Plenty of artists would prefer to keep the absolute ugliness of that situation out of their music, but Gates isn’t one to shy away from the excruciating details of his personal lows (which also include a long battle with depression and unresolved grief). In the midst of a breathless verse on Islah opener “Not the Only One”, he references the aftermath of the incident at a concert in Florida last summer when he kicked a female fan in the chest, provoked by the woman reaching at his shorts while he was on stage. Gates’ personal life makes it easy for him to be understood.
Autobiography and honesty have always been central to his artistry, and Islah keeps present reality at the forefront with a particular focus on the rapper’s growing fame and how he handles it. Islah is being released through Atlantic Records and Gates’ own Bread Winners Association label, but even with the major label stamp, it’s undeniably the product of a strong will, delivered without any guests. It’s a journey now reaching its commercial peak with debut album Islah. Along the way, Gates, now just shy of 30, has refined and reconfigured his sound, placing more and more emphasis on his singing while coming to favor sleeker, more dramatic production from beatmakers like Metro Boomin, Drumma Boy, and Nard & B. Or you might know him for the true building blocks to his stardom: the free mixtapes he’s released over the course of the past decade, from 2007’s Pick of Da Litter to last year’s Murder for Hire. You might know Baton Rouge rapper Kevin Gates for his 2014 workaholic anthem “I Don’t Get Tired (#IDGT)”, his chart-climbing new singles “Really Really” and “2 Phones”, or the notoriety he’s found due to his viral Instagram activity.