Kevin Gates – Luca Brasi 4 (Album Review)

Kevin Gates’ “Luca Brasi 4” is a wild ride through love songs, street talk, emotional confessions, and unpredictable lyrical turns. While the beats occasionally miss, Gates’ animated delivery and raw honesty keep the project engaging from start to finish.

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TOP 5

Honorable Mention. Intro

I’m convinced Kevin Gates needs an exorcism performed on him.

I feel like “Intro” plays like a weekend update on Kevin Gates’s life. Throughout the track, he blends a focused rap delivery with moments of heartfelt singing, occasionally sounding almost possessed. He opens up about refusing to fall prey to gold diggers, embracing a sense of divinity, and distancing himself from the heated days of his past.

While the song doesn’t follow a clear structure, its impact comes from the dramatic trap production, Gates’s laser-focused energy, and his unapologetic lyrics. On some real s**t, this is a great opener.

5. Hiding Emotions

Gates sounds like the type of dude who the Amityville house would’ve taken full advantage of.

On “Hiding Emotions,” Kevin Gates opens up about the emotional toll of relationships, particularly the internal battles he faces with expressing vulnerability. He touches on the weight of unspoken thoughts, the masks people wear, and the pressure to appear strong even when things are falling apart inside.

What makes the song even more compelling is the contrast between its upbeat, feel-good instrumental and Gates’s deeply introspective lyrics. The production feels light and breezy—almost uplifting—while Gates delivers moody, passionate vocals that cut deep. The chorus is catchy yet somber, and his verses feel like diary entries for the soul. For any thug who’s ever struggled with bottled-up emotions, this track will hit home.

4. Factory Reset

Imagine if Kevin Gates tossed his cousin Lil Durk on this s**t…

When it comes to Kevin Gates’s music, I usually gravitate toward his emotional tracks—so stop cussing me out on Twitter about MY top five songs from his albums. With that in mind, “Factory Reset” stands out as the best emotional cut on this project. The track’s theme ties perfectly into its title, as Gates reflects on everything he lost during his time in jail, his family struggles, the friends who are no longer in his life, and the fake love he feels around him.

Ultimately, Gates admits he needs a “factory reset” to stop the slow dying inside that he’s experiencing. I love the raw emotion he pours into the chorus, the flow he uses to slice through the emotional trap beat, and the unfiltered honesty in his delivery. This is the kind of track that might have you shedding a few ghetto tears before it’s over.

3. Hard Work

F**k no, work is not supposed to hurt.

Kevin Gates might be the hardest-working man in the game. He’s got two phones, swears he never gets tired, and now, on “Hard Work,” he sounds like a construction worker clocking overtime. Gates blends a relentless rap style with robotic precision and bursts of animalistic energy, perfectly matching the track’s futuristic, glitchy, hard-hitting production.

Lyrically, he’s all about the payoff—stacking serious money from the countless hours he’s poured into trapping and rapping. The energy here is contagious; it’s the kind of track that makes you want to walk your dog like it’s a competition, crush your gym session, lock in your parlays, or whip up the most elite burrito bowl of your life.

2. I Love This Bitch

If you love her, should you still call her a b*tch? That’s the million-dollar question.

With “I Love This Bitch,” Kevin Gates decided to put his own spin on one of my favorite Plies tracks, “Hypnotize.” The production alone, with its nostalgic vibes, instantly makes this song a standout for me. But don’t sleep on Gates’s contributions—he delivers a memorable chorus that sticks, blending gritty bars with a playful flow and just enough passion to make his verses hit.

Additionally, Gates gives his reasons why his woman is better than a thousand pieces of sliced bread, showing off both some charm and nastiness. Overall, this is the kind of track I’d love to hear in a not-so-packed club—the kind where you can actually grab a chick, spin her around, and let the music do the rest.

1. Stutter

N*a, toss Joe on this st!

If Kevin Gates has one underrated superpower, it’s his ability to make club bangers that hit both the speakers and the spirit. “Stutter” is a thunderous, high-octane track built for dark-lit rooms and booming systems. The production is gritty and bass-heavy, designed to shake the floor and boost egos. Gates brings a slick blend of swagger and melody here — his flow is tight, the hook is infectious, and the attitude is vintage Gates: unbothered, bulletproof, and built for the long haul.

Lyrically, he leans into themes of dominance, self-worth, and money moves. All in all, this is Gates in rare form.

SONG-BY-SONG BREAKDOWN

1. Intro (4/5)

2. Thuggin (Ft. G Herbo) (4/5)

3. Stutter (4.5/5)

4. Dying Is Easy (Ft. NoCap) (4/5)

5. Disappoint Me (Ft. Hurricane Wisdom) (3/5)

6. Stir The Pot (4/5)

7. Factory Reset (4/5)

8. Satellites 2 (3.5/5)

9. I Love This Bitch (4/5)

10. BBO (Simon Says) (Ft. YKNIECE) (3.5/5)

11. Living Out Loud (3/5)

12. Hiding Emotions (4/5)

13. I Am (Ft. YoungBoy Never Broke Again) (3/5)

14. Look Like (3.5/5)

15. Bread Straight (3.5/5)

16. Hard Work (4/5)

17. Bad Business (Ft. 4Xtra) (3/5)

18. Panama Cartel (3.5/5)

19. Hard For Pt. 2 (Many Times) (3.5/5)

RGM RATING

(70%)

The level of carefreeness Kevin Gates raps with deserves applause. He approaches tracks like he doesn’t give even half of a f**k—and that’s part of the magic.

On Luca Brasi 4, you never know which direction Gates will take. One moment he’s speaking another language, the next he’s in cahoots with plugs, then he’s crooning love songs, and before you know it, he’s opening up about his healing journey. Lyrically, he keeps you on your toes, and that unpredictability is why his albums are always worth a listen. I fully believe this is just who he is in real life.

One thing Gates will never do is cheat you on effort. Even with some instrumentals feeling stale or incomplete, he delivers animated performances from start to finish. He sings like he once led church choirs, raps like he’s got a bigger chip on his shoulder than the ones NVIDIA makes, and then flips into sounding like the kind of rapper who walks into a strip club with too much cash in his pockets. At the very least, it’s always entertaining.

My two main gripes? As I stated earlier, the beats don’t fully hit. Some are too predictable, others feel emotionally flat, and a few are missing that extra punch—like “Living Out Loud,” which sounds like it’s begging for more bass. Still, I appreciate the understated guest list. NoCap, YKNIECE, Hurricane Wisdom, and 4Xtra all deliver, while NBA YoungBoy matches Gates’ emotion bar-for-bar for one of the most heartfelt reunions we’ve heard. Luca Brasi 4 is a mix of highs and misses, but Kevin Gates remains one of rap’s most fascinating figures—and this album is proof.

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