Gym Class Heroes
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Gym Class Heroes

Band Hip Hop R&B

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

Music

The best kept secret in music

Press


"The Leader"

It's amazing how so much shallow and recycled music makes it into the big time, while gems like Gym Class Heroes' ...for the kids maintains a small, but respectfully growing, following throughout New York state.
     Sounding like a lounge version of Incubus mixed with the mic skills of Outkast, Gym Class Heroes comes off right away as something fresh, original and most importantly, fun to listen to. But don't confuse Gym Class Heroes' brand of hip hop with a simple DJ spinning wax- the band creates their own unique sound with drums, bass, guitar and some well-placed samples and scratching. This hip hop band can really play, combining mellow funk, Latin beats, reggae and even a few elements of jazz.
     Listening to this record, you can expect to hear the unexpected. The band doesn't rely on the same formula with each song. The first track, "Thinking Out Loud," opens with a looped melody, which breaks into a full-out beat, almost like a tease for the listener.
     In the next track, "Food For Mic Skills," the band falls into a laid back vibe complete with acoustic guitars, while vocalist Travis McCoy raps, "I've had enough of all these silent menaces/ I'm for peace but you'll get quickly deceased with violent sentences/ the only witness will be later notified to come identify the dental records of a kid offended mine/ you ain't a friend of mine so I suggest you call me Mr. McCoy."
     Later in the album, the band breaks into an instrumental jam entitled "How It Was" that breaks all the conventions of an instrumental track, quickly switching gears musically from a flowing acoustic melody, to an off-kilt drum solo, and back into a moody groove, culminating in bassist Ryan Geise's spoken word.
     "Wejusfreestylin" is a track created totally with vocals, rhythm and all, while vocalist McCoy and guest Jim Paciulli trade verses to the delight of their band mates. The track "Oh My God" is a bit reminiscent of Incubus' "Magic Medicine," with some amazing scratch work done by dj sie one, who also produced some of the record.
     Compared to most "local" bands, Gym Class Heroes are way ahead of the game. The professionalism of their musicianship, look and sound place them in a category that is above and beyond what most unsigned bands dream of achieving. Be sure to check these guys out when they come to Fredonia at 11 p.m., April 20 at BJ's.

     ~Chuck Wesley
     Staff Reviewer - Chuck Wesley


Discography

"For The Kids"- Our first independent release, Dec 22, 2001.

Live and Unreleased material availble at http://www.gymclassheroes.com

Photos

Feeling a bit camera shy

Bio

Out of upstate New York has come an inventive new group that has begun to make their mark on the music world. Gym Class Heroes is a hip-hop band that uses live instruments and musicians instead of looped samples and canned beats. The band has produced an original hip-hop sound using a blend of classical, funk, and jazz musical styles. Gym Class Heroes fuse crisp guitar rhythms, deep melodic bass lines, head cracking beats, and conscious lyrics to create a sound that is truly their own. Guitar, bass, drums, DJ and MC constantly challenge the conventions of hip-hop, separating them from other generic hip-hop groups. The group has appeared on MTV twice by invitation and MC Schleprok won a freestyle battle that landed him a cameo spot in Styles video for “Daddy Get That Cash” (Interscope/Ruff Ryders). A talented visual/graffiti artist in his own right, Shleprok has also designed all of the group’s merchandise and artwork. In addition to playing small clubs to large festivals, Gym Class Heroes have opened up for or appeared with RUN DMC, Jurassic 5, Fat Joe, Naughty By Nature, Nappy Roots, Cam’ron, Mobb Deep, Blackalicious and other prominent hip hop artists. Gym Class Heroes has also been visible on the charts at Garageband.com, holding on to the #4 and #5 position of the Hip Hop/Rap charts for three weeks. Gym Class Heroes was also featured on InRadio 3: www.inradio.net. The group is currently in talks with a few major and independent labels and is looking for the best opportunity to take their completely unique music to consumers on a world wide level.