. So the world accepted my flaws, so I don’t have any flaws.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Life
“I’m not afraid to make mistakes.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Mistakes
“I don’t just listen to rap.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Music
“It’s about really really being who you are as an individual and not apologizing for it, that’s what it is. I can feel the growth from my first mixtape to now. On every song, I want to give you a piece of who I am as an individual.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Music
“I’ve had mixtapes that have been better than albums I’ve heard from other artists. I take my time; I put my heart into it.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Music
“I don’t pay attention to sales because it’s not about that for me. It’s about the music. Music is all I have.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Music
“What I see, what I went through, what a friend of mine may have gone through, whatever – I rap about it.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Music, Friendship
“I’m super serious about music. That’s, like, the only thing I’m serious about.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“Having a musical outlet is a pure blessing to the ears of thousands of fans.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“Music’s the most therapeutic thing for me. Because I suffer with depression, and it’s my only form of releasing it.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“Music is all I have.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“My music is incredible. I don’t know what to call it because I’ve yet to see an artist display the different talents I display or create the different genres that I have created; from The Rock and roll to heavy metal to soft rock to rap to country. I display so many styles. That’s why they love me.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“I know I write a lot of my best music in the car, like late night. Three, four in the morning.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“I could care less about the particular. I like to make music.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“Rap was more of a release for me, a journal.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“A hot producer might not make a hot beat for me. I just love music.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“I always had music growing up, but music was also like a journal. It was like my personal diary or personal journal. A lot of the things I couldn’t express to an individual, I would express them in my music.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“I suffer from deep depression, so my only release is music.”
Kevin Gates, Music
“Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Big L, Tupac. That was, like, my top five, generally.”
Kevin Gates, Music, Art
“The things that are most difficult for me to put into words and speak about, I put into my music. I’m just super passionate about my craft and super passionate about what I do.”
Kevin Gates, Music, Art
“One of my most popular songs, ‘Satellites,’ I paid $300 for that beat on SoundClick.”
Kevin Gates, Music, Business
“Been through a lot of pain in my life.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Sometimes yeah sometime I’m in my feelings.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I’m in a rush, it was nice to meet ya.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Loyalty is hard to find; trust is easy to lose.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I got it out the mud. Ain’t nobody ever gave me nothing.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Life is about conduct and how we conduct ourselves. But two wrongs never make a right.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I was always taught not to answer no questions. I’m not really good at answering them because I get agitated so fast.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“If you go back on your word.. I won’t say anything but in my mind you punk for life.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“When you level up your life will change. You will come across harder opponents and situations.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Everybody around you pretending that they are your partner, let you have a problem they won’t even help you out.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“People will flip on you at the drop of a dime. Just be prepared so it doesn’t surprise you.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Entertainment and the streets don’t go together.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Sometimes the best move is no move.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I’m a perfect imperfection. My craft has been perfected. I just need affection, emotionally. I’m an introvert but it comes off as aggression.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“When you come up in the slums, having nothing makes you humble.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I like where we at now — but I’m in love with where we going.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I’m not made out of concrete. I’m a real person.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I have trust issues with allowing other individuals to know my innermost secrets for fear of how I may be viewed. Everyone has this.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“If I told you I was different would you understand the difference?”
Kevin Gates, Life
“She says I’m a dog, but it takes one to know one.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“When you come up in the slums, having nothin’ make you humble.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“The ones that hate you most tend to be the people you know.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“When you’re in prison, you want to know that you were thought about.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I experience great hurt, this hurt allows me to know I’m alive.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I was built for that pressure.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I got 6 jobs I don’t get TIRED!”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Jail and the streets go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other. They coincide.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Breathing is so important with physical activity, then how much more important is it with psychological activity?”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Without an understanding of bad…how can one truly have an appreciation of good.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Prison was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“You have to be intimate with a person to know that person.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“Out my window.. I see everything I dream about and wished I had.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“If you associate yourself with peer pressure or complacency, you’re destined for failure.”
Kevin Gates, Life
“I don’t is, because I’m a fan of reality, and the rap game’s entertainment.”
