Think about an incredible gangsta rap with deep reflective lyrics? Badass, right? That’s what American rapper Kevin Gates is known for. He is popular for creating special and unique sounds by not being scared to experiment with his songs.
The rapper was known for delivering some hard-hitting raps, making him quite popular in the hip-hop world. His debut album, “Islah”, released in January 2016, peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 chart.
But his sudden rise to fame in the music industry came with a price. Fans began prying into his personal life and speculating about his sexuality, with some assuming he was gay. Well, is he? Is Kevin Gates gay?
VOTE: What is Kevin Gates’s Sexuality?
Kevin Gates’ Sexuality
Kevin Gates, whose real name is Kevin Jerome Gilyard, made quite a few headlines with his music. But it was no bed of roses for the rapper. He received both praise and criticism from the fans, not just for his music, but because of his personal life, as well.
Gates was rumored to be gay and it all started when he kissed fellow rapper Turk. The kiss, which was done on the cheek, was captured by the paparazzi and was uploaded on social media. And since Turk was previously rumored to be gay, fans assumed that Gates was homosexual, as well.
View this post on Instagram
Both rappers chose to keep mum over the matter. Thus, the rumor went on for a while. Things, however, got so ugly that some of Gates’ close friends took matters into their own hands. They have released a video to defend Gates from the allegations. It somehow cleared the rapper’s name from that homosexual rumor.
Turk later explained that kissing on the cheek is normal in New Orleans. Sharing a kiss on the cheek, even between people of the same gender, doesn’t really mean anything. It is just how they “rock” back there.
That got Kevin Gates off the hook about the whole homosexual shebang. It was also said that neither Kevin Gates nor Turks is proven to be homosexual.
Kevin Gates’ Marriage
Kevin Gates is married to Dreka Haynes, an actress and a social media star. The couple tied the knot in 2025 and now have two daughters named Khaza and Islah. Aside from their names and a few photos, the couple kept everything else about their daughters private.
However, the rapper opened up about having kids from other women besides his wife. He refused to name the kids’ mother, though. He, however, shared that he is very close to his other kids.
The couple’s marriage seems to be going through a rough patch mid-last year. It was June 2022 when his song “Super General” came out. And somehow, the song seems to hint that the couple has called it quits.
One of the lines even said, “Personal trainer invaded my personal space / Deep down inside it killed me.” That somehow insinuated that his wife, Dreka, cheated on him.
In the very same song, the rapper also made an explicit comment on the Queen of femme pop, Beyoncé.
The said song earned a mixed reaction from fans.
In an interview with Yung Miami for the second episode of “Caresha Please”, the host asked the rapper about the rumored breakup with his wife.
Is Kevin Gates Gay?
With everything being said above, it’s pretty obvious that there’s no reason to assume that the rapper is gay. That little mishap with a fellow rapper is nothing but a mere misunderstanding. We don’t know about you, but the rapper is very straight if you ask us.