Kevin Gates is intimidating to interview. Not so much in the physical sense. He has a degree in psychology that he obtained while in prison, so Kevin can read people. That makes you nervous. When you’re sitting down with one of your favorite artists, you don’t want them to gather a wrong impression or mis-read you.

I don’t have a psychology degree, nor do I believe I can read people as well as Kevin can. I do know that sitting down with Kevin was one a great experience. He gave answers much like he would if this was his music. He’s either very open or very guarded.

Shortly after Islah dropped, there was an Instagram clip of Kevin with singer Monica Brown and in it he calls her his mom. Obviously not in a biological sense, but I wanted to know more about this relationship they shared. Through his career, Monica’s impact has been big. She helped him get better at singing, something we hear a lot of on Islah. The relationship extends much further into their personal lives.

“In my life, she’s always been the mother I never had,” he says. “Her children call me their older brother. My children call her grandma. She’s always known my family. I’m not talking my blood relatives, but my street family. When I first met her I called her mom, ‘cause she was so caring and always concerned about me. She’ll call me just to see how I’m doing.”

Kevin Gates is an avid reader. You might not expect to pull up to Barnes & Nobles and see Kevin browsing for books, but he just might be there. I wanted to know if he’d ever write a book of his own. He’s 50/50 on the idea, but it wouldn’t be a full autobiography if he did. Coming from the environment he was in, there’s a lot of things he’ll never be able to share with the world, and he shouldn’t. His bio, if it comes to fruition, would focus mainly on his experience in the music business. That’s a story worth reading about.

In our interview, Kevin also talked about his daughter listening to his debut album (named after her), a possible project with his favorite rapper Starlito, having someone like OG Boobie Black mentor him, and more. Watch the interview below.