dreka gates

Who Is Kevin Gates? Louisiana’s Wild Superstar

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At this rate, Kevin Gates is better known for his outlandish antics than he is for his successful hip-hop career. Whether he’s waltzing around in overly tight pants on a concert stage or embarking on social media tirades, there seems to always be a new controversial story surrounding the Baton Rouge-born artist. However, Kevin Gates’ story from being a mainstay in the prison system to his modern-day notoriety is an inspirational one. Music was always the therapeutic release for Gates. He told XXL, “I could say I really appreciated it when I couldn’t do it. I missed it when I was incarcerated and was away from the music.”

You wouldn’t exactly know it in front of the bravado of his personality, but Gates has been through the journey of a lifetime to get back to where he’s at today. His burgeoning hip-hop career has constantly been put on pause to a decade-long run of various stints in prison. For example, he was sentenced to five months in prison for kicking an aggressive fan, a woman, at one of his shows. Whereas hip-hop careers are usually fleeting, his ability to sustain his chaotic career off of chart-topping hits such as “Really Really” and “2 Phones” is downright impressive.

Kevin Gates Has Helped Re-vitalize Southern Rap

The 37-year-old kicked off his hip-hop career in 2007. Debut mixtape Pick of Da Litter wasn’t exactly doing numbers, but his standout cavernous voice and ability to bounce from singing to rapping warranted waves throughout the Louisiana hip-hop scene. Kevin Gates’ sound has always emulated the booming Cadillac-esq sound of the South. That sound conjoined him with fellow Louisiana MCs such as Boosie BadAzz and Webbie. It wasn’t until 2014 that his local notoriety would translate to the international world of hip-hop. Kevin Gates got his first big break in the form of “I Don’t Get Tired (#IDGT).”

Throughout the 2020s, Gates’s focus has been on repairing what was a chaotic 2010s. Fully committed to his Muslim faith, family, and fitness, his modern-day look is a stark contrast to the enraged person of his early works. In fact, the Southern hip-hop icon was sitting in a prison cell as Islah soared to No. 2 on the Billboard charts. To worsen the sting, he was nominated for a Grammy that he never would’ve been able to accept in person. While the experience was a challenging one for Gates, it motivated him to turn his life around. Even if he was creating hits, the rest of his life was riddled with drug use and depression.

Gates Has Focused On Repairing His Health

kevin gates
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – JULY 23: Kevin Gates attends Spotify x Rolling Loud Miami 2022 – Day 2 at Hard Rock Stadium on July 23, 2022 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Sergi Alexander/Getty Images for Spotify )

Somewhere along the way, Kevin Gates transitioned from a drug-induced illegal routine to a newfound emphasis on fitness. Just as impressively, he was able to do it without compromising his madcap image in the hip-hop scene. The interviews are still as unpredictable and downright hilarious as ever. After the revelatory success of 2016’s Islah, 2019’s I’m Him saw Gates revitalized. Blown-out bass rumbles and sung melodies reminded the hip-hop world of his innate talent. The project also has moments of vulnerable sentimentality. For example, “Betta For You” is a heartfelt story of apology regarding past mistakes to Kevin Gates’s daughter Islah.

Regarding Kevin Gates’ relationship with his kids, he is currently in the care of an unspecified number of children. Many of the children he’s responsible for are non-biological. However, he has two biological kids with his wife Dreka Haynes. In fact, Islah is named after the two’s daughter. In addition, he’s had two kids with two other women. There’s no doubt that the increased responsibilities levied on Gates forced him to change his lifestyle. Speaking to us back in 2015, he stated “If I wasn’t doing this, I wouldn’t be able to provide for my children. So I would be laying down on them…it puts things into perspective, like, if I ever want to go buy a chain, I gotta be like really, really rich.”

Kevin Gates’ Story Is Unparalleled in Hip-Hop

kevin gates
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 04: Kevin Gates performs during 2023 Rolling Loud Los Angeles at Hollywood Park Grounds on March 04, 2023 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/WireImage)

Both hardheaded and heartfelt, Kevin Gates remains one of the defining personalities in hip-hop. He’s been on the streets of Baton Rouge, a Native American shaman ceremony, and the hopeless gates of prison. Amid all of the chaos, music has been the one continuity that’s managed to (just barely) keep it all together. He partakes in a revitalized lifestyle which includes weightlifting sessions at 2:00 a.m. Gates is looking to encourage others to not copy and paste his past mistakes. That message is beginning to manifest itself in the music, as highlighted by the recent release The Luca Brasi Story (A Decade of Brasi).

