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Travie Doesn't Want to Collaborate with Katy Perry
Despite Katy Perry topping the charts on both sides of the Atlantic, Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy doesn't plan to collaborate with his girlfriend.
Perry's I Kissed A Girl was number one in the UK for five weeks while the track - the 1,000th number one of the rock era in the US - held the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks.
And with Gym Class Heroes' single Cookie Jar likely to dent the UK top ten this week, a collaboration between Perry and her boyfriend McCoy would seem a sensible decision.
But according to drummer Matt McGinley, the One of the Boys singer won't be joining the ranks of Gym Class Heroes collaborators - which includes Estelle, Kelly Rowland, Busta Rhymes and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump.
"More than it's my decision, I know it's something that Travis has said will never, ever happen!" he told inthenews.co.uk.
"It's not even a plausible option, he just won't do it."
Gym Class Heroes' new album The Quilt, featuring hit single Cookie Jar, is out now.
By InTheNews.co.uk
Gym Class Heroes Debut In The Top 20
LL Cool J’s Exit 13 has debuted at the No. 9 spot on Billboard’s Top 200, leading the pack of this week’s debuts, which also includes discs by Gym Class Heroes and Kardinal Offishal.
According to the Nielsen’s SoundScan, the rapper-turned-actor sold over 43,000 albums of his alleged final Def Jam release. Following up his certified gold disc Todd Smith, LL recently spoke with SOHH about 50 Cent’s influence on the project.
50 “got me amped up and you know once I get a battery in my back I go crazy,” he said.
His newest release offers a star studded line-up, including 50, The Dream, Lil’ Mo, Wyclef Jean and more.
Led by the band’s extravagant lead singer, Travis McCoy, Gym Class Heroes’ The Quilt debuted at No. 14 selling just over 32,000 units. The New York-based group recently had their music featured on the new Madden NFL ’09 video game.
Kardinal quietly landed in this week at No. 40 with Not 4 Sale. Despite his record smash hit “Dangerous,” which features Akon, the rapper only sold below 12,000 copies.
Check back tomorrow for the full SoundScan rundown on SOHH’s Charts Column, “The Sales Wrap.”
By Cyrus Langhorne, Sohh.com
Travie Claims Gym Class Heroes Aren't A Solo Project
These are not the Gym Class Heroes you've grown to love (or hate), that much is for certain. These are not the same unassuming guys from the middle of New York state, the ones who brought you slightly goofy hits like "Cupid's Chokehold" or "Clothes Off!," who genre-hopped with reckless abandon, and who were one of the scene's best-kept secrets.
The Gym Class Heroes of 2008 are now a fairly big deal — the kind of act whose albums are events and who are expected to "shift units," as they say. They have a famous frontman with an even more famous girlfriend, famous friends with famous wives and famous guest stars on their record. They are, for all intents and purposes, a completely different band ... and they are aware of this.
"People's first introduction to us was 'Cupid's Chokehold' or 'Clothes Off!' ... and a lot of people don't go past what they're offered on radio or on television, so they take it at face value and stamp you a certain way, and I feel like people didn't care to take the time to dig deeper," sighed MC Travis McCoy — he's the one dating Katy Perry, btw. "And I wasn't offended by it or anything, but it gets a little annoying when people walk up behind you and sing, 'Ba-da-da-da!' [the incessant hook from 'Cupid's Chokehold']. People go, 'Oh, that's the "Ba-da-da-da" guy!' and I'm like, 'Man, I put so much time into this record to be the "Ba-da-da-da" guy?'
"And so I think with this record, I made a conscious effort on my behalf to go at it extra hard, lyrically, to showcase that I am a wordsmith, and I've studied the masters," he continued, laughing slightly. "And just the response we've gotten from some of the songs on the record, or just walking down the street, dudes are like, 'Yo, dude can spit! I saw you in the booth on "Rap City." ' And I'm like, 'I've been doing it for a while now, man. It's nothing new.' "
What is new about GCH — aside from their funky, shape-shifting album The Quilt, which hit stores Tuesday — is the amount of attention McCoy's personal life has been getting lately and how that has affected people's perception of the band. He makes no attempt to hide his relationship with pop princess Katy Perry and, frankly, doesn't see any reason why he should. Whether that openness has been a good or bad thing remains to be seen.
"This is the first time I've been super head-over-heels about someone since the third grade and almost in the sense where there's this urge in me to pull a Tom Cruise and jump on Oprah's couch," he laughed. "It's something that I can't escape. The questions always come up, and I'm never one to be a di-- and be like, 'I don't want to talk about that.' But it's inevitable. People want to know everything and anything they can about you when you're in the spotlight. And even with my music, I don't hide too much. So in that, and in interviews, I try to stay honest. With any record — it's the same with books: People are going to walk away from it with a different perspective than anyone else. It's a choose-your-own-adventure thing."
The trouble is, many reviewers have chosen to view the songs on The Quilt through the prism of his public persona. So with each mention of infidelity, each instance of self-doubt, each ode to illicit substances, they think they're gaining intimate knowledge of McCoy and Perry's relationship ... and what they see isn't pretty.
"I've gotten a lot of flak in interviews like, 'You know, you're talking about cheating, but you're with Katy right now.' And I'm like, 'Yeah, but the song was written before.' And not only that, but like, if I can deal with her singing about kissing girls all day, she can deal with me singing about eating cookies for a little while," he smiled. "At the end of the day, people are going to take what they want from the record. It's like back when I was in art school, after we were done with our paintings, we'd have to put them up and critique ourselves, like, 'Oh, this is what I was feeling when I did this, and this color represents this,' and I was always like, 'I'd much rather put this up here and have you tell me what you get from it, because I had a lot of fun doing it, and I'm not going to sit here and bullsh-- you and tell you there's all these hidden agendas behind it.' And that's the same way I approach records."
And while McCoy doesn't feel the need to explain GCH's music, the fact that he's the one doing most of the talking in the interview — guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, bassist Eric Roberts and drummer Matt McGinley are seated next to him — brings us to the other thing that's different about Gym Class these days: the very common misconception that the band is just McCoy's solo project. And while some of that seems to be true — after all, The Quilt contains the most overtly hip-hop stuff the band has ever done — McCoy just laughs it off. It's up to the listener to decide, he said. And this time, his bandmates are there to agree with him.
"I think people outside of our circle are more concerned with this becoming 'The Travis Show.' Honestly, I would be nothing without these three guys. Nothing. And granted, we all have our side projects and whatnot, but Gym Class Heroes is and always will be the priority," McCoy said. "People are always asking me: 'When's the solo album coming out?' But we're a unit. Always have been and always will be. I've read a lot about this record, and people keep going, 'This is all Travis,' but in the same sense that everyone thinks Fall Out Boy is all Pete — wrong. Those guys are a unit just as much as we are, you know?"
"I'm not going to lie. Sometimes it is [frustrating], but I think it's natural for people to gravitate to one member of the band and single them out, but that's on them, that's on the media, that's on other people," McGinley added. "Within the internal workings of the group, everybody has their own important unique place, and without that we'd be selling drugs."
"Thank you," McCoy laughed. "I'm so glad you feel that way."
By James Montgomery, MTV.com
Gym Class Heroes Go on Tour in Support of "The Quilt"
Alt hip-hop quartet Gym Class Heroes are celebrating the release of album No. 4, The Quilt, with a U.K. tour and a North American co-headlining trek with The Roots.
First up is a run through the U.K. and Ireland that kicks off September 13, with stops in Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester, Leeds, London, Birmingham, Oxford, Bristol and Portsmouth.
The band's swing through the U.S. and Canada with The Roots launches October 3 at Rams Head Live! in Baltimore, finishing up November 11 at Armory Center in Albany, N.Y.
Other destinations in Gym Class Heroes' traveling plans include NorVa in Norfolk, Va. (October 4), Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater in Florida (October 8), The Backyard in Austin (October 12), Grove of Anaheim in California (October 16), Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee (October 23), Roseland Ballroom in New York City (October 28) and Convention Hall in Asbury Park, N.J. (October 31). Joining the pair for the trek is up-and-coming British R&B singer Estelle.
Tickets for most shows are available at Ticketmaster.com, with the rest going on sale in the coming days.
A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales for the tour will be donated to The Boys & Girls Club of Geneva (N.Y., the band's hometown) and The Triple Threat Foundation.
