Officio Birthday Star : Kevin Gates

 

     Kevin Gates (born Kevin Jerome Gilyard - February 5, 1986, Baton Louge, Louisiana) is an American rapper/ singer / song-writer and entrepreneur. 

His debut studio album, Islah, was released January 29, 2016 via Bread Winners' Association and Atlantic Records. The album debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200 chart (02/7/2016 - 112,000 album equivalent units in its first week ), opening behind Rihanna's ANTI. The week after, the album fell to No.10 and has so far racked up a total of 107 weeks on the tally, his most by far. It still ranks as his highest charting effort on the record chart. The album peaked at No.16 in Canada while reaching No.2 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) and No.7 on the US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard). Billboard ranked the set at No.16 on the 2016 year-end list and No.85 on the 2017 year-end list. Four singles would follow from the album as : "Kno One", "Really Really" (US #46), "2 Phones" (US #17, his highest solo entry to date and initial top-10 effort on the Hot 100), and "Time for That". 

His second album, I'm Him, was released September 27, 2019 through Atlantic Records and Bread Winners' Association. Debuting at No.4, it marked his fourth top-10 charting effort on the Billboard 200 following the mixtapes By Any Means 2 (2017) (#4) and Luca Brasi 3 (2018), (#4). The set was a No.2 success on the US Top Rap Albums (Billboard) and US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It produced the singles: "Push It" and "Facts". 

Khaza, his 3rd set, was released June 17, 2022, debuting and peaking at No.8 on the US Billboard 200, also reaching No.4 on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard). It saw the singles - "Thinking with My Dick", "Big Lyfe", "Bad For Me" and "Intro". 

His fourth album, The Ceremony, was released January 26, 2024 - with its singles as "God Slippers", "Yonce Freestyle" and "Birds Calling".

Gates has released notable mixtapes : Stranger Than Fiction (2013) (US #37), Luca Brasi 2 (2014), (US #38), Murder for Hire 2 (2016, US #12), Only the Generals, Pt. II (2021, US #21), and Only the Generals Gon Understand (2019, US #18).