Kevin Gates Reveals Release Date for ‘By Any Means 2,’ Drops New Song “Had To”

Yesterday (Sept. 7), we got the first new Kevin Gates video for "What If" since he was locked up last October. Today, he's announced a new project, By Any Means 2, set to drop Sept. 22. The project was announced on his Instagram page. In addition, Gates dropped a new song called "Had To." You can hear it below or listen to the song on Spotify.

The project, which clocks in at 14 tracks and includes other records Gates has released this year, like "No Love" and "What If," is now available to pre-order on iTunes.

By Any Means 2 will be the sequel to the original By Any Means from 2014, which featured collabs with Doe B, 2 Chainz, Rico Love and Plies. Since Gates has been locked up for almost a year now, it's safe to say this is all material he recorded before he went in. It's also the first project we're getting from Gates since 2016's Murder for Hire 2.

Earlier this year, his wife and business partner Dreka Gates let fans know she was putting Gates' new project together. "I'm nervous as F b/c I'm not getting any input from him & he's fully entrusted me w/everything so there's a lot of pressure! I respect real artists and their artistry and to be making ALL of the decisions is scary but rest assured the music is always fire," she said back in July.

XXL has reached out to Atlantic Records for comment.

New Music Releases for September 2017