Kevin Gates - 2 Phones

When Baton Rouge phenom Kevin Gates unleashed "2 Phones" in early 2016, hip-hop hit a thunderous turning point. Serving as the explosive flagship single for his long-awaited debut studio album, Islah—named after his eldest daughter—the track propelled Gates’ raw, emotionally charged Southern trap straight into mainstream superstardom, eventually soaring to number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Driven by a hypnotic piano riff and an unforgettable hook detailing the street-hustler’s dilemma—"one for the plug, and one for the load"—the track showcased Gates’ incredible vocal versatility. Directed by Jon J, the gritty, cinematic music video on kevingatesTV captured Gates’ unfiltered, visceral charisma, accumulating hundreds of millions of views and cementing his status as one of rap's most authentically complex storytellers.

Time Capsule (2016): Gates' anthem landed in a vivid cultural landscape. The year 2016 was a wild digital zeitgeist where millions wandered outside hunting virtual monsters during the Pokémon GO craze, Drake’s Views dominated every aux cord, and physical "burner" flip phones were having their poetic last stand in pop culture right before total smartphone integration completely reshaped human connection.