Although he’s been dealing with a series of legal messes, Kevin Gates isn’t letting being stuck in a Chicago jail stop him from releasing new music. The rapper, whose debut album Islah was a tremendous success, has debuted a surprising cover of Joan Osborne’s 1995 single “What If”.
In his version, the Louisiana native takes some liberties with the lyrical content, but the message is just as contemplative. Whereas Osborne’s original questions whether God is “just a slob like one of us,” Gates wonders if his Creator is “just a thug like one of us.” Take a listen to Gates’ cover below.
Next up, Gates will be featured on The Fate of the Furious: The Album with a new track called “911”. It’s due out April 14th, the same day the movie races into theaters.
As for Gates’ legal issues, the rapper was sentenced to 180 days in jail in 2016 on battery charges after he was filmed kicking an 18-year-old female fan during a 2015 concert. (He had claimed it was self-defense after she repeatedly grabbed him.) As he was being processed for release after serving that time, police discovered an outstanding felony weapons warrant and put the rapper back behind bars.
Gates’ wife, Dreka Gates, posted an Instagram statement encouraging his fans to ignore media reports surrounding his recent charges. “To everyone that’s rooting for Kevin right now, thank you but please shift your thoughts, prayers, energy, etc. towards the idea of Kevin being home and enjoying his life as a free man,” she wrote. “Do not dwell on the things that have been put out by the media. Their only goal in anything is to grab/seek attention, not necessarily to release information that is factual.”
