Cities Aviv facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cities Aviv
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Mays performing in 2014.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wilbert Gavin Mays |
| Born | 1989 (age 35–36) |
| Origin | Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
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| Associated acts | Copwatch |
Wilbert Gavin Mays (born 1989), known by his stage name Cities Aviv, is an American rapper and music producer. He is from Memphis, Tennessee. He also started his own independent record label called Total Works (or D.O.T.).
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Gavin Mays was born and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee. He went to Overton High School and Cordova High School. When he was 20, he left the University of Memphis. He had been studying journalism there.
Before becoming a rapper, Mays was the lead singer of a hardcore punk band called Copwatch. He also worked as a roadie for his friends' bands. While in the band, he started trying out hip hop music. Soon, he fully moved into the hip hop genre. One of his early projects was called Black Savior. For this, he rapped over beats he found online.
Music Career Highlights
In 2011, Cities Aviv released his first mixtape, Digital Lows. Music magazines like Pitchfork and Spin gave it good reviews.
Moving to New York and New Albums
In 2012, he moved to New York City. He then released his next mixtape, Black Pleasure. This was through the record label of a streetwear company called Mishka NYC. After that, he signed with Young One Records. Mays wanted this album to sound like a "pop record." He also got ideas from the 1991 album Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. He tried to make his singing sound like it was "buried" in the music.
After releasing the song "URL IRL" in 2013, he put out his first studio album. It was called Come to Life and came out in 2014. Young One Records released it. Soon after, the record label went out of business. This made Mays a free agent, meaning he could sign with any label.
He then released his second album, Your Discretion Is Trust, in 2015. This was with Collect Records. However, he had some difficult experiences with that label. For the next three years, he spent time living in Harlem, NYC.
Starting His Own Label
In 2018, Mays moved back to Memphis. He released Raised for a Better View. This album also marked the start of his own record label, Total Works. It is also known as D.O.T. (Division of Total). Since then, Cities Aviv has released all his music through this label. Other artists' projects have also been released by Total Works.
In 2019, Mays and his friends started a music project called Unit Creative Power Group. They would put on shows in warehouses. They played live music using many different instruments. They later released this music through D.O.T.
Recent Work
Mays released three full albums in 2020. These were Accompanied by a Blazing Solo, Gum, and Immortal Flame. In an interview in 2021, he said he made most of the music for these albums at the same time. He would make beats, jam, and freestyle rap. He compared this way of working to how John Frusciante made his album Smile from the Streets You Hold.
In 2021, Mays released The Crashing Sound Of How It Goes through D.O.T. People have called this album "an hour-long meditation." Compared to his earlier work, Mays focused more on writing for The Crashing Sound. A small number of cassette tapes for the album were sold. These were designed by Geng PTP.
Sometime between early 2021 and 2022, Mays moved back to Queens, NYC. In 2022, he released two albums: Man Plays The Horn and Working Title For The Album Secret Waters. These albums use samples from 1970s soul and jazz music. Secret Waters was largely inspired by a four-day therapy retreat he went to in early 2022.
Musical Style and Inspirations
Cities Aviv is known for his unique and varied production style. This is called eclectic. His songs often use samples from many different artists and music styles.
His musical inspirations include hip hop groups like Three 6 Mafia, 8Ball & MJG, Black Moon, Big Pun, and Non Phixion. He also gets ideas from soul music and rock music bands. Some rock bands he likes are Joy Division and Deftones. Music critics have also noticed post-punk influences in his songs. He even mentions Joy Division and Psychic TV in his lyrics.
Cities Aviv's rapping style has been compared to that of RZA and MC Ride from Death Grips.
Discography
Studio Albums
EPs
Mixtapes
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Singles
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