Kevin Gates Shares His Perspective In The "Had To" Video

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Kevin Gates delivers another stand-out video for the "Had To" video.

Despite being behind bars, Kevin Gates has been pretty creative in the way he's been delivering videos for his last project. Gates left his wife, Dreka, in charge of running his musical career while he's away. She's not only helped piece together his recent project By Any Means 2, she also has been a pivotal force in putting the project's visuals out. She's been creative in getting Kevin Gates' vision across while he's not physically present. The latest effort is for the album's stand-out track, "Had To." 

The video for "Had To" follows Kevin Gates from a first person perspective from 2008 to the present. Gates is seen at the time when he dropped his All In mixtape. It follows him as he was simultaneously selling drugs and pushing his mixtape before it shows him going on a shopping spree with his shorty. Shortly after, it gives a detailed glimpse at the time he was shot. The video fast forwards to 2011 where the rapper is seen working on the I Don't Know What 2 Call It Vol 1. mixtape and slowly watching his goals come into fruition.

The "Had To" video later jumps to the early beginnings of his mainstream success in 2014. It brings us to where he got the pistols tattooed to his hands while he's with Dreka. It also shows him getting arrested around that time. It later jumps to the present where he's seen kneeling on a prayer mat.

Gates ends the video by sharing a brief audio clip.

"At one time, people used to call me the devil. They say I was a monster. But through the grace of the most high God, God saved me from myself and saved a lot of people in the process. Allahu akbar," he says.

The "Had To" video is the third video he's released from By Any Means 2. The project's previous videos include "What If" and "Imagine That."

Watch the video above and let us know what you think.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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