Five years into his career and 7avana is already on his way to the top.
It goes without saying that life’s most challenging lessons create the most astute scholars. Vocalist and musician 7avana (pronounced Savannah) has seen every major setback a man can imagine in his brief life. Death, disappointment, and constant redirection have forced him to adjust his career trajectory. Now aligned with the proper people, he’s poised to earn the recognition and compensation he’s been due. Bolstered by singles like “Die’Ana”, “Ohio”, and “Eastside”, 7avana is one moment away from his moment of life.
7avana, born Wynton Brown, was raised in Charlotte, North Carolina on October 30, 1996. Grown and reared in a tumultuous household, Brown moved around the country with his family frequently, all of whom were involved in witness protection. 7avana described the situation, explaining that the family moved from city to city every three months. The uncertainty and constant change led to him being homeschooled from grade two to grade seven, but it also forced him to develop his imagination and even his musical gifts.
From age seven to seventeen, 7avana devoted his time towards becoming a professional football player.
“Playing football and going home was easier, but once I got to school as an eighth grader and then females came in the picture, things changed, says 7avana.
Intelligent, he focused on his work and graduate high school as a tenth grader. Football remained a powerful motivator for him, but two powerful events shifted his attention away from the field. The first incident was the untimely death of his older brother, whom 7avana looked up to. The next event was his decision to buy a house at age seventeen and move in with his first love who was slightly older.
Losing his brother created the chain of events that led to his desire for success by inspiring him to want more than local success. Moving in with his then love who encouraged him to pursue singing seriously made him feel as if he had a future off the field. 7avana explained it by saying,
“Life is short. His death put things into perspective and made me think about a legacy. “
Seeing all of his friends in Charlotte lose their lives on the streets made him see how little things around him were. Revered in Charlotte for his distinctive dress style and striking features, 7avana became the go-to man for clubs eager to hype up crowds before bigger artists came to before. 7avana ended up opening up for artists like Lil Uzi Vert and 21 Savage.
He and a friend at the time took a risk and began catching Greyhounds and eventually planes to cities like New York and then later Los Angeles. Fearless, 7avana moved to Los Angeles and lived there for a year, struggling to provide food and shelter for himself before finally deciding to move to Atlanta. By now, he was 22 and eager to make a name for himself. He created his first major song, “DieAnna”, in 2018 and from there began impressing some of Atlanta’s biggest tastemakers, including Future and a mutual friend of Rich Homie Quan.
Future’s praise of the song proved to be a motivational moment for 7avana.
“I got a lot of confidence after that and especially after being compared to the Weeknd, says 7avana. Fresh off the heels of the success, he then followed up with Ohio and signed with a powerful management company.
“People kept telling me I looked like an artist and that they thought I was an artist, so it was time to be one. Then I made Die’Anna and saw the feedback so I really dived into it.”
Armed with powerful people, 7avana had everything he needed to be successful. However, his artistic vision clashed with the surrounding people who had experience making rap music and only wanted to stay in that lane. Citing musical influences like Michael Jackson and the Weeknd, 7avana desired to make music that catered to people with pop sensibilities.
Over time, he opted to make a solo move and leave his management behind, unwilling to compromise his artistic vision for anyone. His sound, which he has likened to an empty mood, draws from distinctive sounds and styles from the 80s and 90s, while also introducing its own unique vocal experience.
Trusting his instincts has paid off for him as evidenced by the success of his single Eastside, which currently boasts over a million streams. The song and his mystique have led to a large social media following and over time led him to his current manager, Kyle, “KC” Weers.
Their troubled past has tied them together, but more than anything Kyle’s hands-off creative approach has allowed 7avana to flourish. Lending support in the arenas of marketing and A&R, his resources have helped him grow his fan base and make the type of music his fans love.
Now on the cusp of his next major project, his goal is to share his special sound with the world and achieve the success he’s long deserved.
“Once I realized that the industry was fake, I decided I would have a better route standing on something I fucked with. People may say, I don’t get it, but I’d rather that than fit in with people who know in their hearts that they dislike what I make.”
Wright World 