Quilt, which was released September 9, was recorded with help from a number of producers, including The-Dream, Cool & Dre (Yung Joc, Young Jeezy, The Game) and Gym Class Heroes' longtime friend and collaborator, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy.
The album also includes guest appearances by The-Dream, Busta Rhymes, Estelle and Daryl Hall.
To help build buzz for the disc, the band will make appearances in the coming weeks on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," MTV's "TRL" and "Mi TRL" on the MTV Tr3s network, as well as on BET's "Rap City."
By Pollstar
The Quilt is in stores now!!
You can find it for only $9.99 at Target or get it along with any GCH t-shirt for only $20 at Hot Topic. Want the album now? Download the iTunes Deluxe Bundle for $12.99 and you'll receive: remixes of Cookie Jar and Blinded By The Sun and videos for Peace Sign / Index Down and Cookie Jar!
New Gym Class Heroes' Album "The Quilt" Coming Out Tomorrow
Head over to MTV's The Leak to listen to the new album in its entirety!
Interview with Disashi from Gym Class Heroes
Do you have any pre-show rituals you like to do?
Disashi: Yeh. Basically, we all put our hands in a circle. Travis screams, "First thrust!" then we yell, "Balls deep!" two times, and then we count 1-2-3 and yell "Jerry's!" at the top of our lungs.
Craziest thing you've ever had happen while you were playing a show?
Disashi: We've always had a lot of girls come up on stage during clothes off, but that's kind of expected. Recently our hype-guy has been stage-diving every single day during "Cupid's Chokehold", which is kind of cool. I know there's definitely better stuff than that, I just can't think of it right now.
Have you seen The Dark Knight?
Disashi: No, I haven't. My friend saw it, but the theatre basically had no good sound system. So, everyone was really pissed off.
Yeh, I saw the first five minutes of it with barely any sound at a drive-in.
Disashi: Sucks, dude. You're missing half of the experience, know what I mean?
Absolutely. So, favorite word that starts with a "q"?
Disashi: Uhm...Quixote.
What are some on the road activities you guys do when you're bored?
Disashi: I just play music. I'm a nerd. Either I make music, or recently it's been Grand Theft Auto 4. Just wasting my life killing fake people.
How far in are you?
Disashi: I don't know. I haven't done any of the missions at all. The other dude's do the missions, and I just sort of...slaughter random civilians.
What do you think of the band Dr. Manhatten? Their on the tour.
Disashi: I haven't caught them at all. I'm out of the loop man. I'm out of the fuckin' loop.
What is the wind-velocity of an unladen swallow?
Disashi: Uhm, 35km per second.
Catch the reference there?
Disashi: ...no?
Monty Python.
Disashi: OH! That's really funny. I was like "I don't know!" for a second.
Last question: Why?!
Disashi: Because I can.
By by Matt Keith, Mammothpress.com
Gym Class Heroes to Perform at the Caling Academy
Gym Class Heroes will perform at the Carling Academy in Bristol in support of their forthcoming album "The Quilt".
The band has just completed the Vans Warped Tour around USA and will be performing at the venue in Frogmore Street on September 21th, 2008.
The show begins at 7pm. You can purchase tickets from the box office on 08444 77 2000.
Gym Class Heroes Story
Pop success. Tabloid romance. Schoolyard squabbles. Blunt-clouded bus rides. From the Las Vegas desert to a Warped Salt Lake City, Matt Diehl charts the raucous rise of emo-rap sensations Gym Class Heroes.
Fear and loathing in Las Vegas are in notably short supply during Gym Class Heroes' show in late June at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. "I've had problems with pharmaceuticals for ten years, and I stand in front of you four and a half months sober, and I feel good as fuck!" exclaims frontman Travis McCoy to the roaring crowd. "You deserve a couple more albums from me before I kick the bucket. There's a high I get standing in front of you I can't get from any pill!"
It's a refreshing revelation, since McCoy thanked himself "for putting up with me for the last 24 years" in the liner notes to Gym Class Heroes' 2006 album, As Cruel as School Children. And although he's known for mining his demons for rhymes, McCoy introduces last year's hit single "Clothes Off!!" by asking: "Who wants to get naked?" The first four rows, composed solely of young girls in Forever 21 finery, give him an answer when a massive black bra hurtles stageward. "This is some weaponry right here!" he marvels.
This combination of raw confession, nostalgic sentimentality, and unbridled hedonism has been the trademark of a group built on unlikely elements -- a white rhythm section, an African immigrant guitarist, and a biracial MC (McCoy's mom is Irish and Native American, his father Haitian). "We're the 'We Are the World' of bands," McCoy says, lighting up outside the tour bus after the show. "We need an Asian violinist; then we'll be good." Gym Class Heroes' sound is equally polyglot, inspired by indie hip-hop (El-P, Aesop Rock, Murs), East Coast hardcore/emo (Snapcase, De La Hoya), and '80s R&B (too many names to mention). "I was this big black kid smoking cigarettes, but I was just as into Earth Crisis as the straight-edge white kids," McCoy recalls. "It blew their minds."
This month, Gym Class will release their fourth album, The Quilt (on Pete Wentz's Decaydance label via Fueled by Ramen and Atlantic), their first since the single "Cupid's Chokehold" became an international smash. "They're the little band that could -- Fall Out Boy never even had a No. 1 single," says FOB frontman Patrick Stump, who has produced much of Gym Class' recorded output, and sang on "Cupid," which featured the naggingly catchy hook "Take a look at my girlfriend / She's the only one I got" (from Supertramp's classic-rock mainstay "Breakfast in America"). The spotlight is even brighter on the group, thanks to McCoy's increasingly serious relationship with pop starlet Katy Perry, whose "I Kissed a Girl" topped the charts as their romance became tabloid fodder.
But Gym Class aren't taking commercial success for granted. For The Quilt, they've lined up cameos from Busta Rhymes, hot U.K. R&B upstart Estelle, and Daryl Hall of pop-soul machine Hall & Oates. Plus, the album's primary producers, along with Stump, are urban hitmaker The-Dream (Rihanna's "Umbrella") and Miami-based beatsmiths Cool & Dre (the Game's "Hate It or Love It"). "[Gym Class] are where music is," says Dre. "A lot of artists don't fit a particular lane. Music had gotten so wack -- either you were pop or a rapper or a rock band. Now everything's merging. This period is creating future legends who don't fit: Kanye, Lil Wayne, Gym Class Heroes. And that's the secret to their success."
Still, the four Gym Class boys have to hustle. On the day of the Vegas gig, they rush from an acoustic performance for radio-contest winners to a photo shoot, although McCoy blew out his knee onstage the night before -- he's already had six surgeries, and will probably need another. But nothing slows him down. He limps with a noticeable swagger, flamboyantly waving his cane, semi-ironically mimicking the rap stars who are now his peers.
"This is pimpin' like a motherfucker!" he shouts.
Read the entire Gym Class Heroes story in the September issue of SPIN, on newsstands now.
By Matt Diehl, Spin.com
Vote For Gym Class Heroes Unnoficial!!
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Travie's Girlfriend Gets Gym Class Heroes' Approval
Travis McCoy's Gym Class Heroes bandmates approve of his girlfriend Katy Perry - because she's a vast improvement on his exes.
McCoy has been dating the I Kissed A Girl singer for two years and she has become one of the boys on the tourbus.
Bandmate Eric Roberts says, "Anyone who can handle Trav has my respect to the utmost."
And drummer Matt McGinley adds, "He's had some terrible girlfriends. Katy's the only one we like."
By Showbizspy.com
Eric Roberts Likes Chicken
Buzznet caught up with Eric Roberts of Gym Class Heroes on the last day of Warped Tour last Sunday. He talks about his love for Chicken and Sumo Sundays.
When we asked Eric which band he was most impressed by this summer on Warped, he said Bring Me the Horizon.
Of course we could sit here and re-cap the whole interview for you, but then it wouldn't be much fun for you to watch it?!?
By kron, Buzznet.com
Sheryl Crow Offers Free Music
The Grammy Award-winning singer announced a plan Wednesday to give a digital copy of her album "Detours" to the first 50,000 people who register three friends to vote.
read more
Travie Promised to Marry Katy Perry
Katy Perry has been marked for marriage - her boyfriend has given the singer a promise ring. Gym Class Heroes star Travis MCCoy insists he's not ready to wed the pretty I Kissed a Girl singer - but he plans to one day.
