Meet Kevin Gates, Rapper Who Went Viral For The Unbelievable Serenade Of His Wife
What a great story!
Getty Usually, when a rapper makes the news, it's because of some mess or another. (Look at all the news about Tekashi 6ix9ine.) But today, a rapper is making the news because he's done something beautiful. So who is Kevin Gates, and what has he done that's so beautiful and newsworthy?
Born Kevin Gilyard in Louisiana, Kevin Gates first got his start in 2007. After a series of stops and starts, including a stint in prison, Gates signed to Young Money Entertainment, which you know as the label that launched Lil' Wayne, Nicki Minaj and Drake. In 2013, he released The Luca Brasi Mixtape, and this tape ultimately catapulted him to superstardom. Today, however, he is signed to Bread Winners' Association with a partnership with Atlantic Records. His debut album, Islah, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard charts.
So while his name may not ring any bells unless you're deep into hip hop, he's certainly not someone that's an unknown. Let's look at what we know about him.
1. His wife, Dreka, started out as his longtime girlfriend.
According to SOHH, Dreka Gates started her life as Dreka Haynes, and they were together for a long time before they finally got married. The couple has two children — Islah and Khaza — and the Gates family are practicing Muslims. In fact, in September 2016, they went to Mecca for Hajj.
2. Dreka Gates recently got Kevin Gates a very NSFW anniversary cake.
Hide your wife, hide your kids, and check it out below. Whoa, that's all we have to say about that.
3. But more than just a loving wife, Dreka Gates has a life and a career outside of her husband's.
Perhaps because of her association with Kevin Gates, or perhaps she's just beautiful, or both, Dreka Gates has a modeling career independent of her husband's music career, and frankly, she is body goals. Check her out below.
4. Kevin Gates recently revealed that an embarrassing incident caused him to go on a diet and lose a lot of weight.
"I had my shirt off and I was holding my patna’s baby and his baby tried to suck on my breast. I was like ‘I am too f**king fat, and I’m a fat slob. I need to lose weight," he told Vibe Magazine while adding that he keeps the weight off with eating right and exercising.
5. He also said that music "saved his life."
In an interview with Billboard Magazine, Kevin Gates said that if it weren't for his music career, he'd either be dead or in jail. "I’d be doing a life sentence or I’d be dead. And I accept those things because I just want my family and the people that I love to be OK. I accept it. My life is a sacrifice, I don’t even care. It’s for the people that I love, it’s not for me," he said to the outlet.
6. Check out how Kevin Gates recently serenaded his wife.
Not exactly a love song. He told Dreka that he loved her "like Martin loved Gina," then riffed on a rap. You can check it out below.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.