Early life[edit]
Born Kevin Jerome Gilyard, Gates was born in New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Growing up Gates often listened to rappers such as
Snoop Dogg,
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony,
Notorious B.I.G., and
Dr. Dre as a type of therapy. In 2004, Gates began working professionally at a studio.
Artistry[edit]
Influences[edit]
Kevin first began rhyming in 2007, when he began making music with fellow
Louisiana natives
Webbie and
Lil Boosie. Gates first received attention with his 2008 single "Get in the Way" featuring Lil Boosie. Soon after, he and Boosie would be incarcerated in separate cases.
[clarification needed] Gates would then be released in 2011 and immediately returned to recording music. He would soon earn the attention of
Lil Wayne and would start being managed by
Young Money Entertainment's management wing.
[3] In early 2013, Gates released a mixtape,
The Luca Brasi Story which was called "easily the best rap-related thing" in February 2013 by
Spin Magazine, who also said he has "been a rapper to watch for a few years now".
[4] The Luca Brasi Story has been downloaded from popular mixtape sharing site,
DatPiff, over 274,000 times.
[5] On February 15, 2013, it was announced that Kevin Gates is in a partnership with
Atlantic Records.
[6] Gates was also featured on
Pusha T's 2013 mixtape
Wrath of Caine on the song "Trust You"
[7] and was featured on frequent collaborator
Gudda Gudda's mixtape
Guddaville 3 on the song "Hustle All Day" also featuring Flow.
On July 16, 2013, Gates released a street album entitled
Stranger Than Fiction, and it featured guest appearances by
Wiz Khalifa and
Juicy J along with being supported by the single "4:30".
[8] Stranger Than Fiction debuted at number 37 on the
Billboard 200 selling 8,400 copies in its first week.
[9] Rolling Stone ranked his song "Wylin" at number 40, on their list of the 100 Best Songs of 2013.
[10] His second street album
By Any Means was released on March 17, 2014. It debuted at number 17 on the
Billboard 200, selling 17,000 copies in the United States.
[11] Gates was named part of the 2014 XXL Freshmen Class.
[12] In July 2015 Gates released "Kno One" which is supposed to be the lead single of his forthcoming fourth studio album, it's produced by Europe's most important Hip-Hop Export:
Cali The Producer.
[13]
Discography[edit]
- Bread Winners: The Album (2015)
Mixtapes[edit]
- Pick Of Da Litter (2007)
- All or Nuthing (2008)
- All In (2009)
- Behind Enemy Lines (2010)
- The Leak (2010)
- I Don't Know What to Call It Vol. 1 (2011)
- Make 'em Believe (2012)
- In the Mean Time (2012)
- The Luca Brasi Story (2013)
- Stranger Than Fiction (2013)
- By Any Means (2014)
- Luca Brasi 2 (2014)
- Murder For Hire (2015)
Singles[edit]
As lead artist[edit]
Guest appearances[edit]