Named for the fearsome, loyal-to-the-end enforcer from Mario Puzo’s mafia epic The Godfather, the Luca Brasi saga has become nothing short of an institution for Kevin Gates. Though 2013’s The Luca Brasi Story certainly wasn’t his debut, it nonetheless brought the Baton Rouge rapper into the spotlight, where he’s remained ever since. Some seven years passed between the third and fourth installments, a time period in which the very same style of melodic, personal street rap he helped pioneer proliferated via a new generation of hip-hop artists. Of course, he kept busy that whole time with a rigorous and steady run of releases in the 2020s, making the arrival of Luca Brasi 4 both momentous and of the moment in ways some other vet’s sequels are not. Frequently imitated by others, Gates’ signature style from the “2 Phones” and “I Don’t Get Tired” era remains undisputedly his own on tracks like “Bread Straight” and “Hard for Pt 2.” All about his business, he makes his position known to those who want in the game on “Stir the Pot,” his mid-song flow flip a more-than-modest flex. His defensively caustic wit comes through on “Stutter,” and he softens up for the thuggishly romantic pair “I Love This Bitch” and “Satellites 2.” Yet he still bears scars befitting a pain-rap progenitor on “Factory Reset” and “Disappoint Me,” the latter with rising rapper Hurricane Wisdom in tow. Other guests include fellow Louisiana native YoungBoy Never Broke Again, who brings his trademark charms to “I Am,” and Atlanta upstart YKNIECE, who eagerly matches Gates’ potent profanity on “BBO (Simon Says).”