He says, "I gave her a promise ring. It was a way of showing her that I wanted to take it (relationship) to another level. We're not engaged or anything but we've been seeing each other for the past three years…and I felt it was time to solidify things, so I bought her a ring."
By ContactMusic
Exclusive: Gym Class Heroes Feat. The-Dream - "Cookie Jar"
Gym Class Heroes have premiered a new video for their 2nd single "Cookie Jar" which will be listed in their fourth album "The Quilt". The song features rapper The-Dream singing the chorus with the band's frontman Travis McCoy. Their brand new set is scheduled for release on September 9.
The music video has been shot by director Dale "Rage" Resteghini. It has The-Dream as a guest star and hip hop producer DJ Clinton Sparks as a cameo. They implicitly convey a peace message through the video by showing two-fingers peace sign to the camera.
The band will shortly kick off a series of shows, which is started in Los Angeles, California on August 17. Then, they are scheduled to wrap it up at Washington Avenue Armory in Albany, New York on November 1. In addition, the band will also co-headline a tour with The Roots on October 2 in Baltimore. A complete detail of their shows, including the time and place of the gigs, can be checked on their MySpace page.
Watch the new Gym Class Heroes' video below:
By Rose Perkins, Aceshowbiz.com
Travie McCoy: "I Snapped When I Was Called Something Vulgar'"
GYM CLASS HEROES star TRAVIS MCCOY has spoken for the first time since assaulting a fan at a show in St Louis, Missouri, confessing he lost control of his emotions.
The frontman was arrested on a third degree assault charge immediately after the July (08) concert following his microphone attack on a fan.
He reportedly took offence to an audience member who called him a "f**king ignorant n**ger". MCCoy's girlfriend, Katy Perry, has since defended her man, insisting, "There are definitely two sides to every story and you always have to take (that) into account." And now the hip-hop star himself is speaking out.
During an awkward chat with rocker Pete Wentz on Friday night's (15Aug08) FN MTV show, MCCoy said, "I was just called something very disgusting and vulgar and something just snapped in me and I kind of went off the handle."
By ContactMusic.com
Pre-sale Tickets Now Available to Everyone!!
Pre-sale tickets for the fall tour with The Roots and Estelle are available now to EVERYONE! Click HERE and use the login information below to get your tickets in advance with reduced service fees.
username: gymclass
password:heroes
By Gym Class Heroes Official Website
Gym Class Heroes to Go on Tour with The Roots
Last year, when Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy was talking about his band's upcoming album The Quilt, he spent an inordinate amount of time touting his "lyrical genius." So it makes sense that when booking the tour in support of the record — which hits stores September 9 — GCH went out and got one of the most lyrical of geniuses to co-headline. Actually, they got a whole crew of them.
The Roots have been tapped to share the bill with Gym Class on their Quilt Tour, which kicks off October 3 in Baltimore and will hit cities throughout North America before coming to a close November 1 in Albany, New York. The groups will alternate headlining duties on a city-by-city basis. Up-and-coming British R&B star Estelle will serve as support on all dates.
For McCoy, the opportunity to share the stage with the Legendary Roots Crew is a dream come true. Though, to be honest, he's also pretty excited to wrap GCH's stint on the Warped Tour (which ends Sunday in Carson, California) and get back to playing clubs with some of that sweet, sweet air conditioning.
"Warped Tour was great, but we can't wait to get back into venues that actually have roofs over our heads and aren't 110 degrees," McCoy told MTV News. "Touring with the Roots was something we've wanted to do for a while, and we're real excited it's finally happening. And Estelle opening things up? It's over! Tour of the year! Fans are in store for a real special treat. Who knows what's gonna happen out there."
Presale tickets will be available Tuesday (August 12) through GCH's Varsity Club fan site. Tickets for all dates go on sale to the general public August 15-16.
One dollar from each ticket sold will go directly to a charity in each group's hometown: the Geneva, New York, Boys & Girls Club and Philadelphia's Triple Threat Foundation, a youth-mentoring organization that focuses on education and athletics.
By James Montgomery, MTV.com
Fall Tour Dates
Dates for the co-headlining tour with The Roots are posted below. Pre-sale tickets will be available August 12th to members of thevarsityclub.net. General on-sale is August 15th and 16th.
Upcoming Tour Dates
08.11 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
08.13 Fresno, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.14 San Diego, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.15 Mountain View, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.16 Sacramento, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.17 Los Angeles, CA @ Warped Tour '08
09.13 Glasgow, UK @ Garage
09.14 Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
09.15 Dublin, UK @ Academy
09.16 Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
09.17 Leeds, UK @ Cockpit
09.18 London, UK @ Astoria 2
09.19 Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2
09.20 Oxford, UK @ Academy
09.21 Bristol, UK @ Academy 2
09.22 Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
10.03 Baltimore, MD @ Ram's Head Live!
10.04 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
10.05 Myrtle Beach, SC @ House Of Blues
10.06 Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
10.07 Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues
10.08 Miami, FL @ The Fillmore
10.10 Houston, TX @ Meridian
10.11 Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
10.12 Austin, TX @ The Backyard
10.14 Phoenix, AZ @ The Marquee
10.19 Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
10.21 Denver, CO @ The Fillmore Auditorium
10.23 Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
10.24 Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
10.25 Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
10.26 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
10.28 New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
10.30 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
10.31 Asbury Park, NJ @ Convention Hall
11.01 Albany, NY @ The Armory
By Gym Class Heroes Official Site
Gym Class Heroes - Cookie Jar lyrics
Gym class heroes..
(The Dream)
Radiokilla killa
(Travis)
Hahaha You know what it is
Gym class heroes, the dream
Its hard to look innocent when I got cookie crumbs all over my face
[Chorus]
(The Dream)
I like girls
They like me
They look so good
In their satin jeans
Want you to be the one
And my only
I want be faithful
But I cant keep my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
My hands, my hands, my ha uh my hands
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
You see I got this problem
I need help tryna solve it
Cos meeting after meeting and Im still a cookie whore
You can hide them, Imma find them, on the counter, in the closet
And Ill say I aint do it with my face covered in chocolate
My girl be setting booby traps
To catch me eating Scooby snacks
I left crumbs in the bed once
But I told her I was through with that
She still dont be believing me
And I guess that Im cool with that
But I got a sweet tooth, thatll never come loose
And the truth of the matter is.
[Chorus]
(The Dream)
I like girls
They like me
They look so good
In their satin jeans
Want you to be the one
And my only
I want be faithful
But I cant keep my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
My hands, my hands, my ha uh my hands
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
I got a thing for Milano, Biscotti Italianos
And I never turn down some Oreos if you got them
Butter Pecan Puerto Rican,
Or them Oatmeal Raisin Asians.
Hazelnut Brazilians,
Macadamia Caucasians,
Double stuffed or thin mint
It dont matter you getting it
Cos I got a sweet tooth thatll never come loose
And the fact of the matter is.
[Chorus]
(The Dream)
I like girls
They like me
They look so good
In their satin jeans
Want you to be the one
And my only
I want be faithful
But I cat keep my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
My hands, my hands, my ha uh my hands
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my, uh, my
Cant keep my hands, my hands my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
Im a monster for these cookies
Im a beast for theyre treats
An animal for theyre crackers
Head to feet they so damn sweet
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my ha uh my
Cant keep my hands, my hands, my hands out the cookie jar.
(Travis)
And then you have it haha
I tried my best
I went to cookie anonymous
I guess Im a failure
I cant seem to keep my damn hands out the cookie jar but,
It is what it is
Jay-Z Returns with New Album
New York fans probably expected a memorable performance from Kanye West and Jay-Z at Madison Square Garden, but what they didn’t expect was Jay-Z’s announcement of his upcoming album, 'The Blueprint III', his last on Def Jam.
read more
Gym Class Heroes on Walmart Soundcheck
Travie Denies New Album Is About Infidelity
Blogs have certainly leveled the playing field as far as reactions go — if an artist doesn’t like something someone has written, they can come to their own defense within minutes. Well, Gym Class Heroes‘ Travis McCoy has done just that in response to a Billboard report about The Quilt, his band’s follow-up to 2006’s As Cruel as School Children.
The article, which Billboard published on Friday, says that on the group’s previous album, McCoy’s lyrical “vice of choice was cocaine” and on this one “it’s women,” referring not only to the first single, “Cookie Jar,” but two other tracks, titled “Innocent” and “Come Clean.”
