Last week, Reach Records parted ways with GAWVI and dropped him from their upcoming “We Are Unashamed” tour. It didn’t take long to find out why as Catalina Bellizzi-Itiola’s tweet made the rounds faster than the CHH insider’s could keep up. While the issue of unsolicited pictures of nudity have been confirmed, there appears to be more layers to this unfortunate story. We want to clarify that sharing this story is not intended to bring any additional or unintentional harm to the victims nor is it an attempt to sully GAWVi who now faces the repercussions of his indiscretions.
“This is something we have been processing for over a year and have wrestled with what would be the right way forward. New details that were provided made us realize today’s decision was necessary. “
Reach Records
This isn’t new. GAWVI isn’t the first and because of the human condition, won’t be the last. However, from what a few insiders are suggesting, this was a long time coming. Far from the bandwagon dog piling of a man down, some suggest that GAWVI’s nature and demeanor lent itself to the behaviors which have now cost him his career in CHH. In the closing statement of REACH Records’ statement releasing the rapper, they hope that healing and restoration are the outcome. There are many layers to this story, the very least of them is what was exposed by Catalina or “Cataphant” as she’s known on Twitter. She went on The Tastemakers Podcast last week to explain why she took the extreme measure of releasing the tweet and provided insight into the timeline of the subsequent action by Reach Records.
Reach Records Releases Gawvi from label and Upcoming ‘We Are Unashamed’ Tour
Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with GAWVI. This was a tough decision for us because of the level of complexity and because we invest in our artists not just for their talent, but also as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is something we have been processing for over a year and have wrestled with what would be the right way forward. New details that were provided made us realize today’s decision was necessary. We also want our actions to be a reflection of love, care, and concern for those who fail and those who are affected by our failures. Each of us needs God’s grace and we invite you to pray for the families and individuals whose lives are being impacted. This is not a chance to throw anybody away. We continue to hope for restoration to be the outcome.
This week, Christian hip-hop label Reach Records cut ties with producer and artist Gawvi following allegations that he’d sent unsolicited explicit photos
With each separation of a label from talent, the inner workings of the entertainment industry are made somewhat public. Many of those working behind the scenes emerge to the forefront to either speak up for their represented talent or speak out against them. In Christian entertainment, the juxtaposition of demanding accountability while trying to balance relationships is nearly unbearable. GAWVI’s manager of many years took to Instagram to share another layer of this experience. You can watch her tearful video, here.
GAWVI has since deleted every Instagram post but issued a statement acknowledging his split with his wife in 2020. Though the marriage is and his contract with REACH Records have come to an end, GAWVI is now faced with accepting accountability for his actions. No charges have been filed, but almost irreparable has been done. What becomes of a disgraced CHH super producer? The industry is watching and waiting.
17-Track Project Features Multiple Collaboration including Israel Houghton, Trip Lee, Aklesso & More
Reach Records’ six-time Dove award-winning producer/artist GAWVI, is prepared to ruffle some feathers with his third full-length album, Heathen set to release on April 10, 2020. The EDM / Hip hop artist has been known to push boundaries in music as evidenced by his two RIAA Certified Gold Records for production (“Anomaly”, Lecrae: “You Can’t Stop Me”, Andy Mineo) and as a solo artist shown in his debut album We Belong and sophomore project Panorama. Heathen will be no different as GAWVI aims to push against the Christian culture in hopes to deconstruct unhealthy cultural norms.
“Heathen is the album I feel most confident and true to myself especially with all the confusion going on in the world,” shares GAWVI. “With this record, I wanted to say ‘hey world, I’ve been labeled as a heathen, not because I am a sinner or a bad person, but because I went against the ‘Christian culture mold’.” He continues, “Heathen actually means Ethnos in Greek, which stands for ethnicity and it also means gentiles. When it is used in the Bible, it is described as a person who was not Jewish or someone with a different cultural background. So it got me thinking, how did this word get lost in translation? And I realized, this is what happens to us as humans. At the beginning God designed us to be who we are meant to be, yet we let labels influence us and shape our identity. So I want to embrace the word ‘heathen’, and do something different with the Christian culture, and let people know that it is okay to live outside of the norm. When someone says to me ‘what you are doing is not normal’, my response is ‘thank you’.”
Focusing on his personal growth, GAWVI wants to connect with his listeners through authenticity and transparency. With Heathen, GAWVI was inspired by the letters to the Apostle Paul, and the collection of 17 songs nudge Christian listeners to examine how standards of acceptability may be limiting new voices from communicating God’s grace to a world in need of a home. On this new project GAWVI positions himself as the voice of an outsider, the least of these … the Heathen.
