Kevin Gates is an endless fountain of wisdom. Because he’s been doing press for his new album Khaza, we’ve been exposed to a lot of new takes from the Baton Rouge rapper.
In a recent interview with HipHopDX, Kevin Gates discussed toxic masculinity, explaining what he believed it’s rooted in and how men can avoid it. He also described how the trait impacted him personally through his relationship with his grandfather.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
“You’re overcompensating for a lack of something, that’s when masculinity becomes toxic,” said Gates. He described the ideal masculinity as a masculinity which finds an equilibrium. “The holy divine feminine energy and the sacred masculinity together is balanced. That’s God,” he said. “Mother Earth, Father Sky, it has to be balanced.”
Gates talked about this balance in his grandfather. “My grandfather was very nurturing and he was a monster. He was a real monster, but he was very nurturing,” he recalled. “He taught me how to cook, he taught me how to fish, he taught me how to make my bed. He was nurturing. He didn’t fuss at me, ‘Get up you’re a man!’ Nah man you’re alright, s**t just do it again. That was his approach. ‘You’re alright, do it again.’ He was gentle with us, but when he was teaching us how to fight he taught us, you know, aggression. Controlled aggression.” According to Gates, most people nowadays have it wrong. “A lot of times I just be seeing this alpha male movement and this feminist movement. No, that’s not God,” he said.
On his recent “Super General” freestyle, Gates alluded to some of his own issues with the holy divine feminine energy, claiming that Dreka Gates had cheated on him. Check out our list of Kevin Gates’ freakiest songs, released in honor of his new record.
[via]