By Saturday, McCoy had responded on his personal blog with an entry entitled “Billboard ‘REVIEW.’” In it, he calls Billboard one of “the most prominent music publications in the industry,” but goes on to question their musical-interpretation abilities. “Do these people really listen to the music,” he asks, “or do they just skim through it?” He admits that “Coming Clean” can be “misleading,” as it refers to his “affair with music,” but with the exception of “Cookie Jar” he says the theme of the record has little to nothing to do with infidelity, as Billboard speculated.
As fans await The Quilt’s arrival on September 9, McCoy leaves the interpretation to them, saying, “I like to let our albums be somewhat of a ‘choose your own adventure’ listen.”
By Jordan Upmalis, Newsroom.MTV.com
New Gym Class Heroes' Album Hits Stores on September 13!!
Gym Class Heroes are set to release their third album "The Quilt".
It's the follow up to their 2006 release "As Cruel As School Children", which featured the hit single "Clothes Off".
The first single from the album will be "Cookie Jar", which was produced by The Dream, who has previously worked with the likes of Rihanna, Chris Brown and Usher.
"The Quilt" also features guest appearances from Estelle, Busta Rhymes and Daryl Hall. It hits stores on September 13!
By Take40.com
Upcoming Tour Dates
07.09 Atlanta, GA @ Warped Tour '08
07.10 Orlando, FL @ Warped Tour '08
07.11 Tampa, FL @ Warped Tour '08
07.12 Miami, FL @ Warped Tour '08
07.13 Jacksonville, FL @ Warped Tour '08
07.14 Charlotte, NC @ Warped Tour '08
07.15 Virginia Beach, VA @ Warped Tour '08
07.16 Washington, DC @ Warped Tour '08
07.17 Cleveland, OH @ Warped Tour '08
07.18 Detroit, MI @ Warped Tour '08
07.19 Toronto, ON @ Warped Tour '08
07.20 Montreal, QC @ Warped Tour '08
07.23 Boston, MA @ Warped Tour '08
07.24 Buffalo, NY @ Warped Tour '08
07.25 Philadelphia, PA @ Warped Tour '08
07.26 New York City, NY @ Warped Tour '08
07.27 Scranton, PA @ Warped Tour '08
07.28 Englishtown, NJ @ Warped Tour '08
07.29 Pittsburgh, PA @ Warped Tour '08
07.30 Cincinnati, OH @ Warped Tour '08
07.31 Indianapolis, IN @ Warped Tour '08
08.01 Milwaukee, WI @ Warped Tour '08
08.02 Chicago, IL @ Warped Tour '08
08.03 Minneapolis, MN @ Warped Tour '08
08.05 Saskatoon, SK @ Warped Tour '08
08.06 Calgary, AB @ Warped Tour '08
08.07 Missoula, MT @ Wilma Theatre
08.08 Boise, ID @ Warped Tour '08
08.09 Seattle, WA @ Warped Tour '08
08.10 Portland, OR @ Warped Tour '08
08.11 Eugene, OR @ McDonald Theatre
08.13 Fresno, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.14 San Diego, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.15 Mountain View, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.16 Sacramento, CA @ Warped Tour '08
08.17 Los Angeles, CA @ Warped Tour '08
09.13 Glasgow, UK @ Garage
09.14 Belfast, UK @ Mandela Hall
09.15 Dublin, UK @ Academy
09.16 Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
09.17 Leeds, UK @ Cockpit
09.18 London, UK @ Astoria 2
09.19 Birmingham, UK @ Academy 2
09.20 Oxford, UK @ Academy
09.21 Bristol, UK @ Academy 2
09.22 Portsmouth, UK @ Wedgewood Rooms
Gym Class Heroes' New EP Аvailable on iTunes!!
Gym Class Heroes' new Patches From The Quilt EP is available for download now exclusively on iTunes. It includes the new single 'Cookie Jar' (feat. The-Dream) and two other new jams.
Get yours now and complete The Quilt at iTunes for a reduced price on September 9th!
By Gym Class Heroes Official Site
Travis McCoy Apologizes To Fans For His Arrest
Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy apologized to fans attending Warped Tour in Dallas for his recent altercation with a fan.
McCoy stated on stage, "It was uncalled for and out of hand...if you are tired of ignorant people put your hands up like that," and encouraged fans to hold up the peace sign. The band then proceeded to perform the track 'Peace Sign' from their upcoming album 'The Quilt'.
The altercation with the fan happened in St. Louis when a member of the audience called McCoy a "fucking ignorant nigger" at the beginning of the band's set.
McCoy was charged with one count of third degree assault for the altercation.
By Victoria Tsigonis, Gigwise.com
Travie Arrested at Warped Tour
On Tuesday, at the Maryland Heights, Missouri, stop of this summer's Warped Tour, Gym Class Heroes lead singer Travis McCoy was arrested and charged with third-degree assault after he allegedly struck a member of the audience in the head with his microphone.
According to police spokesman Sgt. Joseph Eagan, the department does not release the names of those arrested until they are formally charged by the local prosecutor's office. But Eagan did confirm that "there was an incident last evening with a band called Gym Class Heroes, and that we did make an arrest." Eagan said "there was an altercation between one of the artists and one of the patrons, and the person arrested was booked on assault, posted bond and was released."
Eagan did confirm that the incident was racially motivated, but added that the alleged victim "and the artist are of the same race."
"There were words exchanged, and the artist took offense to something that was said to him," Eagan said. "The complainant alleged that he was struck, and we're waiting for it to go to the prosecuting attorney."
Eagan declined to provide further details, but according to Rolling Stone, the audience member near the front row called McCoy a "f---ing ignorant n---er." McCoy reportedly responded by asking the man to repeat what he'd said as security personnel attempted to remove the man from the venue. McCoy then reportedly reached down and struck him in the head with his microphone.
Eagan told MTV News on Thursday (July 3) that a warrant for McCoy has been issued because police wish to speak with him further about the incident.
"The prosecutor handling the case decided there was enough information to warrant a charge," he said. The charge for municipal, or common assault, is a misdemeanor and carries no jail time, but will result in a fine to be determined by the judge if McCoy is found guilty. At 5 p.m. ET on Thursday, Eagan said McCoy's attorneys had not yet contacted police about the warrant.
Police will not actively pursue McCoy if he does not turn himself in, but Eagen said if one of the singer's attorney's does not contact authorities by the end of the month, an additional warrant will be issued for failure to appear. "I'm sure once they find out about it, he will have his attorneys contact our people."
The band's manager, Bob McLynn, released a statement Wednesday afternoon that reads: "Somebody in the crowd was taunting Travis with racial slurs. Travis invited him onstage with the intent of calling him out in front of the crowd, with absolutely no intention of a physical altercation. When he tried to help him onstage, the guy hit Travis in the knee area (which has been in a brace because of a recent sprain), forcing Travis to defend himself. At this point, a scuffle broke out.
"This whole incident is unfortunate," the statement continues. "Travis McCoy and Gym Class Heroes are anything but violent. Their message is about racial unity and having a good time. It's amazing that in 2008, there are still people out there that would say such ignorant things. Travis is deeply upset that this happened, and has expressed his apologies to the band's fans that were at the show, [tour organizer] Kevin Lyman, and the Vans Warped Tour. GCH is putting this behind them and looks forward to seeing everyone on the rest of the tour."
By MTV.com
Interview: Gym Class Heroes
Anything goes for Gym Class Heroes, but that's the way they like it. The band's crafted a catchy, bouncy and groove-drenched sound that's equally dance floor and Warped Tour-ready. In order to follow-up 2006's gold-selling As Cruel As School Children, Gym Class Heroes took a step back and hunkered down to write some of their most natural, fun and sexy dance rock-hip hop hybrid tracks, yet. These songs will make up the band's 2008 offering The Quilt, due out later this year. After some intense creative sessions with everyone from Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates to Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, drummer Matt McGinley's taking time to prepare for this summer's Warped Tour. Driving down the highway, McGinley discussed all things Gym Class with ARTISTdirect. He also managed not to get in any accidents, while offering an in-depth preview of The Quilt and Warped Tour. Now that's multi-tasking!
What direction do you feel like Gym Class Heroes is heading on The Quilt?
