Hip-Hop Artist Gawvi Dropped by Reach Records After From Label After Claims Of Sexual Misconduct
Gawvi, an artist and producer in the Christian hip-hop community, has been dropped by his label, Reach Records. He was also removed from the label’s upcoming tour in light of what has been a developing scandal involving sexual misconduct. Gawvi has been accused of sending unsolicited sexually explicit photos to multiple women while married.
Several credible sources have spoken up regarding this developing story which was followed by an official direct statement from Reach Records Monday afternoon:
“Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with GAWVI,” Reach Records said in their statement released on social media. “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.” (See the full statement from Reach Records below.)
A post shared by Reach Records (@reachrecords)
This news was released only 5 days after Reach Records announced their upcoming tour featuring the full Reach roster. The tour will still continue in March and April as planned with the the artists currently remaining on the label – Lecrae, Andy Mineo, Trip Lee, Tedashii, 1KPhew, Wande, WHATUPRG and Hulvey.
Gawvi announced he was getting divorced on his Instagram account Saturday, saying he and his wife had separated back in 2020. He also included in his statement “There is no scandal to gossip about.” This statement released floodgates of backlash from multiple women including reputable women within the CHH community such as Mogul business owner Butta P and well known Multi-hyphenate and visual artist Cataphant. Cataphant has been known to never shy down from supporting women and bringing light to unjust practices among them within the CHH world. In 2017, she took a bold stand to speak up against sexism within CHH which fueled the CHH sexism conversation on Twitter. Cataphant is also the wife of CHH artist Wordsplayed who has stood by her as she made her claims.
Both women among others shared posted that hinted details of the situation at hand. Click on the tweet below to view the post from Cataphant that created the thread that followed. Their statements were followed by the official announcement from Reach Records breaking all business ties with Gawvi.
Man oh man I’m on the verge of exposing this little boy. 🤦🏽♀️ Had to cut the grass I found some snakes in the camp. — butta p 👑 (@ButtaP) January 5, 2022
Years ago I made album artwork for @gawvi. For my next project I’m going to make a collage of all the unasked for dick pics he sent to women while he was still married. — Shiv’s Rage Face (@cataphant) January 29, 2022
When another user admonished the designer that “dragging people in public is not scriptural,” and that any admonishment of Gawvi should have been kept to church circles, Cataphant responded, “Do u think I’d be doing this if he actually listened to his circle? They did address it, he cut them all off. He’s got like 3 friends left.” Cataphant also had exchanges on Twitter with other users who claimed to have had or know of similar incidents involving the rapper.
In all honesty I felt guilty for not coming out sooner. There’s a lot that comes with speaking up. The people who needed to hear & see it for themselves did. Thank you @cataphant for giving me that outlet🙏🏼 Taking a break too many victim blaming dms✌🏼https://t.co/k3WPNi2vNY — Bee Mariee (@MissBeeMariee) February 5, 2022
Gawvi’s Wife Aso Hinted to the Scandal on Tik Tok
@_beyondbri_ your abuse doesn’t define you. The way you own your story does. Take your voice and story back. YOU GOT THIS. #narcissistabuse #healingtiktok ♬ I Gotta Find Peace of Mind (Live) – Lauryn Hill
The website Rapzilla posted a detailed story that originally included a series of TikTok videos from Gawvi’s estranged wife, Brianna Azucena, that the article said “seem to allude to infidelity, trauma, and healing,” but the TikTok account was made private after the story was posted.
Gawvi could not be reached for comment. The artist’s Twitter account has been deleted, and his Instagram page now includes no material newer than early December.
Reach Record’s statement concluded well stating, “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.”
Lecrae, Gawvi’s most famous and frequently collaborator, has tweeted just once since the news broke of his labelmate being dropped — to quote scripture: “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Prov 28:13,” he tweeted.
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. Prov 28:13 — Lecrae (@lecrae) February 1, 2022
Gawvi’s Career History
Gawvi, 33, has won or been nominated for several Dove Awards, gospel’s highest honor. He was signed to Reach that same year and released four full-length solo albums, the latest of which was 2021’s all-Spanish-language “Noche Juvenil,” along with three EPs. His peak to date on the Billboard Hot Christian Songs chart was the No. 25-charting “Fight for Me,” featuring Lecrae, in 2018; the song won a Dove in the rap/hip-hop category the following year. Two of his releases have made the top 10 on Billboard’s Christian albums chart.