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Cities Aviv
Cities Aviv at BNR10YR Miami - 3.28.2014.png
Cities Aviv in 2014.
Background information
Birth name Wilbert Gavin Mays
Born 1989 (age 34–35)
Origin Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Rapper
  • record producer
Years active 2008–present
Labels
  • D.O.T./Total Works
  • Young One
  • Mishka NYC
  • Ormolycka
  • Collect
  • Fat Sandwich
Associated acts Copwatch

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 record label Total Works aka D.O.T.

Early life

Gavin Mays was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Overton High School and Cordova High School. At the age of 20, he dropped out of the University of Memphis, where he studied journalism.

Career

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. During his involvement with the band, he began experimenting with hip hop music, eventually making the full leap into the genre. An early project of Mays, called Black Savior, consisted of him rapping over beats he found on the internet. In 2011, he released his debut mixtape, Digital Lows, which received positive reviews from music publications such as Pitchfork and Spin.

In 2012 he moved to New York and released his follow-up mixtape, Black Pleasure, through streetwear company Mishka NYC's record label before signing to Young One Records. 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.

After releasing the "URL IRL" single in 2013, he released his debut studio album, Come to Life, on Young One Records in 2014. Shortly thereafter the label went bankrupt leaving Mays a free agent.

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.

In 2018 he moved back to Memphis and released Raised for a Better View. This also marked the launch of Mays own record label Total Works aka D.O.T. (Division of Total). Since then all of Cities Aviv output as well as an eclectic array of other artist's projects has been distributed by the label.

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 DOT.

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.

In 2021 Mays released The Crashing Sound Of How It Goes via DOT. The album has been described as "an hour-long meditation". Compared to it's 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.

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.

Musical style and influences

Cities Aviv is known for his eclectic production style. His songs sample various artists of different genres. His influences include Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, Black Moon, Big Pun, Non Phixion, and soul music, as well as rock music acts Joy Division and Deftones. Critics also noted post-punk influences on his works, accompanied by lyrical references to Joy Division and Psychic TV.

Cities Aviv's rapping style and flow was compared to those of RZA and MC Ride of Death Grips.

Discography

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 ...: 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 N/A
"Still Guarded" N/A
"During Mimis" 2014 Heavy Hearted in Doldrums N/A
"No static" 2017 Remy Banks Champ Hoody Music Ep. 1 N/A
"Joy Luck Club" Big Baby Gandhi 27 N/A
"Magic" 2018 XHOSA Lvl 9 N/A
"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 N/A
"Fractures" N/A
"Rare Formulaz" N/A
"Spooks Blues" 2023 Permanently Blackface (The 1st Expression) N/A
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