I feel like the new stuff is a bit of a throwback for us, in terms of the production style. We went back to our roots with how we did it. We tracked most of the record, about seven songs, live. We were all recording together in the same room on those songs. Whereas the last record, we recorded it all in different studios. In terms of the instrumentation, it was much more natural. The last album was fairly processed, and it was pretty heavy on programming. This new album has a lot of real and natural sounds. That's why I say we're returning to our roots, in a sense. It's definitely really diverse. The record is all over the place. We've got songs that are extremely rock and roll-influenced, and we have songs that are extremely hip hop-influenced. That's why we decided to call the album The Quilt, because it feels like a musical patchwork of different influences and songs. When people hear it, it will tie in even more.
You guys have always had a warm and inviting sound, so the image of "The Quilt" fits well.
Yeah, totally! We just got the rough draft of the artwork back from the artist. It's so sick. To me, when I looked at it, I felt like it was a great visual representation of what we were trying to accomplish sonically with the album. I'm really excited for people to not only hear the record, but to also have the whole package in front of them. This record is definitely my favorite Gym Class record that we've worked on. I don't always say that. I truly feel special about this record. It's a bummer that it's not coming out for so long, because I'm so excited for people to hear it. I feel like I did when we did our first record in high school. I was just thrilled for people to hear it, and I feel like a kid again, because I get that same feeling with this record. I'm not only so proud of it, but it's also such a new direction for us. Not only that, I don't think we're just doing something new. It's basically taking everything that we've loved about our style of music and exaggerating it musically, lyrically and conceptually. I feel like everything is of very high quality for this album.
Was there anything in particular that sparked that growth and progression?
I'm sure there is. A lot of it involves just growing as people and as music fans. We're constantly hearing new influences everywhere. I say "new influences," but a lot of the stuff that influenced the record was music from the '60s and '70s, for me personally. There are a few tracks on the album that have a Beach Boys vibe to them. When we were in the studio, I was listening to a lot of Led Zeppelin too, and I was trying to channel the strength and the sonic force that John Bonham had on so many of those songs. I was trying to take an influence like that and apply it to Gym Class Heroes. There were a lot of interesting influences that came in on this record. I think with every record, people will be shocked to hear what we were listening to at the time. This record is no different in that respect. That's why we decided to call the album The Quilt, because it feels like a musical patchwork of different influences and songs.
There's a versatility to having both rock songs and funky, hip hop songs. Bands in the '70s often could juggle both. These days, that's not as prevalent.
Totally, we love all of that stuff. Take a guy like Phil Collins, for instance. He's known as a pop rock artist, but some of his music is so amazingly funky. I think people forget that you can actually do a certain style of music, but flavor it with all of your influences. You don't have to be a one-trick pony and stick to one thing in particular. I think that's the beauty of Gym Class Heroes. We've always been able to incorporate all of the influences that we have as fans of music and composers of music.
The live instrumentation separates Gym Class as a hip hop act. You have that '70s feeling, because of the organic instruments. In a sense, the music does channel that classic sound to a degree.
I mean that's awesome that you can take that away from it. With this album, we did try to strip it down a little bit more, in terms of the programming. We tried to really take our time getting good, classic sounds from the instruments. That was the cool thing about working about Patrick Stump again on this record. In the early stages of this album manifesting itself, I remember talking with Patrick, and he really wanted to focus on getting back to the foundations of Gym Class Heroes. He really helped us get classic, natural sounds for the record. All we had to do was give killer performances, and the sounds would speak for themselves. It was really to our advantage to take our time with this, and spend time getting good, quality sounds.
Does he make any big vocal cameos?
There's nothing like he did on the last record. He's not at the forefront of any hooks or anything like that. However, you can definitely hear the Patrick Stump-flair on a couple songs. If you pay attention, you can hear him in some harmonies and whatnot. Aside from that, he's just a great writer and arranger of music. So it was really cool to work with him on this album. It wasn't like he just came in and handed us some songs. It was more like he helped us take the parts we had and arrange them. He really worked with us in helping us write the best possible songs that we could.
As rumored, did you end up collaborating with Lil Wayne and Ne-Yo too?
The Lil Wayne thing, we weren't going to do. That was just a rumor, because we did the remix of "Viva La White Girl" with him. We're going to leave it at that. With Ne-Yo, we would've loved to have gotten him on the record, but shit just doesn't work out sometimes the way you want it to. Hopefully in the future we can do something with Ne-Yo. He's an incredibly talented dude. We got to perform with him at the Video Music awards. He performed "Clothes Off" with us. Between him and Patrick Stump singing the hook, it was the best I've ever heard "Clothes Off" sound. It's cool to be a part of a band like Gym Class Heroes where you can make different stuff like that pop off. It's bringing together different worlds. It's not done in a cliché, novelty way. The way we do it is very musical and natural when we bring worlds together. For instance, on this album, we did a song with Daryl Hall from Hall and Oates. I think a lot of people would be pretty surprised to see something like that, but it definitely popped off in a really great way, and we can't wait for people to hear it.
Back in the '70s it wasn't out of the ordinary to see Hendrix and Zeppelin play with James Brown. These days everything is so segregated by genre. You guys hearken back to that synergy with an "everyone's welcome" vibe.
With the tours that we do, we make the packages tours that we would want to see. We make shows that we would want to go to. Last year, we did our first headlining tour, and we had a reggae punk band RX Bandits, a straight hip hop act K-OS and then P.O.S. Regardless of musical genre, all the bands on the bill are always dope. It's quality music, regardless of whether it's based in rock or hip hop. We always try to mix it up with our tours.
Are you looking forward to Warped Tour?
Warped Tour's always amazing. It's so much fun to play. It's just great to be outside. We're extremely excited for it. We've done it a handful of times, so we know what we're getting into, but we're doing the tour on the biggest scale that we've done it. The last time we did the tour, we were in a much different place as a band at that point. It's going to be cool to round things up with doing a summer on the main stage.
It's like summer camp too. It must be a blast to kick it with everyone backstage.
It's awesome! You tour with these bands year round, and you see them grow. On Warped Tour, everyone is there together. It's like a big reunion for a lot of us. It's a lot of fun. They have barbecues every night. You can hang out in the shade and drink beer as much as you want [Laughs]. As much fun as it is to be a part of it, for me, it's just as much fun to enjoy the tour. I like to do what the kids are doing, walk around, check out what bands are playing and go to everybody's merch tents. As fans of music, it's a really cool thing to be a part of.
When you were a kid, did you go to Warped Toura lot?
Hellyeah I did! I went to Warped Tourevery year. When I was a kid, that was my shit. I didn't care if I got to see another show all year. Once the summer came, I was all about going to Warped Tour. It was so good, man. I remember back in the day seeing some of the groups coming up at the time. There's no way you could see them in that environment anymore. I remember seeing Jurassic 5, Black Eyed Peas and Eminem. Not only that, at the show I was seeing Deftones and NOFX. To me, that was the greatest tour, period. Nowadays, to be a part of that and be a member of an act that brings kids out and gives kids the same feeling I used to get is amazing. You can't imagine how much fun we're having doing this.
So it's going to be quite a summer leading up to The Quilt.
It's perfect for us. That's how the last record that we released felt. We did Warped Tour all summer. It's great to promote the album and have fun before the real work starts. Once the album drops, we just put our heads down and work steady for awhile. We've got some big plans for the fall. It's going to be a really hectic year when the record comes out. So for me, this is kind of a vacation and time to breathe before the record drops and everything gets nuts. You can't imagine how much fun we're having doing this.
You guys keep it fun, and that's the most important thing.
I feel like Travis engages everyone in the crowd, and that's a difficult thing when you have a band like us. We might have people that came to see The Roots or Fall Out Boy at our show. We take all these different worlds and let people know that everyone can have fun together. There's nothing different. That's cool thing about Gym Class Heroes. We don't have a common, typical fan. If you look at our crowd from a bird's eye view, it's a melting pot! It's a beautiful thing to be a part of a band that can break barriers and bring people together under the common love of music.
By Rick Florino, Artistdirect.com
New Pictures of Travie McCoy
Travie posted these two pictures of him in Atlantic City on his offcial blog.
Backstage Interview with Gym Class Heroes
Most looking forward to seeing:
Travis McCoy: Four Year Strong — those dudes, the energy is really tight. It's been one of my favorite records that I've been listening to lately.
