Gavin Livingston, better known by his stage name Gav Livz (born 24 May 1988), is a

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

-born

music artist A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

and businessman. He is the founder and director of Scheme to a Dream Entertainment. Livz is primarily known for his collaboration with fellow hip hop artist

MC-VA Mohammad Akhtar, better known by his stage name MC-VA (sometimes styled mcva) is a Scottish rapper, record producer, songwriter and entrepreneur originating from Glasgow, Scotland. Early life MC-VA was born in Glasgow into a family that emig ...

conforming a Hip Hop duo; The Neds. They gained recognition within the urban scene and caught the attention of various press such as

The Scottish Sun ''The Sun'' is a British Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper, published by the News UK#News Group Newspapers Ltd, News Group Newspapers division of News UK, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. It was found ...

putting them in the category of the "Class of 2010" acts to make it. They featured alongside

Twin Atlantic Twin Atlantic are a Scottish alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The group currently consists of Sam McTrusty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ross McNae (bass) and Joe Lazarus (drums). Lead guitarist Barry McKenna departed from the b ...

, Alex Gardner, Unicorn Kid, Tommy Reilly and Tango in the Attic.

Biography

Early life and education

Livz attended

Holyrood Secondary School ("By this conquer!") , established = 1936 , closed = , type = Comprehensive , religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic , president = , head_name = , head ...

from 2000 until he dropped out in 2004 to pursue a music career. He attended the

University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

to complete a qualification in ''The Business of Popular Music''.

Music career

2003–2008: Beginnings

Livz' recordings date back to 2003, in 2006 he signed to Up North Records to create his debut album ''The Octagon''. Shortly after, his main appearance resulted in a tour of the Czech Republic in 2006 with De La Soul. His pseudonym ''Gav Livz'' revives from his full name.

2009–2012: The Neds

In 2009, Livz partnered with fellow Glaswegian rap artist Mohammad Akhtar, known as

. After discussing music and business, both decided to make music using their Scottish twang, The Neds was created. The Neds released four singles; ''Swagger'', ''Whistle for'a Hottie'', ''Goodbye'' and ''In The Air'' followed by releasing an album called ''Double 6's''. Gav Livz and MC-VA sourced, directed, filmed and edited their releases themselves, releasing them on YouTube. The Hip-Hop duo established a specific sound with heavily distinguished Glaswegian accents, gaining recognition through national press. The Neds were nominated for a Scottish Alternative Music Award (SAMA)in 2011, category of Best Urban Recording of the Year. The duo supported

Tinchy Stryder Kwasi Esono Danquah III ( ; born 14 September 1986), known by the stage name Tinchy Stryder, is a Ghanaian-British rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and investor. Stryder has released three solo studio albums, '' Star in the Hood'' (2 ...

Chipmunk Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the family Sciuridae. Chipmunks are found in North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk which is found primarily in Asia. Taxonomy and systematics Chipmunks may be classified either as ...

, Sway,

Killa Kela Killa Kela (born Lee Potter) is a British beatboxer and rapper from West Sussex. Career Killa Kela’s career started in 1997 when he formed a 10 collective strong U.K Hip Hop crew called 360 Physicals; composed of MC’s DJ’s and graffit ...

and

Donae'o Ian Greenidge, better known by his stage name Donae'o ( ; meaning ''Gift from God''), is a British singer, songwriter and rapper from North-West London. He has worked with numerous British musicians throughout his career including The Streets, ...

. In 2000, they headlined King Tut's Summer Nights Festival.

2013–present: business and solo career

In 2013, Gav Livz decided to pursue music as a solo artist and work on building his music hub and record label Scheme to a Dream Entertainment. He then released his mixtape ''Gav Still Livz Volume II'' followed by the single Bucky Bottle which accumulated 230,000 YouTube views.

Discography

Awards and nominations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Livz, Gav 1988 births Living people Scottish male rappers 21st-century Scottish businesspeople People educated at Holyrood Secondary School Scottish male songwriters 21st-century Scottish musicians 21st-century British male musicians Musicians from Glasgow British male songwriters