KEVIN GATES “KHAZA” REVIEW

Kevin Gates has made an effort in recent months to branch out from the swampy, bass-slapping sounds of the South, particularly Louisiana. Although it’s clear that he has influenced a new generation of Southern rappers, some of his more recent songs, including “Move” and “Big Lyfe,” made many more anxious than excited about his next release. The 36-year-old’s attempt to make a radio-friendly record had the air of a career-crossroads elder statesman unsure of where he will go next.

Although neither of his songs really tapped into it, his vulnerability has remained his greatest strength throughout his career. Instead, it appeared as though he was going through a mid-career crisis and attempting to gain more approval from the RIAA and Billboard charts than from the general public. Now that Gates has opened up about his private life, he has given his predicament and sound post-I’m Him context. He is mourning the end of a broken relationship and accepting the uncertainty of the future.

An terrific opening track is something you can always bank on from a Gates album. On his third studio album, the rapper continues the tradition where he establishes the basis for the album’s topic of loyalty. Gates has a binary view of right and bad because of his breakup with Dreka and his connections to the underworld. It’s a throwback to the era of his Luca Brasi records, when he mimicked The Godfather enforcer while drawing connections to his own street presence. He venomously raps, “N***as started actin’ like big Brasi ain’t the truth ouch’ere,” sternly informing his critics of the significance of his name.

After disclosing his breakup with Dreka Gates in the obscene “Super Gremlin” freestyle, the song was released. Khaza examines the breakup in its various stages of grieving, even though his motives on “Super General,” when he claimed Dreka cheated on him with her personal trainer, felt much more vengeful.

While Gates continues to beg for forgiveness, “One Day” transforms cries of pain into honeyed, contagious croons that evoke the lonesome ambience of heartbreak. With one of the most graphic descriptions of his family life on the record, “Ups And Downs” sums up his sorrow and dismay. He raps, “Ice cubes inside the freezer smell like cologne/ That suggests someone was at your house while you weren’t home.

Though it isn’t wholly depressing, accepting the loss of his relationship with Dreka continues to be the project’s main focus. In “Bad For Me,” Gates faces temptation in a way that the victims of Celina Powell can identify with. Meanwhile, songs like “Shoot My Shot” and “Mine” expand on the pop-infused, effervescent side of his artistic expression that captures the sentiment of puppy love.

These two albums serve as examples of Gates’ capacity to follow pop music norms without sacrificing his unique way of doing things. Finally, he completes the circle on “Free At Last.” Gates’ performance is revitalized by the collaboration of Al Geno, Mattazik Muzik, and Cozy From Earth as he assertively says, “Cut off my hoe, now I’m free at last.”

Flashes of Luca Brasi are scattered throughout the record, despite the fact that he has improved over the past few years of his career by bringing attention to both mental and physical health.

On songs like “Body,” Gates reprises his enforcer persona without getting his hands dirty. Songs like “Body” and even “Steppin” emphasize Gates’ ominous presence on record. Nas and Vince Staples most recently recycled the former techniques for personifying a pistol.

Although Vince used lush vocal samples to represent his gun as a muse, Gates’ composition on “Body” subtly compares weaponry to an Instagram model that the singer is taking to Miami. In a way, it gives listeners their first impression of Gates truly embracing his bachelor lifestyle through catchy choruses for an upbeat tune.

The release of Khaza seems to be meant to be his 2016 debut album Islah’s spiritual successor. After being released from prison, his momentum slowed considerably, but it also appeared like he didn’t care. With Khaza, Gates isn’t going to score another number-one album, but for his ardent followers, the brutal honesty, strong delivery, and daring melodies mark a comeback for one of Louisiana’s most reliable performers of the last ten years.