If I had five minutes alone with Snoop ...
Matt McGinley: We did a show in japan with Snoop, and his band was absolutely amazing. Me and Eric saw him because his van pulled up next to our van, but we looked at him and he gave us a head nod and it was like "yeaaaaah."
Bamboozle vs. Warped Tour
McCoy: Bamboozle is like a two-day thing, it's cool and it's a precursor to Warped Tour. You put in that vibe and then it's just gone. Warped Tour is all summer.
McGinley: Bamboozle is kind of the sampler platter for Warped Tour.
Photograph by Ryan Muir for RollingStone.com
Gym Class Heroes Working On New Album With Patrick Stump
Visit Gym Class Heroes in the studio as they work on their upcoming album called "The Quilt" with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy.
Most ridiculous Tattoos Ever
These people are definitely going to regret these tattoos of Conan, Oprah, Britney, and other famous faces.
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How Busta Rhymes Helped GCH Sew Their “Quilt”
Since we last spoke to Gym Class Heroes about the recording of their third LP, the band has embarked on a college tour to debut songs from their new album The Quilt, due this July. When we caught up with the band this weekend at Bamboozle, frontman Travis McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley talked about their recent touring, as well as their recording sessions with Busta Rhymes and Daryl Hall.
“The college tour has been kind of a warm-up for us. We’ve been playing four or five new songs,” McGinley says. “We have more prepared, but we find that some songs almost don’t translate to the live show as well [right now].”
“Some of the songs are a little moody,” explains McCoy. “Not that this album has dark undertones, but this past year has been so crazy for us with success and personal things, like my cousin committing suicide last November. It bubbled to a point where I went out to record in L.A. and I freaked out. I was so excited, but I was going through so much shit emotionally so I jetted out of L.A. and went back to Miami.”
While in Miami, McCoy met up with Andre “Dre” Christopher Lyon, one half of production duo Cool & Dre (who worked on The Quilt). “Me and Dre are kindred spirits,” McCoy says. It was Dre who helped McCoy de-stress enough to head back L.A. and hit the recording studio — but not before hooking Gym Class Heroes up with a guest vocal from Busta Rhymes. In his best Busta voice, McCoy recalls Busta’s reaction after Dre played a demo for him on speakerphone: “Yo! I’m coming to Miami right now! If you don’t save me a verse on this song, I’m going to kill all of ya’ll.”
Though McCoy says he’ll never assign song titles until a track is complete — “That’s like naming your baby before it’s born, and what happens if you name it Scott but it comes out looking like a Michael?” — the Busta jam is tentatively called “Peace Sign.” “It was that hyped ‘95 animated Busta that I’ve been in love with forever,” McCoy says gleefully.
Another high point in recording was Daryl Hall’s guest session on the track “Live Forever,” about McCoy’s cousin. “Playing along to that track was a pretty surreal experience,” McGinley says.
“At the end of it he did this whole stream of conscious improv freestyle thing and we just let him go,” McCoy says. “I broke down in tears because he was saying all these things that were so relevant; I felt like I witnessed magic.”
By Erica Futterman, www.rollingstone.com
Video: Travis McCoy Performs with Estelle
Check out the video of Travie performing with hot British singer Estelle, who recently made a collaboration song with rapper Kanye West.
GCH at Samsung Sound Check
So last night pretty much rocked. YAY for new Gym Class Heroes songs! The band’s new album, The Quilt, comes out this summer and is produced by my favorite Fall Out Boy - Patrick Stump. GCH is also one of the main stage headliners of this summer’s Vans Warped Tour. I am hitting up the Milwaukee and Chicago Warped shows - who’s with me?!
I can thank Samsung and U.S. Cellular for letting me have an absolute blast last night. Thanks to them, I got to see one of my favorite bands again in concert FOR FREE and sing my heart out along with Patrick’s backing vocal tracks. Samsung Sound Check is an exclusive music tour with leading musical acts, designed to provide consumers with rare, private concerts and the opportunity to experience the latest in music-centric mobile phones.
Gym Class played about three new songs from their highly anticipated third record, including a song written by guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and another entitled Drunk Text Romeo. MC Travis McCoy finished off the band’s set down in the crowd among the fans in the “pit” before heading backstage to prep for the encore. I first saw GCH live on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour in Charleston, SC and have since seen them more times than I can count in Chicago.
Each Samsung Sound Check event features a one-hour high-energy performance by a headline band as well as music by Los Angeles-based DJ, Matthew Sullivan. Other highlights of the night included interactive sampling phone booths that showcased the music capabilities of Samsung phones and gave visitors an opportunity to win a number of prizes, including the featured phone, the Samsung/U.S. Cellular SCH-r610.
The Samsung SCH-r610 is a sleek slider handset with a minimalist design. The slim r610 is equipped with multimedia features including a 1.3-megapixel camera and camcorder, MP3 player and stereo Bluetooth wireless technology. The r610 also features multiple messaging capabilities, easyedge(SM) downloadable content, advanced voice recognition by VoiceSignal and a microSD external memory card slot.
All in all, the night was pretty sweet. Free concerts are simply THE BEST! Wouldn’t you agree??? Look out for Gym Class Heroes on this summer’s 2008 Vans Warped Tour and come find me at the Milwaukee and Chicago tour stops. Pick up the band’s new album, The Quilt, when it comes out this summer. Trust me, it’s going to be GREAT. Anything Patrick Stump produces and plays keyboards on is AMAZING!
By TheDeadHub.com
Gym Class Heroes' Concert Review
GW students and friends sang, danced, and jumped along Saturday night to the hour and a half long set by Gym Class Heroes, this year's Spring Fling headlining act.
The performance included some of the band’s most popular songs such as “Cupid’s Chokehold” and “Clothes Off”, as well as some new material from their upcoming album “The Quilt.”
During their performance of “Clothes Off,” the band asked the crowd to throw their clothing onto the stage for the collection to later be given to charity. Most of the donations were t-shirts, including many of the free lime green “fling it” shirts given to Spring Fling attendees. But lead singer Travis McCoy also happily displayed a black bra that landed among the clothes on stage.
Though lead guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo, 25, lamented that the band's last visit to Washington "sucked," he explained the importance of a performance like Saturday's.
“I think it’s good to get it out there,” said Lumumba-Kasongo, who attended Cornell University. “It’s good to reconnect with the college audience and let them know that we were in the same position ourselves.”
“I want people to know that if you follow your heart,” he said, “and put in a little bit of work, you’ll be where you want to be.”
For Tiffany Meehan, concerts chair of Program Board, the success of the concert required months of planning. After choosing a band, Meehan gave the name to a booking agent, who then submitted a bid. Once the bid went through, suspense gave way to excitement, an emotion that was tangible the day of the show.
“We’re really excited,” Meehan said before the show. “They showed up on time and we’re just really excited to have a fun band. Gym Class Heroes have a great show.”
Choosing Gym Class Heroes as the main act for Spring Fling was not an easy choice for the Concerts Committee. Meehan said the potential performer had to meet certain criteria including being someone people had already heard of, was well liked, and had been seen on television.
“We were looking at a lot of different Hip Hop bands,” Meehan said, mentioning that Lupe Fiasco and N.E.R.D. were two other acts the concerts committee considered. Both are on tour with Kanye West and unavailable.
But Saturday night, Gym Class Heroes seemed like the only band on attendees' minds. When the band left the stage after its final song, crowd cheers of “GCH, GCH, GCH!” brought the musicians onto the stage for an encore performance. Much to fans' delight, McCoy chose to perform the last song in the middle of the crowd.
By Sholeh Aixa, DailyColonial.com
Gym Class Heroes to Go on Tour with Tyga and Kidz In The Hall
Emerging new artist Tyga is preparing for his highly anticipated debut album, “No Introduction,” set for release on June 10th. Signed to Pete Wentz’s Decaydance Records, through Travis McCoy’s imprint, Bat Squad, the 18 year old phenom was named “one of the best undiscovered rappers in America” by Vibe Magazine. He performed at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards and can currently be seen in Lil Wayne’s new video “Lollipop,” proving that this star is clearly on the rise.
The forthcoming album entitled “No Introduction” features amazing collaborations with Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), Lil Wayne, and Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy). Tyga’s hip hop roots blended with his collaborators’ pop/rock vibe to make him a stand out in today’s cluttered musical landscape. The first single, “Coconut Juice,” which features a verse by Travis McCoy is already creating a huge amount of buzz online. The recently shot video was directed by Dale “RAGE” Resteghini (Mims, Soulja Boy) and features cameos including Travis, Pete and Lil Wayne.
