Kevin Gates

Early and personal life

Kevin Gates was born Kevin Jerome Gilyard on February 5, 1986. He and his family relocated to Baton Rouge soon after his birth. Gates had an often tumultuous upbringing and was arrested for the first time in 1999 at the age of 13 for "joyriding" as a passenger. When he was 17, he briefly attended Baton Rouge Community College.

Gates was charged with battery charges for kicking a fan in the summer of 2015 while he was performing on stage at an event in Lakeland, Florida. He used Florida's Stand Your Ground Law in defense. On October 26, 2016, he was convicted of the charge and sentenced to 180 days in jail. He and his wife converted to Islam and went in September 2016 to Mecca for Hajj. He is currently serving a 30 month prison sentence at the East Moline correctional facility. He is tentatively set to be released on parole pending good behavior on June 22, 2018.

2007–2012: Early career, setbacks, and Young Money

Gates began his career in 2005 by signing to local label Dead Game Records his career would blossom along with fellow Baton Rouge natives Boosie Badazz and Webbie in the mid-2000s. The three collaborated on Gates' first mixtape, Pick of Da Litter, in 2007. Another mixtape, All or Nuthin', was released in 2008 and featured what Gates described as "a lot of pain...a lot of true stories." In 2008, both Gates and Boosie were incarcerated in separate cases, effectively pausing Gates' music career. He spent 31 months in prison between 2008 and 2011. During this time, he earned a master's degree in psychology through a prison program. He was released early from prison for good behavior.

After his stint in prison, Gates began working on music again almost immediately. In 2012, he earned some buzz with the mixtape, Make 'Em Believe. He also caught the attention of Lil Wayne's record label, Young Money Entertainment. Gates was signed to the management wing of the label later that year. Although he was signed to the management wing, Gates never signed a record deal with Young Money. He noted, however, that it was Birdman who gave him the idea to start his own record label later on.

2013–2014: Atlantic Records and mixtape breakthroughs

In early 2013, Gates released the mixtape, The Luca Brasi Story, via his Bread Winners' Association record label. The mixtape received critical praise with Pitchfork saying it, "imbues trap's claustrophobic bleakness with an emotional nakedness, capable lyricism, and melodic certitude many of its recent breakout stars have lacked." Rolling Stone named the mixtape's single, "Wylin' ", the 40th best song of 2013. On the heels of the success of that mixtape, Gates was signed to Atlantic Records. He would then release his first major label mixtape, Stranger Than Fiction, in July 2013. The mixtape deals with issues ranging from depression to Gates' time in prison. The mixtape also received favorable reviews despite generally being shorter than Gates had originally hoped. Stranger Than Fiction also marked the first time one of Gates' mixtapes charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 37.

In support of the mixtape, Gates embarked on a 4-week tour in October across the United States called the Stranger Than Fiction Tour. The tour also featured Starlito and Don Trip. After the tour, Gates again found himself in prison for parole violations. He was sentenced to 4 months, but only served 3 and a half of those. Upon his release in early March 2014, he again focused on music and, in particular, his new mixtape project, By Any Means. The mixtape was released on March 18, 2014. The mixtape featured guest appearances from artists including 2 Chainz, Plies, and Rico Love. The mixtape also made it to the Billboard 200, peaking at number 17.

In May 2014, Gates was named a member of XXL's Freshmen Class He also announced the By Any Means Tour which would run from July 15 to August 30, 2014 and feature Chevy Woods. In August 2014, Gates announced the creation of a new energy drink called "I Don't Get Tired" or "#IDGT." The drink is based on Gates' 2014 single of the same name that also featured August Alsina.

2015–present: Success with "I Don't Get Tired" and Islah

With the release of his 13th mixtape, Luca Brasi 2, Gates earned his third Billboard 200 listing in a row. The mixtape peaked at number 38. The mixtape featured the single "I Don't Get Tired" which became Gates' first song to make the US Billboard Hot 100 and his first song to be certified Gold. In February and March 2015, Gates embarked on the I Don't Get Tired Tour throughout much of the South. In May 2015, Gates released another mixtape, Murder for Hire, which was said to be the third installment in the Luca Brasi series. In July 2015, he released the song, "Kno One," which would become the first single from his debut studio album, Islah.

In late August 2015, Gates was the subject of some controversy after a video surfaced of him allegedly kicking a female fan in the chest at a show in Lakeland, Florida. Gates responded to the allegations shortly thereafter in the form of a song called "The Truth," noting (among other things) that the fan had been tugging on his shorts. In October 2015, Gates married his longtime girlfriend, Dreka Haynes. The couple has two children together, one son and one daughter. Later in October 2015, Gates announced the title and release date of his debut studio album, Islah, which means "to make better" in Arabic and is also the name of his firstborn daughter. The album was originally slated for release on December 11, 2015.

The album would eventually be pushed back to January 29, 2016. It would also feature a total of five singles including, "Kno One", "La Familia", "The Truth", "Really Really" and "2 Phones". Both "Really Really" and "2 Phones" received commercial success. The album sold 112,000 copies in the first week of its release and it also peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The album had almost no guest appearances with the exception of Trey Songz, Ty Dolla Sign, and Jamie Foxx who are all featured on the bonus track, "Jam". Islah received largely positive reviews with Inverse calling it the "Best Album of 2016 So Far." Pitchfork noted that it was "by far the best single release of his career."

On May 26, 2016, he announced that the sequel to Murder for Hire will be coming on May 27, 2016.

Artistry

Kevin Gates is known primarily for his "confessional anthems" that blend often autobiographical lyrics with refined Southern beats. In a review of his debut album Islah, Consequence of Sound noted that "autobiography and honesty have always been central to [Gates'] artistry." Spin has noted that Gates often combines "melodic tunefulness" and "clenched-teeth street rap." In recent releases, he has incorporated more singing, having trained with the singer, Monica. Gates' lyrics often deal with subjects like depression, poverty, and prison time. He has listed numerous artists among his influences including Nas, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Eminem, and others.

Discography