Kevin Gates, Life, Music
“Inspiration comes from many things, and in the life of KG his music is just one of them.”
Kevin Gates, Life, Music
“The only frustrating thing about jail is that I can’t make music.”
Kevin Gates, Life, Music
“I believe that life is a journey and for me to tell you my plans; things never go according to plan.”
Kevin Gates, Life, Planning
“Some’ll say life is a gamble, which means love is a casino. Everybody just playin’ to win.”
Kevin Gates, Life, Love
“I’m successful and now they love me.”
Kevin Gates, Success
“Why accept failure when success is free?”
Kevin Gates, Success
“You can’t make everybody else happy and still stay on top.”
Kevin Gates, Success
“Coming up in the streets, I had to learn how to read people early on. I’m a very analytical person. I observe a lot of the things that people don’t notice.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Anybody that’s borderline brilliant — they’re gonna suffer with depression. Cause you don’t see the world how other people see the world. You see it for what it is. You see it different.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“I’m a bookworm. I know with my physical appearance that I don’t look like the typical reader. I’m in Barnes & Noble all the time, and you can look at people that look like they are supposed to be in there. I am in there, pants sagging, hat backwards.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“All things are obtained by Wisdom and Knowledge.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Bein’ logical gave me a reason to doubt.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Knowledge is provided but only to those who need to know.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“Wise men change, fools stay the same.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“You can learn from a dummy. You can watch a dummy and learn what not to do. I’ve always been an observant individual.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“I’m inspired by everything that goes on around me. I’m a sponge. I’m very analytical. I notice the things that most people don’t notice.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom
“You learn fast or you die young.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom, Death
“When you got wisdom and knowledge you supposed to spread the world with some Soulja love.”
Kevin Gates, Intelligence/Wisdom, Goals
“Marriage is the most wonderful thing ever.”
Kevin Gates, Sex
“To be honest I am not lookin to be romantic, already got someone at home.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“Ice box where my heart used to be. Eskimo city, no feelings, I’ma igloo.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“Disconnecting from one you love can be a lonely ordeal. The feelings you will experience will change you.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“Having love for your enemy is a hard thing to do, real talk.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“Love’s a battlefield it’s not a one-night stand.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“It is illegal to steal my feelings and leave.”
Kevin Gates, Love
“Some may consider this a problem, I easily fall in love.”
Kevin Gates, Love, Problems
“Fall in love fast, make sure I handle it delicate.”
Kevin Gates, Love, Goals
“I love God, I love everybody else around me as myself, and I love my enemy.”
Kevin Gates, Love, Goals, Belief
“Pray to god someone prays for me.”
Kevin Gates, Goals, Belief
“I love to make music, I love to get tattoos…That’s just what I love. If I wasn’t getting paid I’d still do it.”
Kevin Gates, Happiness
“I look at other people’s lives, and some people feel like they’re too old to play with toys. But I still go through the toy section at the store, ’cause there were toys that I wanted when I was little that I couldn’t have. So I still get them.”
Kevin Gates, Happiness
“I like being with my family. That’s my party.”
Kevin Gates, Happiness
“True wealth is not of the pocket, but of the heart and of the mind.”
Kevin Gates, Wealth
“Money coming, money gotta flip it. I ain’t waiting on nobody, I’mma go get it.”
Kevin Gates, Wealth, Goals
“Anything lost, can be found again, except for time wasted.”
Kevin Gates, Time
“I have a cult-like following because I exemplify what it is to be a human being.”
Kevin Gates, Success
“When you follow your heart, you always win!”
Kevin Gates, Success
“If I tell the truth about me, what can the world say? I’d love to be accepted, but I’m not seeking acceptance. If you are a fan, it’s because you’re a fan of who I am psychological, emotionally, and individually. The world can relate to a human being more than it can relate to a superstar.”
Kevin Gates, Truth, Goals, Life
“Everytime the leaves are changing it’s the loneliest time of the year.”
Kevin Gates, Nature
“I’m never on Twitter. I’m never on Instagram. And that’s not by choice: it’s just that those things never really interested me. I might post a picture here and there, but that ain’t really been my focus.”