Nearly ten years after its release, Kevin Gates’ 2013 track “Thinking With My Dick” featuring Juicy J hit No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. And yep, you guessed it, it’s all thanks to TikTok.
The track, off of Gates’ mixtape Stranger Than Fiction, saw a massive boost in popularity this past week after its hook was used repeatedly on the app. The original video featured a man grooving to the song at Mardi Gras.
The song’s chart placement is a big accomplishment for Gates, since it’s only his second effort to chart in the top 40, after his track “2 Phones” peaked at No. 17.
The newfound popularity of “Thinking With My Dick” comes not long after the Baton Rouge lyricist sat down with Big Facts in January to reflect on his 2020, which he admitted took a grueling toll on his mental health. He admitted that he seriously considered suicide at one point.
“December 10th through the 12th was the hardest for me,” Gates said. “I disabled my Instagram. … See, I don’t do the, ‘Man, I’m ’bout to kill myself!’ I don’t want no attention. I was going the way of the samurai. Just smash myself because I was to the point I ain’t wanna live no more.”
Gates explained that his suicidal thoughts were due to him not feeling “celebrated” by his friends and family. The 35-year-old said he even wrote out a note before going to the gym for what he thought would be his final workout. While lifting, he was approached by a fan who helped change his mind.
“White boy walked up on me—kinda big, I see him in there a lot,” Gates said. “He said, ‘Can I approach you?’ … He like, ‘Man, your music the only thing that make this crazy world make sense.’ I was like, ‘Man, the world’s a cruel place Trust me, I know.’”
He then told the fan he was going to kill himself later that day, and they began sobbing.
“He cried and he grabbed me and he said, ‘If you do that, so many people gonna take their own life ’cause you all we got.’ This show you how God work through people,” Gates continued. “I said, ‘You know what? I guess I’ll stick around a while.’ I’m still just playing, I do my little proper voice when I’m being sarcastic.”
Check out the “Thinking With My Dick” compilation video above, and revisit the song in its entirety below.
