On August 15, a viral moment unfolded when rapper Kevin Gates found himself the target of an ill-advised prank. The incident took place at Westfield Topanga Mall in Canoga Park, California, when YouTuber Wayon, known for his prank videos, attempted to play a joke on the Louisiana native. What followed was a brief but intense altercation that left Wayon nursing a sore head.
The incident, captured in a video posted by Wayon on his YouTube channel, begins innocuously enough. Wayon is seen wandering through the mall, pranking unsuspecting shoppers as part of his routine. However, things took a sharp turn when he encountered Kevin Gates, who was exiting the mall with a woman and several shopping bags. Seizing the moment, Wayon approached the rapper and tried to break the ice by saying, “You look like Kevin Gates.”
Gates, however, was not in the mood for games. The rapper responded sternly, “Look, stop playing with me and get the fk on out the door,” signaling his frustration with the prank. Despite the warning, Wayon continued to push his luck, attempting to provoke a reaction by saying, “Can you say d*ck in that puy for me real quick?”
That comment crossed a line. Without hesitation, Gates turned and struck Wayon on the back of the head before walking away, clearly done with the interaction. Wayon, caught off guard, reacted in pain, exclaiming, “Ah, Kevin Gates. What the f**k, Kevin Gates. Come on, man. Ah, that hurt, Kevin. I didn’t appreciate that, Kevin. That hurt a lot.”
This incident serves as another reminder of how pranks, especially those involving celebrities, can quickly escalate into physical altercations. Wayon, though known for his bold and often risky prank style, likely underestimated Gates’ tolerance for such antics.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time a YouTube prank on a rapper has gone awry. In 2022, another YouTube prankster, White Dolemite, found himself in a similar situation after attempting to prank rapper Boosie BadAzz. Dolemite’s shtick involved calling Black men “boy,” a term loaded with historical and racial connotations. The prank didn’t end well, with Dolemite being punched for his efforts.
Pranking has become a popular genre on YouTube, but incidents like these reveal the dangers that come with crossing boundaries. While some may laugh off harmless jokes, others, especially public figures like Kevin Gates, may not be as forgiving when they feel disrespected or provoked.