Tyga will be featured on MTV’s Spring Break 2008 in Panama City, Florida, scheduled to air the week of March 24th on MTV. Joining an all-star line up of performers for this year’s festivities including Lupe Fiasco, Flo Rida, Paramore, and Panic at the Disco, he will be performing two songs, “Woww” and the current single, “Coconut Juice.” Once again confirming Tyga’s mass appeal, Blender Magazine featured “Woww” as a must-have download track in their March issue.
Tyga will also be accompanying Gym Class Heroes on their Spring 2008 Campus Tour. Beginning April 1st, the tour will be making stops at several college universities throughout the nation. Dates and locations can be viewed below.
Tour Dates:
April, 1 2008 08:00 PM - UMass-Lowell
Lowell, MA, -
April, 2 2008 08:00 PM - College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, VA, -
April, 3 2008 08:00 PM - College of Charleston
Charleston, SC, -
April, 4 2008 08:00 PM - Embry Riddle
Daytona Beach, FL, -
April, 5 2008 08:00 PM - George Washington University
Washington, DC, -
April, 11 2008 08:00 PM - University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA, -
April, 12 2008 08:00 PM - Rider University
Lawrenceville, NJ, -
April, 13 2008 08:00 PM - Washington College
Chestertown, MD, -
April, 16 2008 08:00 PM - University of Missouri-St. Louis
St. Louis, MO, -
April, 17 2008 08:00 PM - Wayne State University
Detroit, MI, -
April, 18 2008 08:00 PM - Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH, -
April, 19 2008 08:00 PM - Lock Haven University
Lock Haven, PA, -
April, 20 2008 08:00 PM - Millersville University
Millersville, PA, -
April, 24 2008 06:00 PM - George Mason University
Fairfax, VA, -
April, 24 2008 08:00 PM - Wootton High School
Rockville, MD, -
April, 25 2008 08:00 PM - Niagara University
Buffalo, NY, -
April, 26 2008 06:00 PM - University of Hartford
Hartford, CT, -
May, 1 2008 08:00 PM - Fitchburg State College
Fitchburg, MA, -
May, 2 2008 08:00 PM - Cornell University
Ithaca, NY, -
May, 3 2008 08:00 PM - Manhattan College
Riverdale, NY, -
By Dave, RapNews.net
A Message from Disashi
Gym Class Heroes guitarist Disashi left a new message on his Myspace page. Read it below!
Hiiiiii there,
I am stoked. No silly, it’s not because I’ve been taking my vitamins regularly for the past 2 months (but as a matter of fact I have been and I feel like a champion). It’s because thanks to some serious persistence on my end, assistance from The Agency Group, and support from the kids/staff at Cornell University, Gym Class Heroes will finally be playing a show in my home town of Ithaca NY for the first time since I joined GCH in 2004! GCH has been touring like crazy across the country and much of the world for the past 4 years, so I’m excited that we were able to make space to rock out in I-Town. We will be headlining the Slope Day Festival on Libe Slope (West Campus). While admission will generally be reserved for Cornell students, I must say that it will be amazing to play on my home turf AND former university at that. I’m thankful for all the friends who helped and
supported my dreams throughout highschool/college, and to those warm-hearted people who told me I sucked at guitar and discouraged me along the way… HUGS AND KISSES!!!!!
May 2nd my friends.
Peace sign,
Disashi
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GCH will Headline UCAB’s Spring Concert
Gym Class Heroes will headline UCAB’s annual spring concert April 2 at 7 p.m. at Matoaka Amphitheatre.
UCAB also announced that the Ying Yang Twins show, which had originally been scheduled for March, has been moved to April 19 at 8 p.m. at Matoaka.
Gym Class Heroes is best known for its hits “Cupid’s Chokehold” and “Clothes Off!” from the band’s 2006 album “As Cruel As School Children.” Their success earned them the award for Best New Artist at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
UCAB Executive Director Margo Collerd ’08 said that UCAB is hoping for a positive student response to the Gym Class Heroes.
“It’s the first concert on a weeknight, so hopefully more people can come out because it won’t conflict with other campus events,” Collerd said.
According to Collerd, UCAB is very pleased to have the funding and availability to have two concerts this spring.
“UCAB is really striving to bring diversity so it’s really great to bring two groups,” Collerd said. “It’s something William and Mary will do in the future since we hope to maximize both the number of concerts and quality and types of acts we bring.”
Because the band will already be in the area, UCAB was able to negotiate a discounted rate for Gym Class Heroes.
“We’ve been trying to book our second concert for a long time, we had a long list of ideas and had made many offers that were turned down by the artists, which is normal,” UCAB Music Chair Jeanna Occhiogrosso ’08 said. “The Gym Class Heroes … were playing at Virginia Tech and looking to add on an extra night. They offered a very competitive price, a better offer than what they would give most schools because they really wanted to add that extra night.”
Collerd also put to rest rumors that the Ying Yang Twins would be performing for free. “The website [Eventful.com] was just a way for their management to see who was interested in seeing them, Collerd said. “It was more of an opportunity for them to come here.”
Funding for the spring concerts has recently increased. The Student Assembly was able to allocate UCAB’s entire requested budget, $124,550, for the first time in recent history.
“We’ve allocated certain money from student activity fees and ticket sales, and we have increasingly more money from the Student Assembly, so we were able to budget for two bands,” Collerd said.
Advance tickets for Gym Class Heroes, with openers Tyga, I Am the Avalanche and KiDz In The Hall are $10 for students. Tickets purchased the day of the concert will be $12.
The prices for tickets to the Ying Yang Twins concert, with opener The Syndicate, are $8 for students in advance, and $10 the day of the performance. Special discount combined tickets for the two concerts will be offered at a price of $15. “It’s a really great opportunity for students to attend two great concerts at a low price,” Collerd said.
Tickets can be purchased at the College box office at Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall or at www.wm.edu/boxoffice.
By Flathatnews.com
Gym Class Heroes and Travis Barker - Rock The Vote
Red Carpet: Travis Barker and Gym Class Heroes @ Rock The Vote.
Gym Class Heroes to Perform At Honda Grand Prix
Gym Class Heroes, winners of the Best New Artist at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, will bring its unique brand of hip-hop to the 2008 Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. XM Satellite Radio will present the popular band in concert on Sunday, April 6, prior to the start of the 2008 Honda Indy St. Pete.
The Gym Class Heroes concert will start at 12 p.m. and will take place on the XM Stage in the Honda Plaza, located inside the race circuit adjacent to the Mahaffey Theater.
Travis McCoy said about the upcoming gig, “We play for fans of all kinds of music - from jam band to death metal to punk to hip-hop, and we’re thrilled to perform for race fans today in St. Petersburg.”
By PaddockTalk.com
The Name of Gym Class Heroes' New Album is Officially Announced
Gym Class Heroes‘ new album will be called The Quilt, according Travis McCoy. He made the announcement via a post on his blog, which included a snippet of a song called “Don’t Tell Me It’s Over.” The tune, now the second we know of on Quilt (McCoy mentioned another one, “Drunk Text Romeo,” when MTV News spoke to him in January). “Don’t Tell Me It’s Over” is sorta in the vein of Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight.” And it also sounds a lot like Van Halen’s “Right Now.” Seriously.
By NewsRoom.MTV.com
Travie Admits To Drug Addiction
Following on the heels of Lil Wayne, Gym Class Heroes emcee Travis McCoy is opening up about his drug addiction and current attempts at detox.
He posted the following entry on his official blog about what prompted him to get sober, and the pressures of the industry:
"Baby, I'm a blur…… So I've had a little time on my hands lately. Recovering from a relatively new procedure that cleans your opiate receptors and basically gives you a new beginning. I feel like a layer of shit as been peeled off of my brain. I'm sure a lot of you who really pay attention to our music know that i've been addicted to pharmaceuticals since I was 15 years old. This is my second stint in a detox program, the first was right before we signed to FBR and it really didn't help much. Meeting after meeting i still had a thirst, a death wish. Fuck it, it is what it is."
