Now You Know: Lexa Gates

Lexa Gates lives, breathes, and acts “New York.”

The Queens-born rapper, songwriter, producer, and social media sensation has been turning heads with the marketing for her new album, I Am. From gaining a following on TikTok to her recently viral open-to-the-public exhibition in the Jeffery Deitch gallery, where she walked on a wooden wheel for 10 hours, leading up to the release of her latest record. It was part spectacle, part engineering feat, part high art, and part fan access- but most importantly, it was extremely visible, and she’s got the foundation to support it, both musically and in authentic audience building. Everyone is now aware of Lexa Gates. For most, Lexa first entered their worlds with her knees bent in her signature dance, ankles swaying. An awkward yet relatable smile creases just below her thick-rimmed glasses, all while playing any of her new singles, sending out the bold message: “I am someone you should, and will, notice.” In a sea of bobbing heads on crowded sidewalks, Lexa Gates and her bold, winged eyeliner are staring right back at the camera, ready to take the rest of the world by storm.

Despite what you would expect from that introduction, Lexa Gates’ music is anything but in-your-face; it blends the often soulful sounds of drumless Hip-Hop with modern R&B embellishments and Bedroom Pop melodies. It’s soothing, introspective, and hazy, but never understated or forgettable. Lexa’s sharp personality and thick Queens accent cut through the air with a cunning freshness from a side of underground music that indieheads forget about. Her personality is fierce and unapologetic, and translates seamlessly through marketing and music alike.

Lexa became an internet sensation because of her individuality. She began popping up across TikTok and Instagram dancing to her own songs, wordless yet full of expression, letting her character and the music speak for themselves. She became a cult of personality, her often abstract looks featuring her signature under-eye eyeliner, extravagant hairdos, and casual yet hyper-fashionable clothes. It made her an “icon” among fashion-minded young people globally who found their youth in the emotional coolness of 2010s Pop Culture and Streetwear Culture icons like A$AP Mob, SZA, Tyler, The Creator, Clairo, Dominic Fike, and the dozens more who defined the faces of Pinterest boards to this day.

Lexa’s virality has platformed her music perfectly, knees bent next to internet sensations like fellow New Yorker Jay Guapo rapping along to her songs, freestyles on Rap mega platforms like Lyrical Lemonade and On The Radar, and giving her a dedicated audience who would show up to or livestream album release parties, like her free to attend live-performance piece held in an art gallery with Lexa walking a on a large wooden wheel counting down until her album releases, with Lexa still being the New Yorker fans found themselves adoring.

There’s a lot in store for Lexa Gates, from internet virality to rapstar fame. Her marketing never strayed from what she or her music represents, depicting her simply while generating massive success and creating a loyal, dedicated fanbase who adore her character and art. While this album rollout may have been a milestone for Lexa, this is only the beginning of a flourishing career that you now know about.