Behind every story of success there are always characters that go somewhat unnoticed despite playing a key role to the accomplishments at hand. When taking a look at Algernod Lanier Washington, better known to those in the industry as Plies, there is no denying the recent impact he has had in the music world. Plies’ brazen and brash attitude has served as the foundation for his recent imprint in the music world, but when taking a closer look at his story it becomes clear that there was one individual who played a pivotal role in his blossoming as an artist; his own brother Ronell ‘Big Gates’ Levatte.
 
Growing up in Fort Myers, Florida, Gates and Plies always had a special connection even before music fully came into their lives. The deep relationship between siblings is often a very unique and special bond, one that comes with a wide range of emotions and such was the case for the two brothers.
 
As their lives moved forward, both men endured their share of promise and heartache, all the while staying true to one another. In the late 90’s Gates become more and more consumed with the possibilities that music presented and would later launch Big Gates Records in 1999. As the CEO for the label, Gates gave his brother the freedom of helping develop their future artists but he couldn’t deny the ability he saw in Plies.
 
Despite Plies’ initial refusal to test his own raps skills, Gates urged him to get behind the mic and eventually Plies would thrown down on the track ‘Tell Dem Krackers Dat’. The brothers worked hard promoting the album, which lead to several trips to Miami, where they would eventually cross paths with Slip N’ Slide Records, who would end up signing Plies. 
 
From that moment forward Plies’ career would be on a path towards greater success and he brother was right by his side for the ride. Unfortunately for both men, trouble was just around the corner for Gates. At the 238 West Nightclub in Gainesville, Florida in July of 2006, pandemonium broke out at a show featuring Plies and rapper Lil Boosie. Making a long story short, Plies’ microphone was cut off in the middle of his performance and moments later Lil Boosie took to the stage and began performing. The two entourages of each rapper began scuffling and moments later gunshots were fired, injuring four people in attendance.
 
Gates was initially charged with six counts of attempted after firearms were found in the vehicle he was driving. The state had planned to call 90 witnesses at Gates’ trial, prompting him to take a plea agreement of 3 years in prison. With Gates no behind bars the lives of the two brothers changed completely, despite remaining in contact with one another.

While incarcerated, Gates was left to do much soul searching while his brother continued marching towards success. From the release of his albums ‘The Real Testament’, ‘The Definition of Real’, and ‘The Realist’, Plies began creating a buzz and collaborating with some of music’s most prominent forces. His achievements were evident but Plies will be the first to tell you that they were somewhat bittersweet because his brother wasn’t there to share them with him.
 
For as hard of a time as it was for the two brothers, things have taken a turn for the better recently with Gates release from prison this past April 9th. Plies was on hand at the Coleman Correctional Facility to see his brother walk out and concedes that he can now breathe a little easier.
 
As for Gates himself, he at first took some time to relax and simply enjoy the freedom of being on the outside world but that was soon replaced with a steadfast hunger to again get back on his grind. Gates’ has many projects lined up for the near future, including a double CD release of Plies and the debut albums of R&B singer Chris J and R&B group Unique Image.
 
Now that both men are again in each other’s lives, their worlds are more complete and the possibilities seem to be endless. While away, Gates’ has had much time to put his life into perspective and has returned a completely different man. Now that he is on the outside he can take those learning lessons and put them into practice, whether he is focusing on the music industry or enjoying the simple pleasures that everyday life has to offer.
 
24 Hour Hip Hop recently caught up with Gates to get his thoughts on his life and his recent experiences. Talking bluntly and at times with a brutal tongue, Gates spoke of his childhood days, his deep connection with his brother Plies, the harsh realities of prison, and his thoughts towards the future. In his own words, this is Ronell ‘Big Gates’ Levatte, On the Outside Looking In…

All the Struggles…
“I was born and raised in Ft. Myers, Florida. My childhood was like most black males, Africans that are still trying to be American.  Things were rough, violent, poor, and dysfunctional. I struggled a lot as a youth but it built my character. I believe that struggle builds character and appreciation. Struggle also taught me discipline and it helped mold me into who I needed to be. All the struggles I went through as a child, teen, and adult have shaped me into who I am right now.”

His Connection with his younger brother, Plies…
“I remember him always being very driven as a youth. He loved football and he loved to rebel. He was very competitive and he ran to challenges that most people ran away from. At the same time I noticed he loved peace and solitude. We’ve always depended on each other, one way or the other as far as emotional dependence.  We went through the same things coming up that most brothers or most sisters may go through, which is we had disagreements and still do about certain things.  He has his own views and beliefs and I have my own views and beliefs.  But what keeps us as tight as we are and what keeps our bond as solid as it is, is that we love each other unconditionally. Rich or poor, right or wrong we are always there for one another.”

