Patience is virtue, and for Dave East it’s a constant daily reminder.

Earlier this year, the Nas-appointed rapper repping East Harlem released Hate Me Now, a seamless 20-track offering packed with features from the LOX to Pusha T to Nas Esco. A longtime coming, the project is as much a follow-up to East’s 2014 mixtape Black Rose as it is his audible testimony.

“I know [there’s] a reason for everything that’s happening for me,” the Harlem native told REVOLT while standing outside the Islamic Cultural Center of New York, where he joined many others in the community in worship for the blessings experienced. The blessings for East has certainly come through the music, but on a deeper level, it’s also through the journey that has been laid out for him.

“With the music and with the religion, they’re both my life. At the same time, the religion is what balances me,” he explained. “And I have something to keep me grounded.”

If you thought you knew Dave East before, be prepared to get a glimpse into his psyche below, as he speaks on balancing out his religious lifestyle with the music, the emotional connection exhibited on Hate Me Now, and why right now is the best time to hate on him.

Listen to Hate Me Now, here.