Lexa Gates

Lexa Gates was born in Queens, New York, but is proud of her Colombian-Puerto Rican heritage.¹ The rapper, singer-songwriter, and producer blends R&B and hip-hop with soul and jazz influences.

People often compare her self-produced music to that of Amy Winehouse, Mac Miller, and Tyler, the Creator.² Her 2024 major-label debut, Elite Vessel, earned praise from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Hypebeast, and more.³ Billboard named her Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month in March 2025, further solidifying her place in the industry.³

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While Lexa Gates was born and raised in New York, she spent part of her childhood in Puerto Rico with her father and sister.¹ Growing up in Queens with her mother, an aspiring singer and songwriter, Gates was surrounded by music from an early age, sparking an interest that would shape her career.²

Lexa began composing melodies at nine, and after dropping out of public school at 15, she taught herself how to engineer and produce music.² At 17, she started recording her own music at home.³

Gates posted her early music to SoundCloud around 2019, which helped build an organic following. Her 2023 single, Angel, expanded her fan base and placed her on the radar of music media.⁴

While Lexa Gates hasn't yet won traditional award show awards, her work has earned significant recognition from major music outlets. Elite Vessel, her debut album with Capitol Records/GoodTalk, put her on the radar of critics and industry tastemakers across the board.

• Rolling Stone - Artist You Need to Know (2024): Rolling Stone spotlighted Gates in a feature tied to Elite Vessel, highlighting her as a rising voice in hip-hop and naming her an Artist You Need to Know.²
• Billboard - Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month (March 2025): Billboard named Gates its Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month, calling her one of the can't-miss emerging artists coming out of New York City.³
• Billboard Chart Debut - Current R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (2024): Elite Vessel marked Gates's first appearance on Billboard's Current R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.³

Gates has built her catalog from the ground up, from independently released singles that grew an organic following to a major-label debut that brought her sound to a wider audience. The 2023 single Angel expanded her fanbase significantly, while Elite Vessel marked her arrival on the mainstream stage.

• Angel (2023): This breakthrough single expanded Gates's fanbase significantly and put her on the radar of music media, becoming the moment that most consistently marks her rise from SoundCloud to wider attention.⁴
• Elite Vessel (2024): Gates's major-label debut earned widespread critical praise from outlets including Rolling Stone, The FADER, and Billboard, and debuted on the Billboard Current R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It features collaborations with Alé Araya, Zelooperz, and Billy Lemos throughout the 12-track project.³
• Universe Wrapped in Flesh (2022): This independently released album, featuring the breakthrough single Rotten to the Core, built the cult following and critical buzz that led to her major-label signing.⁶

Lexa Gates has taken her sound from club stages to festival mainstages across the US and Europe, including her first sold-out headline tour following the release of Elite Vessel.³ Her festival appearances include Outside Lands, Capitol Hill Block Party, and Jazz Café Festival in London.³ CLASH Magazine praised her London set, noting she won over new audiences from the first bar.⁷

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