The album was recorded in Ft. Lauderdale, FL and was produced by GAWVI himself. Additionally, the record Heathen features numerous collaborations including Israel Houghton, fellow labelmate Trip Lee, Aklesso, Wordsplayed, Daramola, Wxlf, Parris Chariz & Tommy Royale. GAWVI’S hit single “Fight for Me feat. Lecrae ” won Hip Hop Song of the Year at the 50th Annual Dove Awards in 2019. The song has generated over 204k song equivalents sold to date, 11M YouTube views on the music video and appeared on four viral 50 playlist: US Viral 50, Global Viral 50, Canada Viral 50 and Singapore Viral 50. GAWVI has been praised by the likes of Esquire, VIBE, Relevant, EDM Nations, CCM Mag and Magnetic Mag and more. GAWVI has received syncs with Netflix (“Flight for Me”, Locke & Key and “Cumbia” Ibiza), FOX (“Cumbia” Deputy) and ESPN (“High Note” and First Take programming).
He has participated in a number of conferences including Rise, Catalyst, Orange, Camp Electric and Lumination. His debut LP, We Belong peaked at No. 7 on both the Billboard Top Dance/ Electronic Albums and Billboard Top Christian Albums chart. His debut EP Lost in Hue (2016), reached No. 2 on the Billboard Electronic/Dance chart, hit No. 1 on the iTunes Dance chart and has garnered nearly 2 million streams on Spotify. GAWVI has produced many of Reach Records top hits including RIAA Certified Gold “You Can’t Stop Me” by Andy Mineo, Trip Lee’s album “Rise” and Lecrae’s RIAA Certified Gold “Anomaly”. He produced Lecrae’s “Nuthin” which was performed live on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”. GAWVI’s song “In The Water ” from his EP “Lost in Hue ” achieved No. 1 on Billboard’s CHR chart making him the only artist on Reach Records to do so without a feature. He has worked under the tutelage of Rodney Jerkins and Pharrell.
For more information on GAWVI, please visit www.gawvi.com.
WHATUPRG, the Atlanta based rapper, producer and self-proclaimed creative, announces the release of his sophomore EP RAUL. Arriving today (February 28), the 7-track project is now available for purchase and streaming across all DSPs here.
Naming the project from his first name, RAUL, WHATUPRG invites fans and new listeners to reckon with the young man on the other side of their headphones. The project explores themes including his Mexican heritage and his Christian faith and the frustrations at the intersections of those identities. On the raw emotion that saturates the project, RG says, “When we admit out brokenness, that’s when we’re closest to freedom”.
On RAUL WHATUPRG delivers an honest, and challenging, narrative set to a soundscape as diverse as his experiences. The project culminates with a message of freedom that RG eventually discovers for himself and calls his listeners to search out as well. Concerning this very emotional 15 minutes worth of playback RG simply states, “This is my story. This is Raul.”
Stream/Purchase RAUL: 1. FREEZE 2. SWISH 3. NI AQUI 4. JR. (INTERLUDE) 5. 4 AM 6. SR. (INTERLUDE) 7. FREE The son of Mexican immigrant parents, WHATUPRG is a native of Atlanta, GA. Forever representing Gwinnett County, you may recognize WHATUPRG from his work with the 4-artist collective, indie.tribe, as well as his recent contribution to the 116 single “Light Work.”
For more information on WHATUPRG, be sure to follow @WHATUPRG on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Congratulations to Tedashii and celebrated Pop CCM artist, Jordan Feliz, for reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Hot AC/CHR chart with their collaborative single, “Gotta Live,” after only 10 weeks of airplay!
“Life is a gift from God that most never fully open,”Tedashii explains. He wrote the song “to encourage everyone to go beyond the surface. To experience the gift of an abundant life you ‘Gotta Live.’”
Electro-Pop/Dance Artist GAWVI Releases New Single “Diamonds”
Featuring Thai-German Pop Singer Jannine Weigel
GAWVI Set To Appear As Special Guest On Air1 Positive Hits Tour Kicking Off September 27
Dove–award winning, electro-pop/dance artist GAWVI releases “Diamonds,” a new single featuring Thai-German pop singer, actress and model, Jannine Weigel. “Diamonds” is now available for purchase and streaming via Reach Records, with the lyric video for the track also available today.
GAWVI originally connected with Jannine Weigel, who was featured on the cover of Billboard Thailand’s December 2016 issue and boasts upwards of 2 Million YouTube subscribers, over social media by way of a mutual respect for each other’s musicianship. Shortly thereafter, the two artists united in Atlanta, GA at Reach Records’ studio, where they collaborated and cut the record together.
“The song is simply about understanding that we all at some point have struggled with doubts,”GAWVI explains. “Sometimes we can find ourselves questioning our identities and purpose, but we have to remember that the pressure and tough times we experience are simply ingredients to allow for our inner true beauty to shine.”
GAWVI is currently in the studio working on a new album, the follow up to his debut LP We Belong which debuted at No. 7 on both Billboard’s Top Dance/Electronic and Top Christian Albums chart. GAWVI is also set to perform as a special guest on the Air 1 Positive Hits Tour kicking off September 27 in Dayton, OH alongside notable acts Skillet, Britt Nicole, Colton Dixon and Tauren Wells. For ticket information and a complete list of tour dates, please visitAir1.com/events/positive-hits-tour.
