Josh Gates

Emerging from Louisiana with talents spanning singing, rapping, acting, and writing, Josh Gates first drew broad notice in 2008 through the club-oriented single "Look Back at It," which landed him a contract at Universal Republic. That momentum carried him into screen work throughout the 2010s, including parts in Carjacked, The Mortician, and Blood Out. In 2017 he issued several independent albums, among them the guest-laden Open the Gates, then expanded his résumé in 2019 by publishing his first novel, Died Doin' Dirty Work.

New Orleans-born and raised across New Roads and Baton Rouge, Gates returned to the city after high school to pursue work in entertainment. Regional traction eventually brought him to the notice of Melvin Foley, manager for Baby Boy Da Prince, who booked him as an opening act for the New Orleans rapper. Mainstream arrival came in 2008 with "Look Back at It," a high-energy fusion of contemporary hip-hop and dancefloor R&B. He shifted focus toward acting and made his screen bow in the 2010 crime drama The Chameleon. Additional roles accumulated until his 2014 incarceration interrupted progress. Upon release he reassessed his path and self-released the 2017 albums Battling Myself, 24:15, and Open the Gates. He also turned to writing, delivering the novel Died Doing Dirty Work in 2019.