Steve 'Flash' JuonGoing in I suspected “Archive & Practice 001” would be an instrumental affair. Wilbert Gavin Mays b/k/a Cities Aviv was described as both “rapper and producer” from Memphis, Tennessee in his bio, but rapping was the furthest thing from my mind when I saw the title. It’s an open admission that this is a man who is perfecting his craft as a beatmaker, “archiving” the attempts as he goes, and even implies that this is the first in what could be a lengthy catalogue of such works. I mean hell he spaced out “1” to three digits with leading zeroes. Even if that’s binary instead of base-10, it implies there could be seven volumes total before the series ends.
Off rip I can say you wouldn’t identify Cities Aviv as Memphis if it wasn’t stated. It’s a place well known for trap, gangster, and even horrorcore rap music. Hard beats and hard topics are what define the sound and sell the best. You might even argue it’s calcified around those tropes. “Drifting On Power” implies it would follow those familiar patterns by title and steadfastly refuses to by its sound. “Drifting” is the only accurate word. Let me explain — this is not “power drifting” like sliding around a tight turn at high velocity. This is “power drifting” like having the confidence to float in your backyard pool with a margarita at your side. You drift from one side to the other, sipping and relaxing, not a care in the world.
It would be an overstatement to say Cities Aviv intentionally engineered his sound to defy the trends of his home turf. He could be a Tennessee transplant. He could be a student of the game laid down by the likes of J Dilla, Madlib and Alchemist. He could simply enjoy his own whimsical ideas more than the gangster rap of the local rap acts. “Joy For Joy” sounds more like vaporwave than Memphis or the South generally to me. He’s chopping up and repeating R&B vocals at a rapid pace, never allowing a full line to break his stride, and deploys a similar approach on “You Would Come” while speeding up the samples. It brings me even more “joy” to listen to than the prior track.
Looking at the recommended videos on YouTube while streaming “Archive & Practice 001,” I wasn’t shocked to see the aforementioned J Dilla on the list. While Aviv doesn’t reach “Donuts” like heights on this 34 minute release, you can certainly see the target he’s aiming for. The experimental layering and echoing of “Persona,” the chill quiet storm vibe of “Friends,” the nature inspired “Set Aside Words” all hit the board even if not the bullseye. He’s scoring points — that’s my point. If he continues to archive and practice beyond this release, I eagerly await what’s next.