By me and originally
written for Passionweiss
Heavily inked, emotionally
scarred and fresh out of the slammer, Kevin Gates returns with 16 bi-polar
bangers. By Any Means is less personal than last year’s Stranger Than Fiction
and The Luca Brasi Story, but the Louisiana’s rappers remains one of the best
young gangsta rappers this side of the Mississippi. Gates has the hooks, the
singing, the story and the passion. Of course, it helps that he’s been blessed
with the rare combination of versatile vocal chords and awareness of how to use
them. From his threatening croak on standout “Homicide” to the palpable
sincerity on “Movie,” KG is as far removed from one-dimensional MCs as it gets.
The 28 year old also
defies the tradition that rappers need to be invincible. His willingness to
showcase flaws is a large part of what makes his music compelling. Gates covers
depression, anxiety, self-doubt and a slew of other pitfalls rarely touched on
in rap. Add in his penchant for including vivid real life details from his
turbulent past and you’ve got a killer combo. Whether it’s because he’s
attempting to make a mainstream friendly project or because he’s saving
material so that the relentless mixtape circuit doesn’t end in creative burn
out, these details aren’t quite as apparent on this record as they were on his
2013 output. There are no epic tales of attempted murder by best friends like
“4.30am” or cinematic true-life tales of crime ala “iHop” on here. You’ve got
to listen a little closer, but it’s worth the effort.
Later on “Sposed to Love”
there’s more mention of this duality of character and the imperfection he’s
willing to display on record. Gates is passionately in love and deeply offended
when his partner doesn’t answer the phone, but he’s also bordering on the
obsessive and admits to hitting her in the heat of the moment. The realistic
portrayal of domestic violence undoubtedly makes it the most divisive track on
the album. Some listeners may feel he’s condoning this behavior as he comes
across as cocky rather than apologetic, but references to Chris Brown, stalking
and jail make it clear he’s aware of his moral wrongdoing.
Musical psychoanalysis
aside, this tape is also trunk rattling. Get Em Gates understands the
quandaries presented by turning down for no good reason. As one of the chosen
few who isn’t overshadowed by Juicy J and 2 Chainz on his own jams, he can rap
with the best from planet Versace. Despite his currently unproven mainstream
appeal, “Don’t Know” and “Arm And Hammer” have the type of hypotonic hooks
you’ll find yourself accidently reciting during work meetings or on the subway.
Along with his chameleon vocals and a healthy dose of neuroticism, part of what
makes Gates listenable is his varied delivery style. He’ll switch flow several
times, moving within seconds from Migos inspired double-time to shouting
threats down your ear canal.
With a hulking audio
presence, Gates doesn’t need to rely on features and thankfully he hasn’t
succumbed to this cheap tactic. For the most part, the guests are used sparingly
and fit in nicely. The late Doe B in particular shines with his effortless flow
during “Paranoid,” making it all the more obvious the world was robbed of the
22 year old’s potential. Then of course, there’s Plies. He doesn’t quite ruin
“Keep Fucking With Me” by spitting a marble mouthed verse, but he definitely
comes close.