In every era in hip-hop history, there are artists who excel at detailing the stories that are usually not intended for the general public’s consumption.
From the days where 2 Live Crew got so wantonly filthy that it became a matter for the courts to Lil Kim’s revolutionary rhymes on Hardcore, Lil Wayne labeling himself the “pussy monster” and Plies’ ability to turn his most hedonistic thoughts into hit singles, telling tales from the boudoir has always struck a chord with hip-hop listeners. While in some cases, the sheer candidness of what they’re willing to divulge will remind you that anyone who thought that Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B’s “WAP” was a cause for moral panic clearly hasn’t listened to a Too Short record.
In the past week, one man who has made waves by expressing his innermost desires on wax is none other than Kevin Gates.
Hot on the heels of what appears to be an acrimonious split from his wife of seven years, Dreka, Gates made his way to the booth to deliver his “Super General” freestyle. Over ATL Jacob and Jambo’s now iconic “Super Gremlin” instrumental, Gates took a shot at prominent names in the industry, regardless of whether they were married or not.
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Alongside telling Nicki Minaj that “she need Kevin, she still playin’ around with Kenneth,” Gates also made an indecent proposal to the Carters, proclaiming that “ain’t no disrespect to Jigga, met through Nipsey, that’s my n***a.” He continued, “Don’t know if they in the swingin’, Beyoncé need to let me hit her/Make her piss all on this dick, respectfully, her body shiver.”
Although the two musical icons have unsurprisingly opted to ignore his advances, Rubi Rose, whom he told he wanted to “put that dick deep in yo’ back and have you cum all on this missile” did take to Twitter to react, stating what many devout fans already know– “Kevin gates freaky as hell lol.”
For long-term listeners of the lynchpin of the Breadwinner’s Association, Gates toeing the line between lust and vulgarity is as commonplace as bars about whipping up bricks or copping cars are in the discography of others.
In fact, there have been many instances where he’s devoted entire songs to the subject. And while he’s disclosed his softer side and penchant for romanticism on notable songs like “Arms Of A Stranger” and the remorseful “Betta For You,” there’s no denying that one of Gates’ preferred lyrical devices is discussing what takes place between the sheets or just about anywhere else you can think of. So, with that in mind, we’ve scoured the Baton Rouge native’s discography to rediscover some of his most carnally-minded compositions.
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“Love Or Lust” (2008)
In 2008, a young Kevin Gates was just finding his feet in the industry. Armed with little more than a few mixtapes to his name, the Louisianian could’ve been forgiven for playing it safe at the start. But if you know the man who’d one day become Luca Brasi, he’s not one to err on the side of caution when it comes to his bars.
An obscure cut from his early career which sees him adopt an almost Pac-like flow, the groove-laden tracks sees Gates unveil his propensity for dirty talk as he speaks of “exchanging fuck faces, while I touch places, spit on her pussy from behind while we love making.”
Oddly, the track also sees him make the bizarre concession that “Orgasms won’t happen, unheard of with Kevin” which stands in sharp contrast to the claims of being a gifted lovemaker that has punctuated much of his later work.
“69” (2010)
Taken from 2010’s Behind Enemy Lines, this track isn’t just a celebration of one sex act in particular, it also contains odes to exhibitionism in the outside world or, more specifically, parking garages.
Recorded during his short stint at Baton Rouge’s own Dead Game Records, the track’s borderline gratuitous verse features the prototypical form of the rhymes that he’d eventually send Rubi Rose’s way, with Gates’ spitting “sucking all on your navel while fiddling with your kitty, I hope we don’t wake the neighbors, you feel it all in your kidneys.”
“Get Ya Back Broke” (2010)
Suffice to say, “69” isn’t the only sexually charged track on the Behind Enemy Lines tape. While he may emanate from Louisiana, there’s an undeniably Houston-oriented swing to the pulsating “Get Ya Back Broke.”
Amid the undeniably catchy hook from Gates and Malachi, he also discusses his streamlined approach to courtship as he reveals how “I try to fuck em right after I meet em / Nibble her ear, rubbing her clit, lot of touching and teasing, we went from just conversing briefly to frequently speaking.”
Never one to waste a solitary bar, the comedic value of the track’s parting shot of “I can’t forget when I saw you out on the balcony, I made it my business to raw you out on the balcony” never quite wears off.
“What Must I Say/Do It In The Mirror” (2010)
As we know, Kevin Gates isn’t one to lead with subtlety when it comes to making his feelings known and “What Must I Say” is certainly no exception.
Complete with a hook that was previously part of the unreleased track “Do It In The Mirror,” “What Must I Say” sees Kevin approach a lady with the sole intention of taking her home that night, planning to “do it in the mirror put your heels on the dresser/Good girls make a lot of noise/Squeal under pressure.”
Yet while the original song comes embellished with the sound of a woman in the throes of passion, Kevin seemingly thought better of it the second time around.
