Kevin Gates first began rapping in 2007, when he began making music with fellow Louisiana natives such as Webbie and Lil Boosie. Gates first received attention with his 2008 single "Get in the Way" featuring Lil Boosie. Soon after, he and Boosie would be incarcerated in separate cases. Gates would then be released in 2011 and immediately returned to recording music. He would soon earn the attention of Lil' Wayne. In early 2013, Gates released a mixtape, The Luca Brasi Story which was called "easily the best rap-related thing" in February 2013 by Spin Magazine. The Luca Brasi Story has been downloaded from popular mixtape sharing site, DatPiff, over 130,000 times.
On February 15, 2013, it was announced that Kevin Gates signed to Atlantic Records. Gates was also featured on Pusha T's 2013 mixtape as well as on Gudda Gudda's mixtape. On July 16, 2013 Gates released a street album titled Stranger Than Fiction, the street album was supported by the single "4:30".
He released his latest project By Any Means in 2014, and from there exploded in even more popularity. Mid-year made his way onto the cover of the 2014 XXL Freshman list.
Told Me
Kevin Gates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hate the way I'm feelin', pain killers in the cup
Pray to God, I wanna end it, seems I don't believe in much
Nobody did nothing for me when I'm on my knuckles
Quick to tell a nigga, "fuck 'em," I come up from nothin'
Bad dreams, heart cold, sick of lookin' out
Goin' shoppin', buyin' belts, even helped 'em out (helped 'em out)
You is not real, nigga, you dependin' if your loyalty is bought
It sold to the highest bidder
Block-block bitch niggas number, never reconsider
I was born a god, but I finally got the picture
Couldn't mingle with the peasants, you too good for that, you different
Smilin' in your face, they see you stumble, they'll kick you
Work hard, trap by myself, I don't kick it
Turn my nose up, sick of fuckin' with you bitches
Hate the way I'm feelin', pain killers in the cup
Pray to God, I wanna end it, seems I don't believe in much
Searchin' for love in the wrong places
Now I'm givin' up, suicide been contemplated, think I really had enough
I think I really had enough
Wanna believe all the lies that they told me, that they told me
Wanna believe all the lies that they told me, that they told me
We shared the same cell, helped 'em bond out
We play the game well, I'm confused by the news
I don't pick and choose
Everyday ready for death, nigga, win or lose
Brains blowed out, I'm still goin' to court
Rest in piece gangster Reezy, I miss you, swear to God
Marquise got murdered two weeks after we talked
That other boy pussy, he lyin', we never fought
Scared of a nigga, the yard, he never walked
Caught him in the chow hall, 'round the free people
Locker full of shit, nigga, I can feed people
Penitentiary rich, got phones in the line
BWA, I was strong in the mind
Dreka come and visit, got richer, just let it pile
Julio, I miss you, just hit me when you get out
Free throw, shout to Kyrie, right on assignment, could get him now
I don't want to touch 'em, test somethin' nigga, we swap it out
Bullet after bullet after bullet after bullet
Walked down out the cut, split open your chest
Rubber band up, never seen it, I'm a skeptic
Y'all praise a bitch nigga, man, I still ain't get it yet
Hate the way I'm feelin', pain killers in the cup
Pray to God, I wanna end it, seems I don't believe in much
Searchin' for love in the wrong places
Now I'm givin' up, suicide been contemplated, think I really had enough
I think I really had enough
Wanna believe all the lies that they told me, that they told me
Wanna believe all the lies that they told me, yeah, that they told me
That they told me
Hate the way I'm feelin', pain killers in the cup
Pray to God, I wanna end it, seems I don't believe in much
The Kevin Gates song Told Me is a powerful song exploring the struggles of dealing with pain, negativity and the feeling of giving up. The song heavily focuses on Gates' feelings of seeking love in the wrong places and how that search resulted in him being deeply hurt. He blames himself for falling for the lies told to him by the people around him and how that drove him to a dark place. The chorus indicates that he is currently on pain killers and has contemplated suicide. Gates acknowledges his struggles but feels trapped in a situation where he feels helpless.
In the verses, he reminisces on his past experiences with people that he thought he could trust. He talks about a friend who pretended to be loyal but could easily sell his loyalty to the highest bidder. He also mentions a friend who got murdered and another who turned out to be a traitor. Gates expresses his frustrations with those he sees as betraying him, noting how they talk behind his back and kick him when he is down. Gates does not mince words in his lyrics as he talks about his frustrations.
Overall, Told Me is a powerful song that highlights the emotions of someone who has gone through the struggles of life. Gates pours out his pain and anguish in each verse, highlighting the many difficulties he has faced, including betrayal and suicidal thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Help me, baby
Kevin Gates is asking for help from someone he is close to.
Hate the way I'm feelin', pain killers in the cup
Kevin Gates is feeling unhappy and is resorting to taking painkillers to try and cope with it.
Pray to God, I wanna end it, seems I don't believe in much
Despite his prayers for help, Kevin Gates feels like his life is not worth living and he struggles to find meaning or purpose.
Nobody did nothing for me when I'm on my knuckles
When Kevin Gates was in need, nobody helped him.
