Kevin Gates Admits Being Nervous About Performing Live Since Release From Prison

Since his release from prison in January, Kevin Gates has taken it slow getting back to live performances. But in June, the Louisiana rapper took the stage at The Novo in Los Angeles for his first live show since being a free man.

In his first vlog since his prison release, uploaded to YouTube on Tuesday (July 17), Gates gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his life the day before the show and admits he was nervous about hitting the stage again. "I ain't gon' lie, I'm nervous," Gates laughingly said. "You can train super hard, but when you get in that ring, it's different. When you in the ring and you see all them people down there, you can become so overwhelmed with what's going on."

To combat his nervousness, Gates says practice is the key. "So you gotta practice it until it becomes second nature, 'til you can do this shit naked. You can do this shit sleep, you can do this shit not sleep, you can do this shit disoriented," the rapper added.

While Gates hasn't done many shows since his release from prison, the rhymer has made sure to deliver new music to his fans. In May, Gates dropped the three-song project, Chained to the City, which features the songs "Change Lanes," "Vouch" and "Let It Sing."

The rapper's had a tough time performing live since being released from jail. In May, Gates was scheduled to perform at the 2018 Jmblya Festival but had to skip the show after his wife Dreka Gates said the Illinois Department of Corrections was preventing him from leaving the state of Illinois.

Check out Kevin Gates discussing his pre-show jitters below.

Check Out the 2018 Hip-Hop Music Festivals You Need to See