Kevin Gates Addresses The Fans In "What If" Video

BYMitch Findlay6.6K Views
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Kevin Gates drops a powerful video, closing with a message to the fans.

Back in April, Kevin Gates released the sentimental cut "What If," one of his only drops since his incarceration in October 2016. Now, Gates and his team come through with a Walu directed visual, which captures the thought provoking vibe of the track. Channeling his inner Joan Osborne, Gates interpolates the iconic grunge track with a cutting socio-political take, re-purposing the original message to suit the urban struggle. Kevin Gate's powerful lyrics are given a new strength by the accompanying visuals, with evocative imagery of children in the hood, elders in a hospital, and police aiming guns at young black men. It seems as if, despite the violent crimes that ultimately led him to jail, Gates has found solace in the idea of a righteous path. 

At the end of the bittersweet video, Gates offers his fans a handwritten open letter, which I've transcribed below. While some moments are hard to make out, his writing is mostly legible, reading as follows:

"Dear loyal family,

Disallow yourselves to be troubled in my time of absence. All of the great ones who came before and will come after me: Have had to go through this. by this I am speaking in reference to hardship. A great person is measured by all of the [great test?] they can undergo and still remain to to who they are. What that being said, I'm home. I love you all. In closing I remain the same. Forever, Kevin Gates." 

In case you missed it, Gates was previously incarcerated for six months after kicking a fan in the face. However, his sentence was increased over a weapons charge, which extended his sentence by thirty months. While Gates seems to be in a good place mentally, his music has been left in the capable hands of his wife, Dreka. As of now, she is currently overseeing the cultivation of his next album.


About The Author
<b>Feature Editor</b> <!--BR--> Mitch Findlay is a writer and hip-hop journalist based in Montreal. Resident old head by default. Enjoys writing Original Content about music, albums, lyrics, and rap history. His favorite memories include interviewing J.I.D and EarthGang at the "Revenge Of The Dreamers 3" studio sessions in Atlanta and receiving a phone call from Dr. Dre. In his spare time he makes horror movies.
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