Cx1DJs We Do Things Different PodcastCx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kevin Gates" hosted by DJButterrock
Cx1DJs We Do Things Different Podcast "Untold Stories of Kevin Gates" hosted by DJButterrock Kevin Jerome Gilyard (born February 5, 1986),[2][3] known professionally as Kevin Gates, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records.[4][5] His debut studio album, Islah, released in January 2016 and peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.[6] Prior to Islah, Gates also released a number of mixtapes, including Stranger Than Fiction (2013), By Any Means (2014), and Luca Brasi 2 (2014), all of which peaked in the top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart.[4] Early life Kevin Jerome Gilyard was born on February 5, 1986, to a Puerto Rican mother and a Moroccan father; his family name is that of his mother's.[7][8] He and his family relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana,[9] before settling in Baton Rouge.[9][2] Gates was arrested for the first time in 1999 at the age of 13 for joyriding in a stolen vehicle as a passenger. He lost contact with his father at a young age, but he later reconnected with him.[citation needed] When Gates was a teenager, his father died of complications from AIDS, which he contracted from sharing needles during drug use.[10] Gates has spoken about having been sexually abused as a child.[11] When he was 17, he briefly attended Baton Rouge Community College.[4] 2007–2012: Early career, setbacks, and Young Money Gates began his career in 2007 by signing to local label Dead Game Records.[12] His career blossomed 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."[13][14] In 2008, both Gates and Boosie were incarcerated in separate cases, effectively pausing Gates' music career.[13] He spent 31 months in prison between 2008 and 2011.[15][16] During this time, Gates claimed he earned a master's degree in psychology through a prison program. He was released early from prison for good behavior.[4] After his stint in prison, Gates began working on music again almost immediately.[13] In 2012, he gained attention with the mixtape Make 'Em Believe.[17] 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.[13][14] 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, named Bread Winners' Association, later on.[18] 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."[19][2