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The post Who Is Kevin Gates? Louisiana’s Wild Superstar appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Kevin Gates Reunites With Dreka On “Breakfast”

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2022 felt like a strong return for Kevin Gates. The Louisiana-bred rapper emerged with the release of his latest body of work, Khaza, a spiritual successor to his debut album, Islah. In the years since his release from prison, Gates has undoubtedly showcased his growth and maturity. Not only within his art but through his health regiment as well. Overall, Gates returned with a strong body of work that reminded fans that he hasn’t lost his touch one bit.

During the same time he released Khaza, he suggested that he was a bachelor, once again. The release of “Super General” included accusations of infidelity between himself and his wife, Dreka Gates. Though she never necessarily confirmed it, Gates continued to frolic around, attempting to woo Summer Walker and his apparent fling with Brittney Renner. Ultimately, he appeared to be enjoying life as a single man. However, it seems like he and Dreka Gates recently rekindled their romance.

Kevin Gates Releases Music Video For New Single “Breakfast” Starring Dreka

This morning, Gates returned with his first release of 2023 with “Breakfast.” The rapper links up with DJ Chose for the record, delivering an abundance of raunchy bars while providing a healthy dose of machoism that we’ve known from Gates. He doesn’t hold back from the details, either, using food as a euphemism for sex. On the first verse, he delves into his melodic side while reflecting on his bedroom fantasies and everything he’ll do to please his woman.

Gates unveiled a music video for the single, too. Dreka Gates serves as the leading lady, which appears to be a confirmation that they’re back together. The video opens up with Kevin surprising Dreka with a new home secluded from the city before sharing intimate moments with one another. It’s an unconventional setting for a music video yet effectively sultry for another strong release from Gates. Hopefully, the new single leads to a new project later this year. Check the new song above.

Quotable Lyrics
Bread winner, Major League Mafia, swingin’
And we up the bet, my big brother came back and we back havin’ motion
Gorilla four, we been overseas, metro ton load on the submarine, come out the ocean

Kevin Gates & Wife Dreka Share BTS Of “Breakfast” Music Video Shoot

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Kevin Gates recently shared some behind the scenes clips with his wife Dreka from a shoot for an upcoming music video. While they teased it previously with some clips of the video itself, these clips are much more wholesome. For example, they show both their excitement over the video shoot and displayed how much fun they had. Moreover, the first video they shared portrayed them reviewing some footage. Following a particular moment (a shot? A transition? We don’t know), the Louisiana rapper exclaimed excitedly. “Oh my God!” he screamed at the unknown footage.

LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 07: Kevin Gates and Dreka Gates attend the Warner Music Pre-Grammy Party at the NoMad Hotel on February 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Warner Music)

Furthermore, other clips included a conversation in what looks like a trailer and waiting in between takes out in the snow. Also, as they cycle through the clips, a short snippet of the song plays in the background. However, previous teases of the song gave a glimpse as to the shoot’s results. Moreover, both posted a teaser on Instagram showing a snowy estate and Kevin cooking Dreka… well, breakfast. “Who..I mean..what do you like for #Breakfast,” she captioned her post.

Meanwhile, the “2 Phones” MC recently spoke on Kobe Bryant’s death and how he felt something was wrong the day he passed. Also, he spit a mini-freestyle in the middle of his tale, which some people raised an eyebrow at. “The crash site [was] seven minutes from my house,” he remarked. “Rest In Peace the Black Mamba. This here going to Virginia, got a hundred keys in a black Honda. All of this was going on at the time. My nana came in. I told my tattoo artist- remember I told you? I said, ‘Man, I don’t feel like we should leave the house today. We just need to stay in today.’ She came right to the house. I hate to even say this, but that’s what happened. She came in the house and was like, ‘They say Kobe just had a helicopter crash.’”

“So you said ‘We shouldn’t leave the house before?” Big Boy asked Gates during the interview. “Before that s**t happened,” Gates replied. “That s**t happened seven minutes from my house. Like, weird s**t like that always be happening to me.” Regardless, stay logged into HNHH for the release of the “Breakfast” music video, check out the BTS clips below, and come back for the latest on Kevin and Dreka Gates.

Dreka Gates Teases PDA-Filled “Breakfast” Music Video With Kevin Gates

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Beginning February with a bang, Kevin Gates surprised his fans on the first of this month by sharing his 2013 project, THE LUCA BRASI STORY on DSPs. The 22-track effort boasts popular titles like “IDGAF,” “IHOP,” and “Narco Trafficante” featuring Percy Keith. Additionally, friends like Master P, Curren$y, and Terrance Hines came through to assist the rap star.

