Gym Class Heroes is an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. The group formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high school gym class. The band's music displays a wide variety of influences, including hip hop, rock, funk, and reggae.
Gym Class Heroes released their debut album independently, and after the addition of guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts in 2003, they signed to Fueled by Ramen, and released the album The Papercut Chronicles (2005). They later signed to Decaydance Records (Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's independent record label), on which they released the album, The Papercut Chronicles. The group gained a strong fanbase while promoting the album, appearing at festivals such as The Bamboozle and Vans Warped Tour.
In 2006, the group released the gold-selling album As Cruel as School Children. They crossed over into mainstream with the single "Cupid's Chokehold." which peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reached the top ten of the charts in various countries, including the United Kingdom. Their next single "Clothes Off!!" also peaked within the top ten of the charts in the United Kingdom. In 2007, they won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist.
In 2008, Gym Class Heroes released their third album, The Quilt, and then they went on hiatus in 2009, a time in which the members pursued various side projects. McCoy released his solo debut album Lazarus in 2010. Lumumba-Kasongo has been working on his side-project Soul, while McGinley now drums in the rock group Kill the Frontman. The group released The Papercut Chronicles II in 2011; its lead single, "Stereo Hearts", peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gym Class Heroes were inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame in 2025.
History
1997–1998: Formation
Rapper Travie McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley became friends at their local high school in ninth grade in Geneva, New York. They officially came together in 1997. The band formed when bassist Ryan Geise and drummer Matt McGinley were performing at a party in an instrumental band with no vocals. McCoy, who was in attendance at the party, took the microphone onstage and started rapping. A week later, the group came together and started making music.
1998–2001: Hed Candy, Greasy Kid Stuff, and ...For the Kids
The original group began playing college parties and BBQs, birthday parties, clubs, and festivals which eventually led to larger venues throughout the northeast, including four years on Warped Tour (2003, 2004, 2006, 2008). McCoy won MTV's Direct Effect MC Battle and as a prize, appeared in Styles P's video "Daddy Get That Cash". The group had three more releases from 1999 to 2004: Hed Candy, Greasy Kid Stuff, and ...For the Kids.
2002–2005: The Papercut EP, The Papercut Chronicles, and Bonacci's and Geise's departure
In 2003 the band recorded the album The Papercut Chronicles while on tour. The members were not even finished working on the album, as it caught the attention of Fall Out Boy's bassist Pete Wentz, who signed the group to his offspring Fueled By Ramen label, Decaydance Records.) parted ways with the band and was replaced with current guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (brother of the rapper Sammus), who was attending Cornell University at the time. On the first day the band began to rehearse with Lumumba-Kasongo, "Cupid's Chokehold" was written, which would become the album's first single. The group released the four-song Papercut Chronicles EP before finally releasing The Papercut Chronicles in February 2005. After Eric Roberts replaced Ryan Geise on bass, the group toured constantly throughout 2005, appearing at the year's SXSW, The Bamboozle, and Warped Tour festivals. They filmed a music video for the song "Taxi Driver."
2006–2007: As Cruel as School Children
thumb|Gym Class Heroes performing at the [[San Diego Sports Arena on December 1, 2007]]
In May 2006, WXSS, a radio station in Milwaukee, began playing "Cupid's Chokehold" shortly before the release of the band's second full-length album, As Cruel as School Children. The group's manager, Scott Nagelberg stated "As more stations added it, it became undeniable: This was the chance for this band to make it happen." Although the band intended to promote a different song, "The Queen and I" as the album's lead single, the label shifted its focus to "Cupid's Chokehold". The group became frustrated with its association with the song after its scheduled performance of "The Queen and I" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! was changed to "Cupid's Chokehold" last minute. On July 25, 2006, Gym Class Heroes released As Cruel as School Children. The record contained guest appearances by Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy and William Beckett from The Academy Is.... The album marked a departure in the band's sound, with the band utilizing drum machines and synthesizers as opposed to the band's typical live instrumentation.
The band also gained popularity when McCoy was featured in the Cobra Starship song "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)", which was featured on the soundtrack to the film. Their next single "Clothes Off!!" peaked at No. 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2007. In Europe, it reached the top ten of the charts in Finland, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Gym Class Heroes won the fan-voted Best New Artist award at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.
2008: The Quilt
After headlining a seven-week U.S. tour called the "Daryl Hall for President Tour '07", the group returned to the studio to record new material. The resulting material became The Quilt, which was released on September 9, 2008. The album featured numerous collaborations with other artists, including Daryl Hall (from Hall & Oates), The-Dream, Estelle, and Busta Rhymes. Guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo said of the album: