Kevin Gates, a devout Muslim, is no stranger to fasting as part of his religious observances. But in a new interview with Big Boy, he boasted a dubious record for his longest fast with no food or water, telling the host he went for nearly a month without eating or drinking.
“Fasting is when you don’t put nothing in your body,” explained, somewhat erroneously. “Fasting is nothing. A dry fast is when you don’t eat or drink.” When Big Boy prompted him to reveal his longest stretch of abstaining from food or drink, Gates said:
“The longest I’d have [ever] did a dry fasting was like close to a month, about three weeks. No food, no water.”
It’s not the wildest claim the Baton Rouge rapper has ever made. He once joked that the motivation for him to lose weight was a baby trying to breastfeed on his chest and he’s revealed some … odd … sexual proclivities (generally, Uproxx coverage sticks to his music and performances like “Major League” or his Sessions appearance).
However, if anyone is planning to emulate his example, it’s worth noting that the human body is very susceptible to dehydration and other health issues due to poor nutrition. Gates even points out here that he has trained his body to be able to go longer periods without food. Basically, consult a doctor before trying new diets — even for religious reasons — and consider that Islam doesn’t restrict the intake of water during month-long fasts like Ramadan, because you really do need it to stay alive.
You can watch Gates’ full interview up top.
Kevin Gates is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.