“On Memphis rapper Cities Aviv’s Shirley Bassey-sampling summer jam ‘Coastin’’, he boasts ‘By the time I’m 25, yeah, the world is mine.’ That gives 22-year-old Gavin Mays three years until he takes over. It’s a big, probably-fake goal, but if his singles and recent album Digital Lows are any indication, he’s at least poised to grab some attention with his flow (somewhere between RZA and Lupe Fiasco), ecelctic samples (Steely Dan, Depeche Mode, cheeseball pop duo the Alessi Brothers), and quotability (‘In this 8-bit world, I’m Bowser’).”
—Pitchfork
Cities Aviv is the sole project of Gavin M with a variant of collaborators. Nostalgic off-raps fused with hyper modern realism, the Memphis rapper’s live performances pan out like a hazed medley of breathy verses and sample deconstruction. Having released several internet singles as well as the free album “Digital Lows” and a 7″ single “Coastin” last year, 2012 will see the release of the next full length album amongst other works.