“Strokin” (2013)
A long-time favorite among Gates’ fans, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Kevin’s insistence that he’s doing it in slow motion on the luxuriously produced “Strokin” would imply a certain degree of sensuality. But rather than looking to engage in a long-term relationship, Gates once again advocates for casual, no-strings-attached sex with a woman that he “sees in my dreams, or in the magazines” with a “left nipple” all in his mouth, “Licking on it all no feelings involved/Watching water fall took no time at all, pussy.”
“Thinking With My Dick” feat. Juicy J (2013)
Although it was initially released in 2013, this Juicy J-assisted offering has received a resurgence in relevancy on TikTok in recent months. So much so that it is scheduled to be re-released on his forthcoming new album, Khaza.
A party anthem by design, Kevin has acknowledged the newfound popularity of the track by bringing Steven Barbosa, who featured in a viral video that helped kickstart the track’s second wind, up onstage with him at a recent show.
“Wild Ride” (2014)
Among the many attention-grabbing tracks from Luca Brasi 2: Gangsta Grillz, this atmospheric trap number finds Gates crooning over the beat before hitting a lady with an indecent proposal as he spits, “would I be wrong? I wanna fuck you with one of my n****s? If afterwards I promise that I wouldn’t look at you different.”
Later on, amid a host of braggadocious bars, Gates reveals some of his personal preferences, disclosing that “sometimes I like to watch my ho fuck, video makin’ flicks, In the whip jackin’ me off, know how to make it spit, Hand in my drawers, fondle my balls, she got the softest grip.”
“Wit It” (2014)
Among the standouts of By Any Means, this seductively inclined number sees Gates discuss the temporary trance that the object of his affections has placed him under. Or, in his words, “jumping, pussy gushing, running like a water faucet. (Please) don’t get off it,I’m out my mind don’t know what to call it.”
“Go Hard” (2014)
A more serene offering that comes with a pitch-perfect hook from Rico Love, By Any Means’ “Go Hard” is another exploration of his appetites in which he provides the understatement of the century when he forewarns the listener that he “is quite explicit in my metaphors.”
An R&B-tinged number that veers towards an old-school slow jam, Gates even suggests that he’s willing to risk it all as he declares that “ain’t no crying now, this ain’t no crime that we committed, hol’ up wait its boutta, can I leave it in.”
Lil Kim “#Mine” feat. Kevin Gates (2016)
For the most part, Kevin saves his coarser bars for his own catalog but his collaboration with the BX’s own Queen Bee is a noteworthy and worthwhile exception. Complete with a verse and hook that was originally housed on an unreleased track of his own known as “When I Get Home,” Kevin pulls no punches as he discusses how, “her momma hate me, say I’m too advanced, ask her how she’s doing/She never say it to my face, I’m turnt up I’m a movie, yeah/At night she hear her daughter scream, Cassius Clay, I bomaye,/My hand around her throat she naked, I bent her over on the dresser.”
Naturally, Lil Kim was all too happy to match him in terms of nastiness, veering from talk of her status as a hip-hop sex symbol to the admission that you can “see my pussy print all through my jeans.”
“D U Down” (2017)
Taken from the sequel to By Any Means, this 2017 offering sees the BWA leader recall a conquest from his days on the road.
Alongside reinforcing his apparent affinity for biting as he discusses “nibbling like Tyson,” the track’s central narratives comes from one of the biggest conferences in the music industry: “We had met out while out in Houston/South-by while out in Austin/I be fuckin her to my lil’ brother/Bam music, you know I’m retarded.”
“Luv Bug” (2019)
Dropped on the incredibly consistent EP that is Only The Generals Gon Understand, this precursor to I’m Him is pivotal in Gates’ catalogue for a few reasons. First off, we have the impassioned rallying cry that is “Big Gangsta.” But beyond that, there is one of Kevin’s most forthright ruminations on romance in the form of “Luv Bug” in which the Louisianan rapper seems to veer between adoration and contempt for his chosen partner.
Although he lavishes praises on her skills as a “high power freak” that gets rid of “all discretion,” he then takes issue with the decibel levels of their lovemaking as he protests that “You been doin’ a lot of squirming and hollering, baby, now shut the fuck up.” Rounded off with yet more allusions to his affinity for the posterior as he recounts “stickin’ my tongue all in her ass, don’t budge,” this is quintessential Kevin Gates in that he doesn’t spare the faintest detail over an engrossing, piano-led beat.
“Face Down” (2019)
Taken from his long-awaited sophomore album I’m Him, this DJ Chose-produced effort allows Gates to outline exactly how he likes to conduct himself. Complete with a chorus that was certainly not intended for radio play in which he discusses how he’ll “tell her bend it over, I’m gon’ break her back, face down, make-up sex, choke her while I fuck her, she in love with that,” he further elaborates on his unique approach to conflict resolution in the second verse where he reveals that “we had an argument, I’m solvin’ it when I rip from the rear/I’ll eat your clit out from behind, I crack a smile, a chandelier.”