Mixtape Review-Murder For Hire by Kevin Gates

by Dan-O

My Kevin Gates honeymoon period was so great. Listening to the Luca Brasi mixtape was like seeing Manny Pacquiao take Marco Antonio Barrera apart piece by piece(in 2003) and thinking “who is this kid?”No feeling quite like being floored by the pure versatility and talent on display.

The honeymoon was over when the world realized that Kevin Gates is crazier than a Tom Waits song. Now people ask me “Isn’t that the dude who banged his cousin” and instead of saying NO this is the future of hip hop I just say “yup…” because this dude is indefensibly crazy and got on social media about the cousin love when NO ONE was asking about it; can’t put that genie back in the bottle.

His new mixtape Murder For Hire is 7 tracks long and moving like a top athlete full of adrenaline. The Intro isn’t an intro at all but a blistering attack from Gates; who stays in his trademark elastically fast or normal paced flow the whole tape. The only guest is OG Boobie Black on Her. This is a showcase for Gates. More than just a showcase for his abilities Murder For Hire makes his case for being amongst the best rappers in the world. What do you like? Catchy, listenable songs with great hooks and rappers who can actually ride the beat….check out Rican Johnny. While Rican Johnny sounds like it should eat radio alive it’s still about trapping, rubber bands, the feds, the suppliers, and what jail takes from you. It’s just all in an incredibly seductive package. This is what TI and Jeezy were always able to do.

As great as Rican Johnny is it is not the song that will be burned into your mind after you finish your first listen. The things he says on Khaza are not to be spoiled by my review (meaning I ain’t gonna quote it you got to hear it). It’s a song that will leave you with your hands over your mouth thinking a) I can’t believe he said that b) I need to hear that again. This is where being these-bushes-I-live-in-are-my-spaceship crazy is a benefit for Gates. His punches come from angles no one anticipated. If you’re used to trap its likely you’re bored with it and that’s because a lot of those guys put on the same personality. Gates will tell you he likes to eat butt and not feel at all bashful about it.

He regularly picks beats like Mexico that build tension into his verses, and feel different from any trap production out. Kevin Gates is a trap rapper plus forty percent more and that forty is always ambushing you when you least expect it. When something does ambush you, like an abortion image on Mexico, it’s never done just to push your buttons or “keep you on your toes” it’s an important part of the songs emotional quilt. All these songs are important moments in a life sewn together out of order to give you windows into who Gates is while never letting you fully get there. That way, you always want more.

Stream or download Murder For Hire below:

http://www.livemixtapes.com/mixtapes/34412/kevin-gates-murder-for-hire.html