It often said that honesty is the best policy and this principle certainly proves true in the life of American rapper, Kevin Gates. A native of Baton Rouge, Gates is famous for his richly-composed soul-baring rap which has seen him address everything from his poverty-riddled childhood to multiple stints of jail time, and battle with depression. The rapper has also spoken of his desire to exact revenge for his murdered friend as well as the time that he beat up a cheating girlfriend.
As Gates sees it, exposing the worst of him means that no one can hate him because of it and such a gambit seems to be paying off. The rapper has released several hit singles as well as a highly-acclaimed debut album, Islah, which made it to number 2 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. He has also scored several accolades and has headlined many tours. Add this to his merchandise and energy drink line and it becomes easy to see how he made his wealth estimated at $5 million.
How Much Money Has the I’m Him Rapper Made?
Kevin Gates is worth an estimated $5 million and his sources of income hail from several sources including album sales.
His Debut Album Sold about 2 Million Copies in the U.S
For several years, Kevin Gates had been touted as the next big thing in the game but it took him time to finally get to that stage, thanks to some hardships as well as jail stints on the way. The rapper first found himself within the walls of a prison at the age of 13. Rather than reforming him, the whole experience further criminalized him and he lost his fear of the penitentiary institution. Upon regaining his freedom a few months later, Gates spent the remainder of his teenage years trying to make it through the school system. He eventually gave up after a brief stint in college and firmly set his sights on music.
Kevin Gates quickly built up a big reputation in his town thanks to mixtapes such as All or Nuthin and Pick of da Litter. He was therefore set to go national but another prison stint, 2008-2011, halted him in his stride. Upon release, the young man returned as though he never left and dropped several mixtapes. One of these mixtapes eventually caught the attention of Birdman and Lil Wayne, and he soon had a recording deal.
This was in 2012 and Kevin Gates continued building his rep by dropping several mixtapes, some of which made it to the top 40 of the Billboard 200. He then finally gained the respect that he deserved following the release of his highly-acclaimed 2016 album, Islah. The four-track album reached No.2 on the Billboard Top 200 and R&B/Hip-hop albums charts. It also sold about 2 million copies and has been certified platinum twice.
Since then, Kevin Gates has not looked back but has also dropped other albums as well as EPs. All of these have performed well commercially. It is now estimated that Gates’ songs have been streamed about 5 billion times, thus leading to potential revenue of $19 million (Spotify pays $3.8 per 1000 streams).
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Kevin Gates Has Embarked on Several Tours including 2019’s I’M Him Tour
There is much money to be made on tour for artistes and Kevin Gates is not letting this opportunity pass him by. Ever since he commenced his career, the rapper has frequently gone on the road and reaped the resultant dividends. One of Gates’ first tours is the Stranger than Fiction Tour of 2013. The tour saw him play 16 shows across different American cities from the months of October to November.
The next tour that gates embarked on was the By Any Means Tour which spanned from July 15th to August 30, 2013. The tour featured the likes of Chevy Wood and included stops in places such as Houston and Birmingham, Alabama. Another tour that generated much revenue for Kevin Gates was 2019’s I’m Him tour. It promoted his album of the same name and ran from 30th October to 30th November. They were more than 32 shows in all and most of them were sold out.
How Much Does He Make a Show?
The I’M Him rapper charges as much as $100K for just one show. This is hefty by industry standards but it doesn’t come as a surmise given all that he has achieved as well as the status he has reached in the industry.
Meanwhile, some of the one-off shows that Gates has performed at, and consequently pocketed $100K or more, include the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, JMBLYA, Neon Desert, and Rolling Loud.
The Rapper Owns the I Don’t Get Tired Energy Drink
Several rappers have tried their hands at the energy drinks market and Kevin Gates is one of them. In 2014, the Baton Rouge native launched his I Don’t Get Tired energy drink. A nod to his relentless and tirelessly attitude, I Don’t Get Tired energy drink takes its name from one of his songs.
Upon its launch, the drink raised several eyebrows because its packaging was similar to that of a popular cough syrup. Gates refused to be discouraged though and forged on with marketing his product. The drink is still in existence to date and can be found online. They are also sold at the rapper’s concert venues and it now has a pineapple variant.
Another lucrative money-spinner for Kevin Gates is his online merch store. The store carries branded items such as t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, dreamcatchers, joggers, shorts, and sandals. These items go for about $25k to $70k and are very popular with the rapper’s fans.
Between Kevin and His Wife, Dreka Gates, Who Has a Higher Net Worth?
It is highly improbable to know Kevin Gates without also knowing his wife, Dreka. This is because the lady is a big part of her husband’s success story. Dreka has managed the business end of Gates’ music career for several years. She has also helped co-found a record label and has even directed some of his music videos. All this makes her quite a valuable partner and their union has stood the test of time. Dreka has a net worth estimated at around $1 and $1.5 million.
Sources of Kevin Gates’ Net Worth
- Album and record sales – $19 million est.
- Tours and Concerts – N/A
- Energy drink and online merch store – N/A
He Owns a Massive Farmhouse in Calabasas
Kevin Gates has certainly come a long way from his deprived childhood. The rapper has paid his dues and he now gets to rub shoulders with the high and mighty in some of America’s choicest zip codes. Gates and family currently make their home in a Calabasas farmhouse. The magnificent abode has several exquisite features including a lake as well as a massive blueberry bush. The cost of the property is not public knowledge but homes in Calabasas start from as much as $1.6 million meaning that Gate would have paid something similar for his.
Another thing that Kevin Gates has also brought out money for is wheels. It’s unclear exactly how many he has but he has been linked to a Corvette Z06. The price ranges from $59k to $85k and Gates has had some special customizing bodywork done on his. The custom work avoids outlandish details such as neon lights and 60-inch LED screens in the truck that other rappers would favor. It rather boasts of a pair of Forgiato maglia- ECL wheels which adds a nice touch to what is already beautiful.
Kevin Gates’ Bestselling Songs and Albums
Albums
- Islah
Year of release – 2016
Chart – No 2 Billboard 200
Sales – 2 million+ - I’m Him
Year of release – 2019
Chart – No. 4 on Billboard 200
Sales – 500k+ - Luca Brasi 2 (Mixtape)
Year of release – 2014
Chart – No. 38 on Billboard 200
Sales – 1 million
Songs
- I Don’t Get Tired
Year of release – 2014
Chart – No. 90 on Billboard Hot 100
Sales – 2 million+ - 2 Phones
Year of release – 2015
Chart – No. 17 on Billboard Hot 100
Sales – 4 million+ - Really Really
Year of release – 2015
Chart – No. 46 on Billboard Hot 100
Sales – 3 million+ - Time For That
Year of release – 2016
Chart – No. 48 on Billboard Hot 100
Sales – 1 million+