Picture this: Kevin Gates hugs a miniature bulldog before strolling past a collection of exotic cars and entering an elevator. Two floors up, the doors open for a Beyoncé concert, and Gates has a ticket. As Adderall meets alcohol, the Baton Rouge rapper leans into a crazed delirium, ripping off his shirt and singing along to the crowd, lyrics be damned. Gates' live party scene brings to mind 'Yonce Freestyle', a single from his new album The ceremonyhovering as high as his own the most infamous performance photo. So why does the record sound so firmly grounded?
The varying failures to release these 17 songs are, in part, an unfortunate consequence of an even keel. Anguish was a seminal force combining the weathered mix of Dirty South beats and Gates' unflinching “up-North” lyrics. But street grizzle raps are not standard The ceremony. Before the lyre-textured album opener unfolds, Gates ad-libs “Real medicine music.” The point here is indeed healing: through reflection, redemption and plenty of make-up sex. Phone calls from old contacts outside the porch ring in his ears like a symphony of birdsong (“Birds Calling”). Sometimes, things get a little confusing. In the track titled “Healing,” Gates proudly “does yoga and attracts my twin flame through meditation.” Elsewhere he cleans his Mercedes Benz with sage (“God Slippers”).
Well-documented silliness aside, Gates never aspired to be a meme rapper, and has talked about developing a signature line dealing with Tupac, Nas and JAY-Z. Fellow Louisiana mr Lil Wayne eventually plucked Gates from a prolific mixtape streak to become a bubble player on Wayne's YMCMB roster, but Gates never showed up. After cultivating an underground following on the Bread Winners' Association label, Atlantic caught on. Gates had already mined Taylor Swift tunes for needle drops. His mainstream crossover felt destined, despite the turmoil of his early career.
But more than a decade after landing a major deal that almost immediately lost momentum due to a devastating prison sentence, which he recounts on “Letter 2 My Fans,” Gates sounds weary of rap radio. He's a famous celebrity when it comes to his major label debut – 2016 Ishlah represents the spoils of corporate use with minimal compromise on every belt hook. But where a more polished, folksy sound was jet fuel for Gates there, it's quicksand The ceremony. The script is about moving forward, but the sonics keep Gates frozen in time, fused with an outdated Hot 100 sound that doesn't match his mature, quieter stylings.