Quick to tell a nigga, "fuck 'em," I come up from nothin'
Kevin Gates has a tough exterior due to the challenges he faced growing up with nothing.
Bad dreams, heart cold, sick of lookin' out
Kevin Gates suffers from bad dreams and a lack of trust for others due to past experiences.
Best niggas slow to major and they lookin' frowned
Kevin Gates feels like the people he has trusted and looked up to in the past have let him down.
Goin' shoppin', buyin' belts, even helped 'em out (helped 'em out)
Kevin Gates has helped out others, even going shopping and buying them belts.
You is not real, nigga, you dependin' if your loyalty is bought
Kevin Gates feels like people who base their loyalty on what they can gain are not genuine friends.
It sold to the highest bidder
The loyalty of certain people can be bought and sold like a commodity.
Block-block bitch niggas number, never reconsider
Kevin Gates does not want to associate with fake or disloyal people and will not hesitate to cut them off.
I was born a god, but I finally got the picture
Kevin Gates believes he is special and has a purpose, but it took him some time to figure this out.
Couldn't mingle with the peasants, you too good for that, you different
Kevin Gates feels like he doesn't belong with certain people or in certain situations due to his past experiences and beliefs.
Smilin' in your face, they see you stumble, they'll kick you
Kevin Gates feels like people will take advantage of him when he is down and not offer any help or support.
Work hard, trap by myself, I don't kick it
Kevin Gates has had to work hard and rely on himself to succeed without relying on others.
Turn my nose up, sick of fuckin' with you bitches
Kevin Gates is tired of dealing with certain people and their drama and is distancing himself from them.
Searchin' for love in the wrong places
Kevin Gates has looked for love in places that have not been fruitful and unfulfilling.
Now I'm givin' up, suicide been contemplated, think I really had enough
Kevin Gates is feeling like there is no hope and has even considered suicide.
Wanna believe all the lies that they told me, that they told me
Kevin Gates wants to believe the lies he has been told by others despite his better judgment.
We shared the same cell, helped 'em bond out
Kevin Gates and someone else were in jail together and Kevin helped them to get out.
We play the game well, I'm confused by the news
Kevin Gates is good at playing the game of life, but is confused by certain news or events.
I don't pick and choose
Kevin Gates does not have a preference and is open to new experiences or people.
Everyday ready for death, nigga, win or lose
Kevin Gates is prepared for anything, even death.
Brains blowed out, I'm still goin' to court
Kevin Gates has experienced tragedy, but must still go on with his life and fulfill his responsibilities.
Rest in piece gangster Reezy, I miss you, swear to God
Kevin Gates is mourning the loss of someone named Reezy and swears to God that he misses him.
Marquise got murdered two weeks after we talked
Someone named Marquise was murdered shortly after Kevin Gates spoke with him.
That other boy pussy, he lyin', we never fought
Kevin Gates accuses someone of being a liar and denying that they have ever had a fight.
Scared of a nigga, the yard, he never walked
Kevin Gates believes someone is scared of him and has not even been in the yard with him.
Caught him in the chow hall, 'round the free people
Kevin Gates caught someone in the chow hall, which is an open space with many people around.
Locker full of shit, nigga, I can feed people
Someone has so much stuff in their locker that Kevin Gates could feed people with it.
Penitentiary rich, got phones in the line
Kevin Gates has become rich while being in prison and has access to phones.
BWA, I was strong in the mind
Kevin Gates is proud of his mindset and his affiliation with BWA.
Dreka come and visit, got richer, just let it pile
Kevin Gates' wife, Dreka, comes to visit him in prison and they are becoming more financially stable.
Julio, I miss you, just hit me when you get out
Kevin Gates is waiting for Julio to get out of prison and for them to reconnect.
Free throw, shout to Kyrie, right on assignment, could get him now
Kevin Gates gives a shout out to Kyrie and is waiting for him to come back so they can hang out.
I don't want to touch 'em, test somethin' nigga, we swap it out
Kevin Gates does not want to get into physical conflicts with others and suggests that they exchange something instead.
Bullet after bullet after bullet after bullet
Kevin Gates describes a series of gunshots.
Walked down out the cut, split open your chest
Kevin Gates describes attacking someone and causing physical harm.
Rubber band up, never seen it, I'm a skeptic
Kevin Gates is skeptical of people who use rubber bands to hold their money together.
Y'all praise a bitch nigga, man, I still ain't get it yet
Kevin Gates does not understand why people praise someone who he sees as a weak person.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jamil Tajh Alleyne, Kevin Gilyard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lifewithleo7545
THIS SONG HITS DIFFERENT WHEN U DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
@Israel.10
Facts I cried to this one when I was going through it
@jarrodsampson481
Help me deal with so much shit
@OmniKingBey
HELL YEAH!!!!!!! ON GOD!!!!!!!
@kane2440
way to strong for that
@Big88951
It really hits different when you know the people that he's talking about.
@lilmarcus6915
“ brains blowed out , I’m still going to court “ ... yessir Everyone gotta meet God & he gone judge all of us ... that’s a deep line & I been listening to this song first time I really caught that
@bigbizznezzzandialwayzstoo8121
💯💯💯💯
@williesandifer8978
Any body still rocking this in 2019 🙌🔥💯
@musicislife4841
Never gets old