How can rapper be so mellow and loud at the same time? Meet Lexa Gates with her sophomore album ‘I am’
I’ve just listened to Gates’ album ‘I am’ and I can gladly tell you she is one of the most prolific female rappers we have right now, and she proves this. This album shows a lot of rapping skills that she doesn’t really tap into in her older music, I can feel that even with Gates being a very mellow artist, she can hold her own on a verse and that is one of, if not the main point to prove with this album. As much as she has a unique voice in her music you can feel the inspirations quite clearly with this album. A lot of soul type of feels towards it, some of the songs feel like your big names like Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu especially on songs like ‘Change’. However, there are songs where Gates gives a primarily rapping performance, those songs tend to have production that feels like something Kanye West or Alicia Keys would have worked on with the ‘chipmunk soul’ sound on songs like ‘You don’t give a fuck about me’. The album is something you would love to be on a walk listening to, it’s very much a unique and soulful take on the rap genre.
My only gripe with the album is that it’s too long. I do feel like if some of the songs were maybe cut out or shorter, it would be more of a concise and enjoyable listen, especially with the sound, because as much as the album is quite relaxing, you don’t want to feel like you’re dozing off, and towards the end of the album you do feel like that. Even though there is a lot of highlights within the album, if you’re hearing a very monotone voice, over a long course of time, you will get tired, and if I’m hearing that on the first listen then after a couple listens you can imagine that does end up feeling very tedious. With songs like ‘Ight’ it has a slight indie vibe, with a hint of Olivia Dean as far as her performance goes. However later on in the song she does get quite monotone but to the point it feels quite lazy and low effort which does disrupt the flow of the album.
But, overall, this album is one to watch. With some of Gates’ best performances to date she sets up the start of the year with an amazing project and serious competition for her peers. It is a great album, and I do recommend.
Lexa Gates: I Am – Released 16 January 2026
Gates – Estranged (Official Music Video)
