Very few rappers can say they have done that, although leading independent rappers like Currensy and Tech N9ne can certainly claim it. Six projects in a little over three years and they were all dope. In 2015, while preparing to drop his debut album, Gate was a little more quiet, only dropping the surprise mixtape Murder For Hire (although he did embark on a nationwide tour with Chevy Woods the previous summer). The latter project also featured the August Alsina-featured single “I Don’t Get Tired” which charted well on the Billboard rap and R&B charts. To keep things moving, he dropped another two projects the next year – By Any Means and Luca Brasi 2. In 2013, Gates’ breakout year, he dropped The Luca Brasi Story and Stranger Than Fiction – two projects that created serious buzz for him. I don’t even believe that exists for me because my mind is always working and thinking. Gates, on the other hand, has been grinding for a decade – he dropped his first mixtape It’s My Time in 2006 – and is now reaping the rewards for his hard work and patience. On Aughe announced he had been dropped from Def Jam and has been grinding it out independently via his own label Gold Gang Records. That’s about it for the Trinidad James story. The single quickly went gold, Trinidad was signed to Def Jam a $2 million deal and released a remix to “All Gold Everything” featuring Atlanta superstars 2 Chainz, T.I., and Young Jeezy. Trinidad James’ debut single “All Gold Everything” peaked at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit the top 10 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot Rap Songs charts. It’s a scenario we’ve talked about before – would you rather be a rapper who blew up really quickly and signed to major label or a rapper who took years to build up a fanbase? One of them is Trinidad James, the other is Kevin Gates. I don’t want no handouts, I want to get it out the mud. I listened to Birdman talk about how it got it out the mud and how it took him 20 years to build his brand. So how did he do it? Well it’s what Stop The Breaks has been talking about for ages now – the main focus for artists these days should be in building a loyal fanbase that will support them for the long haul. Gates sold more than Wiz Khalifa and Macklemore – Khalifa sold 64,000 units, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made sold 61,000 two rappers who are arguably more known and have had bigger commercial success than him.ĭespite his edgy, street-oriented music Gates managed to debut behind one of the biggest pop singers in the world. Powered by two singles – “Really Really” and and the Billboard hit “2 Phones” (Gates’ highest charting song to date) – Islah sold 112,143 equivalent album units with 90,000 copies sold in its first-week. So when I heard that Kevin Gates’ debut album, Islah, debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200, just behind Rihanna’s Anti, I guess I was surprised, but not really. With an incredible ability to blend melodic hooks with intricate lyricism over hard-hitting production, Gates always had the potential to cross over to the mainstream without compromising his sound. All I can do is make the best music I can make today, who cares about what’s going to happen tomorrow.Īfter a breakout year in 2013, where he established himself as one of the best up-and-coming rappers in the game with the one-two punch combo of The Luca Brasi Story and Stranger Than Fiction, Gates kept the dope records coming.