Kid Rock: ‘I’m not just wealthy, I’m loaded’

As a child I was hell. I didn’t follow the rules. I never set out to hurt people, but if someone said “Fuck you” I’d smack them upside the head. I like to think I’ve grown out of that a little bit.

I don’t FaceTweet or whatever people do. I understand that I’m the old guy now. I turn on my computer and look at porn a little bit, see what’s going on in the news, but that’s about it. I’m comfortable with that.

Schoolbook-wise I’m not as educated as some politicians, but I am more connected to the people around me: Detroit, Alabama, Florida, Malibu.

I am definitely a Republican on fiscal issues and the military, but I lean to the middle on social issues. I am no fan of abortion, but it’s not up to a man to tell a woman what to do. As an ordained minister I don’t look forward to marrying gay people, but I’m not opposed to it.

I played Barack Obama’s inauguration even though I didn’t vote for him. I didn’t agree with his policies, but there was an exciting sense of change in the air. That promise hasn’t been fulfilled – the country is more divided than ever.

I’m not just wealthy, I’m loaded. I can say that because I’m not embarrassed – I’ve made a fuck-ton of money, but I’ve never made a dishonest dollar. I try to do right by the people around me.

I’m 43 and about to become a grandfather, but it keeps my redneck street cred up. I could be a great-great-great-grandfather by the time I’m 80. I am excited, but also nervous for my son. He was dropped on my doorstep at six months when I had no money and was trying to be a rock star. I didn’t have a clue.

The partying gene skips a generation. I was really wild and I never saw that in my son. He’ll have a few drinks, but that’s it. He’ll say: “Right, I’m going home,” and I’m like: “Ha! We’re just getting warm.”

My success with women picked up around the 14 millionth record I sold. I know what it was about – I don’t exactly look like Brad Pitt. I learned to be careful. I didn’t want 10 kids around. But there have been a lot of women. I could have set a better example for my son. When he was a teenager I’d bring home girls that he had more in common with than I did.

I don’t smoke much weed, it makes me dumb. But they should legalise and tax everything: pot, cocaine, heroin. Has it not been proven that people will always find a way to get what they want?

I’m always buying more guns. I have everything from a Civil War cannon to an MP5 machine gun and old police guns. If someone invades your house, yeah, you can shoot them. I don’t think crazy people should have guns.

Rap-rock was what people wanted at the time, and they still love those songs at shows. But it turned into a lot of bullshit and it turned out to be pretty gay… If someone says you can’t say “gay” like that you tell them to go fuck themselves. You’re not going to get anything politically correct out of me.

First Kiss by Kid Rock is out on 24 February (Warner Bros)