Kevin Gates' Mom 'Did the Best She Could as a Parent' Though His Grandparents Mostly Raised Him

Kevin Gates' mom was an English teacher who was there for her son when he was younger. However, the rapper's grandparents played a significant role in his upbringing. His grandmother was a loving woman who looked after many of their family members, and his grandfather was more of a father figure.

Kevin Gates' mom welcomed the rapper at the government-funded Earl. K Long Hospital on February 5, 1986. She worked as an English teacher to support her family, and the rapper briefly grew up in low-income housing in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

However, after she remarried, Kevin Gates recalled living with his mom for a short while, as he spent most of his childhood with his grandparents in Baton Rouge. Despite this, the rapper harbored no resentment towards his mother, as he shared that she did the "best she could."

Kevin Gates' Mom Only Ever Loved His Father Even Though She Later Remarried

During an interview, Gates revealed that his mother's one true love was his biological father. However, their relationship did not last as his mom later remarried, and the rapper lived with his mother and stepfather in the South.

Due to his stepfather's job, Gates and his family had a slightly better standard of life. And as an English teacher, his mom was the one who taught him to speak English well. He said:

"...she stressed to me the importance of reading (and) being able to articulate well. She stressed to me those things."

However, the rapper only briefly remained under his mom's roof as he later moved to live with his grandparents. Sadly, when Gates was in the seventh or eighth grade, his grandfather, an attorney and a father figure for his grandson, passed away, leaving the rapper to be looked after by his grandmother.

"My grandmother, she really raised me the majority of my life," Gates said. Although his mother did not raise him, during an interview, Gates revealed no resentment toward his mom. "...she did the best that she could do as a parent," he said.

Kevin Gates Had a Difficult Childhood

Growing up in his grandmother's home had highs and lows for Gates. He fondly recalled being raised by his grandmother's loving energy and being surrounded by all the family members she took in. "It was always a full house," he revealed.

However, the musician also admitted to resorting to things that weren't "right" to make it out of the "struggle." And during an interview with Mike Tyson, he opened up about his experience of being molested, which he said was the first time he had ever spoken about the issue.

Kevin Gates Met His Father for the First Time When He Was in the Eighth Grade

Kevin Gates looked to his stepfather and grandfather as a child to fill the dad role. Although his mother was in love with the rapper's biological father, the rapper revealed that he met his real dad for the first time in the 8th grade.

He also said that his father died from AIDS when he was 17. Growing up, Gates was under the impression that his stepfather was his biological father. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be a man of great character," Gates said.