McCoy then continues:
"I'm a little weak and achy but every hour that passes I feel more and more like me. The me i haven't seen in 10 years. There is no instruction manual to this lifestyle, the road, the cameras, the press (good or bad), the expectations, the pressure, it's enough to make an ox buckle at the knees mid-charge. I've always rolled with the punches, I'm throwing them now. If it means anything , any of this, just don't be selfish, live for yourself but know your life is directly connected and important to anyone who loves or cares for you, I can count with 2 hands how many friends i've lost to drugs, I don't want to start using toes."
It seems as if the talk of pharmaceutical drug abuse has become wildly popular in Hip Hop recently. In the past weeks it has been found that UGK rapper Pimp C's untimely death was partially due to mixing medications including syrup, Promethazine with Codeine syrup abused by people to get high. Soon after, rapper Lil Wayne spoke publicly about his various addictions.
By HipHopDX.com
Gym Class Heroes in the Studio
“Yeah! now we’re cookin’, boy!” Travis McCoy yells, pacing the main room at the Deathstar studio in Los Angeles, still sporting his backpack and hoodie. With a new Dodgers cap cocked sideways, the Gym Class Heroes MC shouts, “Drum-and-bass! Drum-and-bass!” He’s leading his band through a rhythm-heavy new tune, as guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo strums his white Stratocaster through a wah-wah pedal like he’s playing with Sly and the Family Stone. It’s still before noon when McCoy begins rhyming: “Tell hip-hop I’m not illiterate/I got greater expectations than Oliver Twist/I went postal before Bukowski did/Tell Jack I’ll go out on the road with him. . . .”
Slouched over an upright piano wearing a porkpie hat is Patrick Stump. On a break from Fall Out Boy, Stump is producing today’s session — for the Heroes’ follow-up to 2006’s As Cruel as School Children, which included the radio hits “Cupid’s Chokehold” and “Clothes Off!” “They’re totally serious musicians,” says Stump, eager to demonstrate the Geneva, New York, band’s musical chops. “Travis is a dead-serious MC. He’s very smart and very sharp and has said some brilliant things. And they have a blast doing it. Hopefully people will get a sense of that.”
McCoy steps out of the booth to pour himself a sweet blend of merlot and Sprite, a new drink he calls the Travalanche. But he’s soon back in the room as the band slips into a classic roots-reggae groove and McCoy spits rhymes about a postmodern romance: “We can’t, more like we shouldn’t. . . . It’s hard to be a good man.” “It’s about what happens when you have a little too much merlot in you and you have access to a phone and a ton of girls’ numbers that you wouldn’t call otherwise,” he says. He thinks up a song title on the spot: “Drunk Text Romeo.”
It’s mid-January, and the band has been in the small studio, located behind a Koreatown barbershop, for a week. The big-screen TV is permanently tuned to the Food Network, with the band members hoping for a glimpse of sexy Italian host Giada De Laurentiis between takes. “We’ve been on a roll, pumping out a song a day,” says drummer Matt McGinley. “When things are going good like this, you just need to be in the studio and pour out creativity.”
McCoy later retreats to his rented SUV with a fistful of cigarettes to play back some tracks recently recorded in Miami with producers Cool and Dre (best known for the Game’s “Hate It or Love It” and Ja Rule’s “New York”). “It’s beautiful how Dre works with melodies and shit,” says McCoy with a grin. “We consumed a lot of greenery.”
One of the Miami tracks is the brooding jam “Peace Sign,” which features guest vocals by Busta Rhymes. “The hip-hop enthusiasts didn’t really take me serious as an MC,” McCoy says, “and I’m making for damn sure they do on this record.” He cues up an unfinished track called “I’m Home,” on which Hall and Oates‘ Daryl Hall will be adding vocals. McCoy is a hardcore fan from way back: “It’s like a cream dream to have this dude not only into what we’re doing but wanting to be part of this record,” he says, eyes widening. “I don’t even know where to go after that.”
By www.RollingStone.com
Preview of the Live From Daryl’s House Episode with Travie
Watch a preview of the Live From Daryl’s House episode with Travis McCoy below!
Travie To Perform In Live Webcast With Daryl Hall
It's no surprise to serious fans of Gym Class Heroes that the group's lead vocalist Travis McCoy sees Daryl Hall of the duo Hall & Oates as one of his key musical inspirations. The band even went so far as to call a headlining concert tour last year the Daryl Hall for President Tour '07. So...it will be a special moment this Friday evening, February 15, at 8 p.m., when McCoy joins Daryl Hall for a live webcast of the February installment of the series Live From Daryl's House. The free, intimate program will feature the two collaborating on a version of the Daryl Hall written song "Everytime You Go Away," a #1 hit for Paul Young, and a version of Hall & Oates' own "You Make My Dreams" mashed up with the Gym Class Heroes' "The Queen and I."
Of the collaboration, Travis McCoy says, "Part of me was horrified before working with Daryl to be honest. There are 2 people I hold high on my caste system of people I think are cooler than me, my father being the other. I grew up on Daryl’s voice. I am forever grateful for the chance to work with and befriend someone I've looked up to all these years."
Daryl Hall responds, "Words fail to express the fun and creative fulfillment that I had recording and playing with Travis. I think the combination of his poetry and my musicality came together in a very historic way, and I don’t say that lightly."
Check out all of the details on the program here.
By About.com
New Gym Class Heroes Track Preview
Check out a little preview from Travies of a new Gym Class Heroes song!
Travis McCoy Says Next Album Will Prove He's A "Lyrical Genius"
You'll have to forgive Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy if he seems a bit distracted. He's got a lot on his mind these days.
"Oh my God, there's all these hot Asian women walking around," he laughed. "They're all over the place! And they're almost naked. Sorry, so what were we talking about?"
Perhaps we should explain the distraction. It seems the Los Angeles studio GCH are using to record their new album is strategically located near an Asian massage parlor, which has afforded the band a level of eye candy to which they are not usually accustomed. But as of late, this is not out of the ordinary for McCoy and company, who have pretty much made a habit of breaking through their usual customs.
"We're obviously in a totally different place with this record, and we know it. We've been preparing for this one since we finished the last one. The last record, we got off tour and wrote in a month and a half. But this one, we've been in the mindset for a while now," McCoy said. "So we've got the colossal jams ready now. Everyone's got their game faces on. One of the things I love about this band is that I think people don't know what to expect from us. And on this new one, we're definitely taking advantage of that."
And from the sound of things, he's not kidding. Over the course of the next five minutes, he mentions '80s soft rock, the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, the Cars' entire discography, Trilla king Rick Ross, Daryl Hall and the Clash as influences on the yet-untitled record. Couple that with the spate of producers they've worked with (from Miami hitmakers Cool & Dre to Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump), the host of collabos they're lining up (Hall, Busta Rhymes, Will.I.Am, etc.), and the bevy of locales they've worked in (Miami, St. Lucia, L.A., NYC), and the new GCH album is shaping up to be a sonic hodgepodge that's probably going to blow the minds of everyone who came to know Gym Class as "the guys behind 'Cupid's Chokehold.' "
"It's shaping up to be a crazy roller-coaster ride, man. It's different. I'm being genuine when I say people will hear this and be like, 'Wow,' " McCoy chuckled. "We're putting away the stigma of being a band that takes old songs and makes 'em new. To the majority of people, [songs like] 'Cupid's' and 'Clothes Off,' that kind of set what Gym Class was to them, and I feel like it kind of overshadowed my capabilities as an MC. When people hear the new stuff, they'll realize that I'm a lyrical genius."
It's still too early for a title or a track list, but McCoy did mention one new song, "Drunk Text Romeo," that he felt would "probably" make it onto the disc. And while Gym Class are still hard at work on the LP — McCoy said the band is working on it into February, with the hopes of having it hit stores in the summer — McCoy is also putting in time on a host of other projects, including an appearance on Daryl Hall's online show, "Live From Daryl's House"; an art show with Pete Wentz; and an EP recorded under the name Tequila Mockingbird, which he describes as "mood music ... like T-Pain meets the Postal Service."
And if it sounds like McCoy is going in a million different directions at once, well ... he is. And that's the way he likes it to be. Like we said, he's got a lot on his mind, and it doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Up next? Possibly world domination.
"We're gunning for everyone on this one, from indie kids to their moms to their babysitters," McCoy said. "Because we're still arrogant, goofy little kids from Upstate New York. And that ain't gonna change."
By James Montgomery, MTV.com
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