GATES

Coming up in the notorious Young's Park Projects often meant conforming to the ways of the streets or being a victim. In a place where shootouts, police chase and heartache rule the day. It's amazing that anyone makes it out alive. But for GATES, the allure of the billion dollar music world was always more attractive than the underworld. During his early years, he quickly realized that his mother couldn't afford to give him the finer things in life and pay the bills, so he soon stretched out on his own. Luckily, music and basketball would prevent GATES from straying to far down the wrong path. Even though he was only an arms length away, the streets was never really his thing. So while his counterparts used the flash and the money from the street life to get the ladies attention, GATES relied on his wicked crossover and mean flow to do the same. Seeing his older brother squander away talent in exchange for the street life, GATES vowed to never fall victim to that. After finishing high school and not being able to afford college, he soon realized that basketball wouldn't be his meal ticket. Armed with a desire for a change of scenery and the knowledge that there was more money to be made outside of the hood than within, GATES followed the direction of a childhood friend and joined the military. While in the military, not only did he get back to his basketball roots but he also perfected his gift of rhyme while strengthening his foundation of friends back home, now calling themselves the PaperBoyz. With a few shows under his belt, a self-finance album on the horizon, and burgeoning digital label, the only natural thing to do was leave the military and pursue music full-time. From the sounds of his hot new singles like C.H.I.P.S, GATES & Lifers Ent. is ready to rule the airways.