Getting into Music…
“There was a time when I was just a drug dealer and all I did was ride around all day and get money. Just riding around and doing nothing but hustling really allowed me a lot of time to listen to music. Unfortunately I got indicted in prison for the first time later on but was back on my grind immediately when I got out in 2002. There were a lot of reasons why I choose to get into music and there have been a lot of great moments as well.”

Plies Gets the Hook…
“Plies refused to rap at first, because he had never recorded before nor thought about being a rapper.  The artist that I had signed at the time couldn’t get the hook right on this song and it just wasn’t happening. The hook he was supposed to get was actually part of the chorus and Plies himself had written it within a few seconds. I kept telling Plies to go and say the hook for the artist so that the artist would get a clear understanding of how it should go. Finally, after numerous times of trying to convince him, Plies went in and did the hook himself.”

Letting the Music Speak for Itself…
“The first single Plies and I really worked on was ‘Tell Dem Krackers Dat’. That single was the first song that we got a great response off of and it was the first song that Plies had ever gotten on and contributed towards writing.  Once I put it out in the streets the feedback was so big and accepted that we both knew at that point what we needed to do as far as music was concerned. We became a street team and started getting the single out to different cities, mostly in the state of Florida. We passed the single out all over the place, whether it was at night clubs, gas stations, restaurants or anywhere we basically saw people. Good music speaks for itself and it started traveling beyond our physical promotions.”

Connecting with Slip N’ Slide Records…
“After hearing the buzz we were creating, Slip N’ Slide Records ended up coming to us. Big Gates Records was doing everything on its own and an A&R from Slip N’ Slide contacted us and set up a meeting between us and the owner of Slip N’ Slide, Ted Lucas, who is now a friend. At first Slip N’ Slide wasn’t convinced that we could go from underground street success to major corporate success and they declined on signing us. We ended up having a couple more meetings and I worked out a deal with Slip N’ Slide to utilize their brand and they had no problem agreeing to. I kept financing the single as well as other projects the company was doing under the Big Gates Records/Slip N’ Slide brand. Once the success kept elevating, Mr. Lucas came down to Ft. Myers and made sure to work out a deal with Plies. I felt a feeling of great success, but was still a little disappointed that we had to continue proving ourselves after the proof was already there.”

His Company, Power of Visions…
“Power of Visions is the most important company I have.  Mainly because it’s a way to give back to those that don’t have as much.  And it’s also a way to give a little more to those that have a little.  That is what drives me more than anything, helping others and assisting others in having a successful career. And for these reasons the organization is self explanatory.  It teaches and helps people to create a vision, to live a vision, and to accomplish a vision. Most people need help in this world whether it is mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially. I want to be there to help.”

Getting Incarcerated in 2006…
“It was a nightmare and it was a long, miserable storm. I remember while in prison I came across an Italian mob boss who was serving a life sentence. He told me that prison either makes a person better or worse and that there is no in between. Nobody stays the same after a prison experience. It put me at a disposition and it separated me from my loved ones physically while instead being placed in an uncomfortable sport around thousands of people I wouldn’t have been affiliated with otherwise. But just like any bad situation if used correctly you can get a lot of good out of it. It’s no different than a person catching cancer and becoming a cancer advocate afterwards. They may have been destroyed individually but they were able to benefit the lives of many people later on. That’s my kind of story and in any story it’s all about the ending.

Learning Lessons…
“I’ve learned to associate yourself with the right people. Birds of a feather flock together. Don’t try to learn everything through experience because I’ve found that experience can be your worst teacher. I try to take everything seriously whether you believe it is small or big. Life is too short and you have to enjoy it while you’re here. I try to be as beneficial to others as I can for as long as I’m on this earth. I just try to base my life off of striving for a vision and hopefully I can end it by completing that same vision.”

Right Now…
“I regret a lot of the decisions I’ve made but I wouldn’t change anything that was done because of my loveable outcome exceeding my hateful regrets. Right now I’m just going to try to work as hard as a Mexican, be as humble as Jesus, be as courageous as a cowboy in a standoff gun fight, be as intelligent as a dolphin, create a network system like the US Government and be as philanthropic as Bill Gates. Right now my biggest motivation is staying in a position to be beneficial to those around me while simply enjoying my life as well.”

For more information on Big Gates Records, please visit http://www.myspace.com/biggatesrecords

If you liked the article, please contact Chris at Trimond@aol.com or www.Myspace.com/BoxingHarmony