Cities Aviv

American rapper

Cities Aviv

Mays performing in 2014.

Background information
Birth name| Wilbert Gavin Mays[1]
Born| 1989 (age 35-36)[2]
Origin| Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres|

* Alternative hip hop[3]
* cloud rap[4]

Occupations|

* Rapper
* songwriter
* record producer

Years active| 2008–present
Labels|

* D.O.T./Total Works
* Young One
* Mishka NYC
* Ormolycka
* Collect
* Fat Sandwich

Website| dot-audioarts.com

Musical artist

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.)

## Early life

[edit]

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]

## Career

[edit]

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] 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 relocated 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 a 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 ceased operations.[13]

He subsequently released his sophomore album Your Discretion Is Trust on Collect Records in 2015. This same record was later given an official release by Ormolycka.

In 2018 he released Raised for a Better View, which forged his canonical outre punk approach together with a new solemn & angular sound .[14] This album was the 1st edition on 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 distribuoted by the label.[13]

Since 2019, Mays has also released music through a side project, entitled African-American Sound Recordings. The work under this project takes more of an experimental instrumental style, utilizing a variety of samples, including original field recordings. The style is a blend of hip-hop and more experimental genres such as noise and ambient.

Mays released three full-length albums (Accompanied by a Blazing Solo, Gum, and Immortal Flame) in 2020. These albums are commonly referred to as "The Triad". In a 2021 interview he states, these records were completely improvised in full. He mentions John Frusciante's album Smile from the Streets You Hold as a minimal inspiration on the recording atmosphere.[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]

In 2022, Mays put out both Man Plays The Horn and Working Title For The Album Secret Waters. Secret Waters was in large parts inspired by a four-day therapy retreat he attended in early 2022.[13]

## Musical style and influences

[edit]

Cities Aviv is known for his eclectic production style.[9] His songs merge varying stylistic decisions.[9] His early influences partly include Boris, Jay Dee, Die Tödliche Doris,[10] 8Ball & MJG, Black Moon,[2] James Brown, Throbbing Gristle, and noise music.[9][5] Critics also noted post-punk influences on his works,[15][16] accompanied by lyrical references to Joy Division and Psychic TV.[16][17]

## Discography

[edit]

### As Cities Aviv

[edit]

### Studio albums

[edit]

* 2014 – Come to Life
* 2015 – Your Discretion Is Trust
* 2020 – Immortal Flame
* 2020 – Gum
* 2020 – Accompanied by a Blazing Solo
* 2021 – The Crashing Sound of How It Goes
* 2022 – Man Plays the Horn
* 2022 – Working Title for the Album Secret Waters
* 2024 – Archive & Practice 001
* 2024 – Cafe Tom Tom
* 2025 – Electric Chair

### EPs

[edit]

* 2024 – Bernadette Leak

### Mixtapes

[edit]

* 2011 – Digital Lows
* 2012 – Black Pleasure
* 2018 – Raised for a Better View

### Singles

[edit]

* 2011 – "Coastin'"
* 2011 – "Wet Dream"
* 2012 – "Flex Your Gold"
* 2012 – "I Want All"
* 2013 – "URL IRL"
* 2016 – "Melanin Drop"
* 2017 – "If I Could Hold Your Soul"
* 2018 – "Black on Earth / Thorns"
* 2018 – "Say No More"
* 2018 – "Get up with Time"
* 2020 – "Accompanied by a Blazing Solo"
* 2021 – "love. fool. revue."
* 2021 – "Episodes"
* 2021 – "WAYS OF THE WORLD"
* 2022 – "CINEMA CLUB"

|

### Guest appearances

[edit]

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

[edit]

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) | —

### As African-American Sound Recordings

[edit]

#### Albums

[edit]

* 2019 – AND EYE (Seen What I Saw)
* 2020 – Outreach Ministries
* 2021 – Erasure Poetry
* 2022 – Tamika's Lodge
* 2023 – Free Flower
* 2023 – The Private World of Correspondence
* 2023 – Share Spirit
* 2025 – Be Somewhere Twice
* 2025 – Hits of Ash

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "A MILLION SMILES". ASCAP. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
2. ^ a b c d Lymangrover, Jason. "Cities Aviv - Biography". AllMusic. Archived from the original on February 25, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
3. ^ "20 Alternative Hip-Hop Artists Who Are Making Things Interesting: Cities Aviv". Pigeons and Planes. June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on May 19, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
4. ^ "Cloud Rap: The Spacey, Cyber-Born Hip-Hop Subgenre". Highsnobiety. June 25, 2015. Archived from the original on May 21, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
5. ^ a b c Milam, Chris (July 14, 2011). "Another Cup of Coffee with Cities Aviv". The Vinyl District. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
6. ^ a b Small, Colin (10 December 2012). "Talking About Rap And Rapping With Cities Aviv". Vice. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
7. ^ Billings, Lane (June 13, 2012). "12 Tennessee Bands You Should Listen to Now". Paste. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
8. ^ Herrington, Chris (December 2, 2011). "That Modern Man Sound". Memphis. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
9. ^ a b c d e Minsker, Evan (September 20, 2011). "Rising: Cities Aviv". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 27, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
10. ^ a b c d Lewis, Dash (17 November 2021). "Cities Aviv "Just Wants to Put the Highest Emotion Out There" / Feature Interview". post trash. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
11. ^ Buyanovsky, Dan (23 January 2013). "Cities Aviv, On the Map". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
12. ^ Bromwich, Jonah (September 27, 2013). "Cities Aviv "URL IRL"". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on June 17, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
13. ^ a b c Gillespie, Blake (11 January 2023). "Reinventing Cities Aviv". Bandcamp. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
14. ^ Lin, Yu-Cheng (March 1, 2018). "Hip-Hop Mixtapes of the Month: February 2018". Red Bull. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
15. ^ Breihan, Tom (December 5, 2012). "Mixtape Of The Week: Cities Aviv Black Pleasure". Stereogum. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
16. ^ a b Cohen, Ian (November 26, 2012). "Cities Aviv: Black Pleasure". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on May 23, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
17. ^ Soderberg, Brandon (November 14, 2012). "Rap Release of the Week: Cities Aviv's 'Black Pleasure'". Spin. Archived from the original on November 27, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* Cities Aviv at Bandcamp
* Cities Aviv discography at Discogs

Authority control databases: Artists |

* MusicBrainz

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