Colin Kaepernick’s national anthem protests has garnered mixed reviews from a number of people in the past couple of years. While some have viewed the #TakeAKnee movement has a brave act against police brutality, some others have thought of it as pointless or unpatriotic. Kevin Gates sees it as the latter. In a recent interview with Sway, Gates shared his thoughts on the national anthem and silent protests as well as social injustice.
“I look at social injustice as bullying,” Gates told Sway. “Bullying of people that you feel like you’ve got to up some because they are weaker people, but they’re really strong. You’ve just got to keep these people weak in their minds. I don’t bow. I’m willing to die for what I believe in. And I’ve been a victim of police brutality.”
While Gates contended that he wasn’t bashing Kaepernick for his movement, he suggested that it takes more than kneeling to affect change against “bullies.” “Like I say, they’ve got some police who are a**holes. They got some that are not,” he continued. “It’s not a shot at them. It’s not a shot at Colin Kaepernick. But you don’t make the bullies stop by taking a knee. You meet force with force.”
Gates added: “We bow to no one under the stars, but God. And that’s not even Islam. That’s just, we don’t bow. Not as kings. We don’t bow. Before I’d be a slave, I’d rather be buried in my grave. I would die before I’d be that. I’m not taking no knee. I’m sorry. Like taking a knee for me, I relate the streets to football a lot. You know, I quarterback a great team. I’m the quarterback of a great team.”
Gates’ latest comments come on the heels of the release of his new single “Adding Up,” which serves as the rapper’s first post-prison release. He is also gearing up to drop his forthcoming mixtape, Luca Brasi 3, which is slated to release later this year.
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