41 Facts About Kevin Gates

Kevin Gates is currently signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records.

Kevin Gates Jerome Gilyard was born on February 5,1986, to a Puerto Rican mother and an African American father.

Kevin Gates had an often tumultuous upbringing and was arrested for the first time in 1999 at the age of 13 for joyriding in a stolen vehicle as a passenger.

Kevin Gates lost contact with his father at a young age, but he later reconnected with him as a teenager.

Kevin Gates's father died of complications from AIDS when Gates was 14 years old.

Kevin Gates began his career in 2007 by signing to local label Dead Game Records.

Kevin Gates's career blossomed along with fellow Baton Rouge natives Boosie Badazz and Webbie in the mid-2000s.

Kevin Gates spent 31 months in prison between 2008 and 2011.

Kevin Gates was released early from prison for good behavior.

Kevin Gates caught the attention of Lil Wayne's record label, Young Money Entertainment.

Kevin Gates was signed to the management wing of the label later that year.

Kevin Gates noted that it was Birdman who gave him the idea to start his own record label, named Bread Winners' Association, later on.

In early 2013, Kevin Gates released the mixtape, The Luca Brasi Story, via his Bread Winners' Association record label.

Kevin Gates released his first major label mixtape, Stranger Than Fiction, in July 2013.

The mixtape received favorable reviews despite generally being shorter than Kevin Gates had originally hoped.

Stranger Than Fiction marked the first time one of Kevin Gates' mixtapes charted on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 37.

Kevin Gates was sentenced to 4 months, but only served 3 and a half of those.

In May 2014, Kevin Gates was named a member of XXLs Freshman Class He announced the By Any Means Tour, which would run from July 15 to August 30,2014 and feature Chevy Woods.

In February and March 2015, Kevin Gates embarked on the I Don't Get Tired Tour throughout much of the South.

In May 2015, Kevin Gates released another mixtape, Murder for Hire, which was said to be the third installment in the Luca Brasi series.

In late August 2015, Kevin 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.

Kevin Gates responded to the allegations shortly thereafter in the form of a song called "The Truth," noting that the fan had been tugging on his shorts.

Later in October 2015, Kevin Gates announced the title and release date of his debut studio album, Islah, which means "to make better" in Arabic and is the name of his firstborn daughter.

On May 26,2016, Kevin Gates announced that the sequel to Murder for Hire would be coming on May 27,2016.

In May 2018, Kevin Gates released the three-song EP Chained to the City.

On May 31,2019, Kevin Gates released his second EP, titled Only the Generals Gon Understand.

On June 28,2019, Kevin Gates released "Push It", along with the music video.

The mixtape was recorded earlier in 2021 in Puerto Rico, with Kevin Gates explaining that this was done to celebrate his family heritage on the island.

Kevin Gates is known primarily for his "confessional anthems" that blend often autobiographical lyrics with refined Southern beats.

Kevin Gates has listed numerous artists among his influences including Nas, Biggie Smalls, Jay-Z, Tupac Shakur, Eminem, and others.

Kevin Gates married his longtime girlfriend, Dreka Haynes, in October 2015.

Kevin Gates is a practicing Muslim along with his wife, and went in September 2016 to Mecca for Hajj.

In 2003, Kevin Gates was involved in an altercation outside a movie theatre and stabbed his opponent multiple times.

Kevin Gates was charged with battery for kicking a fan in the summer of 2015 while he was performing on stage at an event in Lakeland, Florida.

Kevin Gates was sentenced to a 30-month prison term at the East Moline, IL correctional facility for gun charges stemming from a warrant which arose from an October 2013 arrest in Chicago.

Kevin Gates failed to show up in court in Illinois, leading to his warrant being reissued in December 2016, while he was serving his battery sentence.

Kevin Gates was released on parole on January 10,2018.

Kevin Gates claimed to have missed multiple shows in the intervening months.

Kevin Gates filed an emergency petition requesting injunctive relief in the US Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, which heard the case beginning on May 7,2018.

Kevin Gates was therefore no longer under either the authority of his parole officer or that of the MSR agreement that had been at issue.

Kevin Gates' parole had originally been projected to expire on January 10,2019.