Kevin Jerome Gilyard, or more commonly known as Kevin Gates, is an American singer, rapper, and entrepreneur. He reached the second position on Billboard Top 200 with his debut studio album, titled ‘Islah’.
Biography
Kevin Gates was born on February 5, 1986, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He had a challenging childhood and was arrested when he was only 10 years old. He was enrolled in Baton Rouge Community College but dropped out very soon. Then, in 2015 he kicked a fan while performing on stage and he served a 30-month jail term. He is of African American and Puerto Rican descent, who converted to Islam along with his wife Dreka Haynes, in 2016. They share two children together, Islah and Kazha.
Professional Career
Kevin signed up with Dead Game Records in 2005 and worked together with Webbie and Boosie Badazz. His debut mixed tape was released in 2007 and was titled ‘Pick of Da Litter’, while his second mixed tape, ‘All or Nuthin’, was released in 2008. From 2008 to 2011, Kevin was in jail where he attained a degree in psychology.
Then, in 2012 he released another mixed tape, ‘Make ‘Em Believe’ and He signed on to the management section of Young Money Entertainment. His 2013 mixed tape ‘The Luca Brasi Story’ became a huge hit and this led to a gig with Atlantic Records.
His next mixed tape ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ was his first tapes to reach the Billboard Charts, while his ‘By Any Means’ tape made it to the Billboard Charts at number 17. His third consecutive album to make it to the charts was ‘Luca Brasi 2,’ and one of the songs from this album ‘I Don’t Get Tired’ make it to the Billboard Hot 100.
There was a lot of controversies when a video of Kevin kicking a fan’s chest in a concert in Lakeland was released. As a result of this incident, he released a song titled, ‘The Truth.’
His debut studio album ‘Islah’ was released in 2016 and became a huge hit and was nominated for the Billboard Music Award Top Rap Album in 2017. It features four singles, ‘Time for That,’ ‘2 Phones,’ ‘Kno One,’ and ‘Really Really.’ This album made it to number 2 on the Billboard charts and came with a bonus track called ‘Jam.’ This track featured artists like Jamie Foxx, Trey Songz, and Ty Dolla Sign.
Kevin was also nominated for the iHeartRadio Music Award Best New Hip-Hop Artist in 2017.
Kevin Gates Net Worth
Kevin Gates net worth is estimated to be around $1.5 million. Most of his wealth comes from his music career and his albums and mixed tapes. Moreover, some of the income has come from multiple business dealings. Additionally, he has accumulated his wealth from endorsements, such as ‘I Am T-Pain by Smule’ and the ‘IDGT Energy Drink.’
Kevin Gates in an extremely talented and dedicated singer and rapper. So, even though he has a criminal record, he has become very popular in the music scene. Kevin has overcome a number of obstacles in his path and has worked very hard to get where he is now. He can also boast with a loyal fan base which has been by his side and helped him topped the Billboard charts multiple times.
