Just as Kevin Gates became rap’s most unlikely star, his reality caught up to him. From October to March, Gates served 180 days for battery after kicking a woman in the audience at a Florida show. As authorities were processing his release, they discovered a pending weapons charge, and he was sentenced to another 30 months for felony gun possession. Gates has never been shy about being crude or obscene, and he seems to value publicly reconciling with the uglier aspects of his life. Songs wrestle with his limitations and see perseverance as its own form of progress. In a recent letter from prison, he seemed to suggest as much: “A great person is measured by all of the great tests they can undergo and still remain true to who they are. With that being said ‘I’m Him.’” What greater test is there than staying relevant out of sight, in a climate where people think and consume at the speed of Twitter? His message is clear: Not even prison can stifle his workflow.

The new Kevin Gates mixtape, a sequel to 2014’s By Any Means, is a reminder that the Baton Rouge rapper is still a fearsome MC in his prime, and that his voice still rings out even from behind bars. Compiled by his wife and manager Dreka with his blessings, the tape scans the entire Kevin Gates gamut, from plunges into melody to crisp scene-setting and bittersweet storytelling.

By Any Means 2 cuts the distance between his singsongy, hook-driven punches and his cold, levelheaded lessons (“These scriptures what I’m telling Khaza/Don’t let nobody know that you a monster/Keep it on the tuck and then surprise ‘em”). But perhaps because Dreka curated the project, there is a focus on softer moments and sex jams. There aren’t any songs as visceral and gripping as something like “4:30 AM,” and that feels like a conscious choice. The tape trades in these graphic episodes for several worthwhile surprises: the Joan Osborne -interpolating “What If” turns “One of Us” into a modern rap delight. The R&B crawl on “Fucking Right” pushes his raspy croon to its limits. “D U Down” is a playful bedroom romp. “In here layin’ in my chest/Teeth twinkle in the dark/She asleep and I’m awake/And I’m reminiscin’ in my thoughts,” he raps, relishing all the little details, showing off the intuition that makes him unique.

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There are some flashes that seem like reflections of Gates’ current situation, particularly the opening passage on “Attention”: “Walk without an entourage in which I won’t discuss/Killers in New York in the clink, they know enough/My celly spit in the sink, one blink, I’m sheddin’ blood/If we was in the street, one squeeze would wet him up/Acceptin’ no disrespect, wait, who am I to budge?” References to prison stints are hidden throughout, as a nod to this term. Then there’s “Came Up,” which tracks his arc. “Gotta write Gucci, tell him hold his head,” he raps ironically, given their current role reversal. “Received no fundin’ from the label/Two strikes against me, no room for flakin’.” Every inflection enriches his tale, which rings true in the present context.

Proximity is crucial to the way Gates views the world. He’s constantly thinking about people, places, and things in terms of distance, both in relation to him and to others, and these juxtapositions add layers to his flashbacks. On “Jus Wanna,” he explores the mythos of “Plug Daughter,” recounting how a childhood learning to make and sell coke in Colombia led to his earliest romance. What seems like a second verse digression slowly weaves back into the main trafficking narrative, adding a nostalgic tint.

This is all a valiant effort to avoid being forgotten on the inside. By Any Means 2 seems to build around “Imagine That,” a heartfelt remembrance of humble beginnings. The video features home footage of Dreka, their daughter Islah, and their son Khaza. In the open, Gates tells Islah he’s going to miss her birthday. It ends with a hopeful shot of the rapper’s family standing under a “Welcome Home” banner. His kids rap along with his voice. These snapshots raise the stakes; they’re reminders that his world never stops turning, even when he’s not here to live in it.