Aside from that the last release we got from the father of two was last November’s FYP EP. However, on Sunday (February 5), his wife Dreka hinted that Kevin is cooking something up for listeners. On her Instagram page, the businesswoman posted a teaser for a new video single called “Breakfast,” and it looks seriously tasty, to say the least.

Dreka Gates attends Baller Alert Rooftop Day Party on June 23, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

“Who…I mean… What do you like for #Breakfast?” Dreka asked followers in the caption. The visual begins with a landscape shot of snowy mountains and trees as the “Really Really” rapper’s name flashes across the screen. A white SUV eventually enters the frame, and after more scenic B-roll, we watch Kevin help his partner out of the passenger side.

She smiles ear to ear as he looks at her with adoration. Before you know it, the camera takes us into the kitchen, where the Gates family patriarch is shirtless and chefing up some food. After preparing a plate, he walks it over to Dreka, who sits patiently waiting on the couch in black lingerie.

The couple shares a sweet kiss, which cuts to footage of Kevin rapping the upcoming release out in the snow. No premiere date came along with the teaser video, but it’s been receiving plenty of love from friends and fans so far. “Love y’all together and ion even know y’all lol,” author Porsha Guobadia wrote.

“Yes girl he’s always gonna come back home,” and “The manager and wife. Y’all need to stay out of these folk’s business,” others wrote. “Listennnn, Dreka, if you with it! I’m with it,” someone else, still, teased the 36-year-old.

@drekagates/Instagram

While rumours of their separation rocked the internet early last summer, many curious fans began digging into the couple’s history. When Kevin’s career was first taking off, Dreka’s role included DJing his shows and handing out his CDs to strangers. She remained loyal through various ups and downs over the years, leaving many shocked when they seemingly split in 2022.

Though she loves her husband dearly, the mother of two made it known that her own identity as a woman is important to her too. Besides appearing in his videos from time to time, Gates also has various pursuits of her own on the go. Read more about her career path here, and check back later for more hip-hop news.

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Kevin & Dreka Gates Celebrate NYE Together Following Breakup Rumours

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While breakups aren’t all that uncommon in the world of hip-hop, some hurt far more than others. For instance, seeing Blueface and Chrisean Rock declare themselves as single over and over again is much less painful than watching the demise of Kevin and Dreka Gates.

In the summer, the married couple surprisingly seemed to be going their separate ways. For his part, the rapper addressed all the drama in his “Super General Freestyle.” Throughout his lyrics, he raps, “Took the blame in interviews and made it look like I was trippin’ / Made the ‘Dreka’ song, lied to the world while trying to protect her image.”

After the song was released, listeners were waiting for a reaction from Kevin’s wife, though they never really got one. Rather, she used her social media account to show the world that she’s been in rest and relaxation mode. At the time, videos of her taking a luxurious bath as well as tending to her garden appeared on her Story.

Though the “2 Phones” hitmaker began sparking relationship rumours with Jojo Zarur in the summer, he and Dreka appear to have made up just as quickly as they allegedly ended.

At the end of June, cameras previously caught them hugging at an autograph signing, their two children in tow.

Kevin Gates and Dreka Gates attend the Warner Music Pre-Grammy Party at the NoMad Hotel on February 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Warner Music)

The next month, Dreka let the world know what she’s been streaming her partner’s Khaza project, even if it includes a diss aimed at her. Specifically, her favourite title seems to be “Scars,” though that may have changed in recent months.

Things have been relatively quiet between the Gates’ since the summer, though they stepped out on New Year’s Eve to celebrate. In videos posted to @theshaderoom, the pair obviously smiles ear to ear as they dance and sing the night away together.

“Now y’all should’ve known Kevin Gates wasn’t giving Dreka up,” one social media user concurrently wrote after seeing the clip.

Another person later chimed in with, “I can’t even judge Dreka and Kevin. I understand, I’ve been there too.” Additionally, someone else called out the mother of two for reuniting with her man.

“Dreka wild as hell back vibing w Kevin Gates. Girl the amount of times he has asked God to kill y’all kids to make [people] think he telling the truth is just crazy,” they comparatively pointed out.

Check out more Twitter reactions to the undeniably heartwarming NYE video below. Afterward, tell us if you think Kevin and Dreka Gates are endgame in the comment section.

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