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Wilbert Gavin Mays (born 1989), better known by his stage name Cities Aviv, is an American rapper and record producer from Memphis, Tennessee. He is also the founder of the independent record label Total Works (also known as D.O.T.)
Cities Aviv | |
|---|---|
 Mays performing in 2014. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wilbert Gavin Mays[1] |
| Born | 1989 (age 34–35)[2] |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | dot-audioarts |
Gavin Mays was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee.[5] He attended Overton High School and Cordova High School.[5] In middle school he started listening to Non Phixion and Necro but also At the Drive-In and Deadsy.[6] At the age of 20, he dropped out of the University of Memphis,[7] where he studied journalism.[8]
Prior to his career as a rapper, Mays was the lead singer of a hardcore punk band, Copwatch, as well as a roadie for his friend's bands.[9][10] During his involvement with the band, he began experimenting with hip hop music, eventually making the full leap into the genre.[9] An early project of Mays, called Black Savior, consisted of him rapping over beats he found on the internet.[10] In 2011, he released his debut mixtape, Digital Lows, which received positive reviews from music publications such as Pitchfork and Spin.[2]
In 2012 he moved to New York[11] and released his follow-up mixtape, Black Pleasure, through streetwear company Mishka NYC's record label before signing to Young One Records.[2] Mays describes his initial intent behind the album as "trying to make pop record" as well as being inspired by My Bloody Valentines 1991 album Loveless to bury his vocals in the mix.[6]
After releasing the "URL IRL" single in 2013, he released his debut studio album, Come to Life, on Young One Records in 2014.[12] Shortly thereafter the label went bankrupt leaving Mays a free agent.[13]
He subsequently released his sophomore album Your Discretion Is Trust on Collect Records in 2015, but had mixed experiences with the label. The next three years he spent couch surfing in Harlem, NYC.[13]
In 2018 he moved back to Memphis and released Raised for a Better View.[14] This also marked the launch of Mays own record label Total Works (also known as D.O.T. [Division of Total]). Since then all of Cities Aviv's output as well as an eclectic array of other artist's projects has been distributed by the label.[13]
In 2019, Mays and frequent collaborators started a musical project called Unit Creative Power Group. They would host warehouse shows and play live sets using a wide array of instruments, subsequently releasing that music via D.O.T.[10][13]
Mays released three full-length albums (Accompanied by a Blazing Solo, Gum, and Immortal Flame) in 2020. In a 2021 interview he states, the material on these records was almost entirely made at the same time with the process consisting of making beats, jamming and freestyle-rapping. He compares this approach to John Frusciante while making Smile from the Streets You Hold.[10]
In 2021 Mays released The Crashing Sound Of How It Goes via D.O.T. The album has been described as "an hour-long meditation". Compared to its predecessors The Crashing Sound saw Mays focus more on writing again. A limited run of cassettes designed by Geng PTP was sold after the initial release.[10]
Sometime between early 2021 and 2022 Mays moved back to Queens, NYC. In 2022 he put out both Man Plays The Horn and Working Title For The Album Secret Waters. They notably feature samples from '70s soul and jazz music. Secret Waters was in large parts inspired by a four-day therapy retreat he attended in early 2022.[13]
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Cities Aviv is known for his eclectic production style.[9] His songs sample various artists of different genres.[9] His influences include Boris, J Dilla, Madlib,[10] 8Ball & MJG, Black Moon,[2] Big Pun, Non Phixion, and soul music,[9] as well as rock music acts such as Joy Division and Deftones.[5] Critics also noted post-punk influences on his works,[15][16] accompanied by lyrical references to Joy Division and Psychic TV.[16][17] He cites Boris as influence not just in musical style but especially in regards to their approach to art, saying "[Their art] is never going to be dictated by other people's expectations".[10]
Cities Aviv's rapping style and flow has been compared to those of RZA[18] and MC Ride of Death Grips.[19]
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Studio albums
EPs
Mixtapes
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Singles
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Guest appearances
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "She's a Buddhist, I'm a Cubist" | 2012 | Lushlife | Plateau Vision |
| "Torn Victor" | 2013 | Knifefight | Knifefight |
| "Number One" | 2014 | Mr. Flash | Sonic Crusader |
| "Moshin in the Front" | Mykki Blanco | Gay Dog Food | |
| "Home Box Office" | 2016 | Nasty Nigel | El Ultimo Playboy: La Vida Y Los Tiempos De Nigel Rubirosa |
| "Stress" | 2017 | Show Me the Body | Corpus I |
| "Rise" | Beach Fossils | Somersault | |
| "Had a Choice" | 2018 | Lukah | Chickenwire |
| "Diamond Wizard" | Beans | Wolves of the World | |
| "Top Friction" | 2020 | NAH | Mortal Glitch |
| "Big Silence Muted" | |||
| "Immaculate Conception" | 2021 | Lukah | Why Look Up, God's in the Mirror |
| "Rare Forumlaz" | 2022 | Raw Extractions | |
Production Credits
| Title | Year | Artist(s) | Album | Co-Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "1 Million Limos" | 2013 | Antwon | In Dark Denim | — |
| "Still Guarded" | — | |||
| "During Mimis" | 2014 | Heavy Hearted in Doldrums | — | |
| "No static" | 2017 | Remy Banks | Champ Hoody Music Ep. 1 | — |
| "Joy Luck Club" | Big Baby Gandhi | 27 | — | |
| "Magic" | 2018 | XHOSA | Lvl 9 | — |
| "Amazon Wishlist" | 2021 | Antwon | Balikbayan Box | Shawn Kemp |
| "Trap Olympics !" | 2022 | Bear1Boss | Star Status* | Popstar Benny |
| "Biskhit - Plank !" | ||||
| "Body Paint" | Sharc | |||
| "Black Belt Jones" | Lukah | Raw Extractions | — | |
| "Fractures" | — | |||
| "Rare Formulaz" | — | |||
| "Spooks Blues" | 2023 | Permanently Blackface (The 1st Expression) | — | |
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