Gawvi
GAWVI | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gabriel Alberto Azucena |
| Also known as | G-Styles |
| Born | September 23, 1988 The Bronx, New York |
| Origin | Miami, Florida |
| Genres | Hip hop, trap, CEDM, CCM, Christian rap |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, music producer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels | Reach, Black Market |
| Associated acts | Madiel Lara, Lecrae, Trip Lee, Social Club, Rhema Soul, Wordsplayed, Derek Minor, Alex Medina, Tedashii, Andy Mineo, KB, Tau |
| Website | gawvi |
Gabriel Alberto Azucena who goes by the stage name GAWVI, formerly G-Styles, is an American Christian hip hop artist and music producer for Reach Records. He was born on September 23, 1988 in the Bronx, New York. He has released three extended plays, five albums, and twenty-three singles including his songs; "In the Water" and "Late Nights." His career commenced in 2008, doing production work for Lecrae and Trip Lee, who continue to be his most consistent collaborators. In early 2016, he was officially signed to Reach Records.
Early life[]
Gawvi was born Gabriel Alberto Azucena,[1] in The Bronx, New York,[2][3][4] to a father from El Salvador and a mother from the Dominican Republic.[5] He was raised in Miami, Florida.
Music career[]
Career Beginnings, Record Producing, and Reach Records (2008–2015)[]
He started his music production career in 2008, most notably working with Lecrae and Trip Lee.[6][7][8] His career led to him acquiring a recording contract with Reach Records as both an artist and in-house record producer.[9] He won a GMA Dove Award at the 46th GMA Dove Awards in the category of Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year, for his production work on Anomaly by Lecrae.[10]
Lost in Hue, Holding Hue, We Belong, and 954 (2016–present)[]
On July 29, 2016, Gawvi released his debut extended play Lost in Hue. Jesus Freak Hideout rated the E.P. (extended play) three out of five stars, claiming it to be a unique move made by Reach. Lost in Hue flew off the shelves, sitting at No. 1 on the iTunes top-selling dance albums chart. On September 9, 2016, Gawvi released his second extend play, Holding Hue, and was given a five-star rating by JFH's Liam Jackson, who said that "Free" featuring T-Jay was the only song that was "not that good.” On March 31, 2017, he released his debut studio album We Belong, to acclaim in the CCM (contemporary Christian music) community[11] and debuting at No. 19 in iTunes.[12] Gawvi received his second Dove Award in 2017 for his production on Trip Lee's album The Waiting Room.
Discography[]
Albums[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Chr. [13] |
US D/E. [14] |
US Gos. [15] |
US Ind. [16] | ||
| Dope Beats, Good News, Vol. 2 |
|
— | — | 31 | — |
| We Belong |
|
7 | 7 | — | 17 |
| Panorama |
|
16 | — | — | 44 |
| Heathen |
|
— | — | — | — |
| Noche Juvenil |
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||
| Note: Beginning in 2015, Billboard rendered most hip hop/rap albums ineligible for the Gospel charts.[17] | |||||
Extended plays[]
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Chr. [13] |
US D/E. [14] |
US Ind. [16] | ||
| Lost In Hue |
|
8 | 2 | 18 |
| Holding Hue |
|
11 | 4 | 42 |
| 954 |
|
— | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
Singles[]
As a lead artist[]
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ. [18] |
Christ. Airplay [19] | |||
| 2016 | "In the Water" | 48 | 30 | Lost in Hue |
| 2017 | "Closer" (featuring RobbieLee & Julissa Leilani) |
37 | 28 | We Belong |
| "God Speed" (featuring Andy Mineo & KB) |
43 | — | ||
| "Rock N Roll" (featuring ELHAE) |
34 | — | ||
| "Like We Belong" | — | 34 | ||
| "Diamonds" (featuring Jannine Weigel) |
— | — | Non-album singles | |
| "High Note" | — | — | ||
| "Moments" | — | — | 954 | |
| "Thrills" | — | — | ||
| "Bros" (featuring Madiel Lara) |
— | — | ||
| "Hit the Lotto" (featuring 1K Phew) |
— | — | ||
| 2018 | "Slingshot" | — | — | Panorama |
| "Fight For Me" (featuring Lecrae) |
25 | 35 | ||
| "Fashion Joe" (featuring KB) |
— | — | ||
| "Get Em" (featuring Aklesso, Rhomar Jessy & TROSSTHEGIANT) |
— | — | ||
| "With You" | — | 50 | ||
| 2019 | "Hope You Say" | — | — | Non-album single |
| 2020 | "Not Too Far" | — | — | Heathen |
| "Climate Change" (featuring Aklesso and Wordsplayed) |
— | — | ||
| 2021 | "Qué Pasó" | — | — | Noche Juvenil |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||
As a featured artist[]
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | "P.Y.I.T.F." (Rhema Soul featuring Gawvi, Spzrkt, Rey King & Social Club) |
Dope Beats, Good News, Vol. 2 |
| 2015 | "Boogie Tonight" (Eximio featuring Gawvi & Ruslan) |
Non-album single |
| 2019 | "Glory" (WHATUPRG featuring Gawvi) |
Summer Nineteen |
| 2021 | "Zone" (Blanca featuring Gawvi) |
Renovada (EP) |
Other appearances[]
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | "Glow in the Dark" (Social Club featuring Gawvi) |
Misfits (EP) |
| 2014 | "Social Club Is Not Dead" (Social Club featuring Gawvi) |
Misfits 2 |
| 2016 | "Against All Adz" (Wordsplayed featuring Gawvi) |
Clowntown |
| 2018 | "Angels" (116 featuring Gawvi) |
The Gift: A Christmas Compilation |
Awards[]
GMA Dove Awards[]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | "Fight For Me | Rap/Hip Hop Recorded of the Year | Won |
| PANORAMA | Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year | Nominated |
References[]
- ^ Broadcast Music, Inc. "Songwriter/Composer: AZUCENA GABRIEL ALBERTO". Broadcast Music, Inc. Retrieved January 17, 2016.[permanent dead link]
- ^ gawvi [@GAWVI] (8 February 2014). "Gawvi: mom thank you... Mom: for what? Gawvi: for making my birth place be Bronx New York! Mom: your welcome