Watch kevin gates talk music-business philosophy

Watch kevin gates talk music-business philosophy


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"I could give a flying flip about doing promo," says Louisiana MC in exclusive video interview On Friday, Kevin Gates released his debut studio album, _Islah_. The full-length LP


follows a prolific decade of mixtapes and singles from the Louisiana rapper, which gave him an independent-minded view of album-making and the industry in general. In the above video, he


discusses these philosophies and more. “I could care less about the particulars,” Gates tells _Rolling Stone_. “I like to make music.” For Gates, radio play and mainstream attention don’t 


factor into how he calculates his own success. “I could give a flying flip about doing promo because, no disrespect, nobody put me in the position that I’m in,” he says. “I was doing


sold-out shows before I got radio play.” TRENDING STORIES As for _Islah_, Gates goes it alone, with no featured artists on the whole album except for Trey Songz, Ty Dolla $ign and Jamie Foxx


on a bonus track titled “Jam.” “If I lose, I’m going to lose by myself, and if I win, I’m going to win by myself,” he explains of the guest-free LP. “I’ve always been a loner.” _Islah _is


out now via BWA/Atlantic Records.