REACH RECORDS DROP CHRISTIAN HIP-HOP ARTIST, GAWVI, OVER ALLEGATIONS OF UNSOLICITED EXPLICIT PHOTOS
Christian hip-hop artist, Gawvi, has been dropped by his label, Reach Records, and the upcoming We Are Unashamed Tour, following his allegedly sending sexually explicit photos to women.
“Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with Gawvi,” Reach Records said in a statement. “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.”
A few days ago, GAWVI announced on a since-deleted Instagram post that he and his wife got divorced in 2020. Rapzilla captured screenshots, in which GAWVI says the decision was made with “no scandal to gossip about.”
Not long after, visual artist and designer Cataphant took to social media herself. Cataphant worked with GAWVI on the design for his debut album and she accused him of sending “unasked for d*** pics” to multiple women while he was still married. Another woman responded to Cataphant’s post, saying she “has proof” and “fell victim as well.” Other women shared stories anonymously, as documented by fans in a subreddit.
The next day, Cataphant shared more. “It wasn’t a knee-jerk thoughtless reaction,” she said of her original post. “I have known about his actions for at least a year, maybe more. WE ALL DID. He wasn’t good at covering his tracks. Who did I find out all these things from? Everyone.”
In follow-up tweets, Cataphant said she believed that GAWVI has been confronted by friends over his behavior. “EVERYONE confronted him,” she posted. “I want to defend all my friends because I KNOW they tried and tried.” She said that GAWVI “cut them all off.”
On TikTok, GAWVI’s ex-wife Brianna Azucena posted a series of videos that allude to infidelity and healing. Her account has since been set to private. Meanwhile, artist Butta P of the Miami group Rhema Soul has also posted a series of statements that seem to allude to GAWVI’s situation.
“Man oh man I’m on the verge of exposing this little boy,” she tweeted early in January. “Had to cut the grass I found some snakes in the camp.”
“I’m standing by, just waiting patiently,” Cataphant responded at the time.
Butta P discovered GAWVI and mentored him as a young artist.
Reach Record’s decision to part ways with the artist comes in the middle of their Unashamed Tour, which featured GAWVI alongside artists like Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee and Tedashii.
“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,” Reach said in its statement. “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.”
GAWVI has not yet responded. This post will be updated when and if he makes a public statement.
Source: RELEVANT Magazine
