Gym Class Heroes

Legendary fashion designer/artist/entrepreneur recently put a blog post up on his site after meeting up with Gym Class Heroes last weekend. Johnny Cupcakes is known for owning a few stores which feature a lot of his own clothing and accessory designs. Johnny has been friends with Gym Class Heroes since before the band really blew up and met back up with them, as he outlines in his blog. He also posted some cool shots hanging out with the band on his site (link located above). According to his blog, Johnny also went on tour with GCH last year for all of their west coast dates. He talks about some of the times they had and posted a picture of Travie’s own Johnny Cupcakes tattoo that he got while on tour with him. Sounds like an amazing time and what I really love about GCH is that they never seem to forget who their friends are, even with all of their recent fame. Part of the band’s appeal is their ability to stay grounded, and I have talked about it before, but when I got to interview Travis about a year back he was incredibly humble and down-to-earth. It actually seemed as though he wanted to talk to me, even if perhaps he didn’t, considering how much press he has to do.

Johnny also talks about how he got the idea to donate all the clothes that get thrown up on stage during “Clothes Off” to goodwill. Apparently, that’s what the band is going to do from now on, which is a really good idea. It was even talked about in a recent article about the band, which is sure to help spread their positivism as well as get more people involved in donating for a good cause. Go check out Johnny Cupcakes.

I you haven’t visited Travie’s Blog yet this month, he’s put quite a few posts up since the end of March. Looks like he invested in a sick blue Jerry chain that’s completely off the wall. Click the link above and go check that out if you haven’t seen it yet. There’s also a cool picture of him getting some (more) ink done from his friend Craig Beasley. He also posted the link in case you want to check out more of Craig’s work at TheArtofCraigBeasley.com. He also put up a bunch of pics with himself and his daughter as well as teaching himself how to fly a kite. He also posted a couple of live pics, and under one he quoted Sean P, one of my personal favorite rappers out of the legendary Boot Camp Clik. I suppose Travie is officially Duck Down Certified since he will be appearing on the upcoming Kidz in the Hall album on Duck Down Records. I heard some previews of the next Kidz album and it sounds pretty crazy – very reminiscent of the Cool Kids. Travie is also doing something new where he posts his mixtapes for viewers to check out. His latest, posted on April 8th, features old and new tracks from the likes of Mario feat. Lil’ Wayne, Gnarls Barkley, D’Angelo, Jodeci, the legendary Fat Boys and composer Danny Elfman. The mixtape thing is a pretty cool way of sharing what you’ve been listening to lately as well as showing love to friends with music.

As part of their Spring Fling concert series, Gym Class Heroes were recently featured in the school paper The Daily Colonial after their performance at GW. The article ran earlier this week. It’s not all that interesting, but apparently Travie is still getting bras thrown at him by audience members. Check out the entire article from the Daily Colonial here:

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.”

Billboard.com just posted a feature on Gym Class Heroes in which they discuss their new album with some explanations from Travie himself. The upcoming album, entitled The Quilt: Starring Gym Class Heroes sounds like a pretty original concept – something that, in my opinion, should be happening a lot more in today’s popular music. The album will play out like a film in that all the featured artists will be heard as cast members in the film and won’t be listed on the back cover as in usual hip-hop albums. Still, in case you haven’t heard yet, the article written by Mariel Concepcion says the album will feature Busta Rhymes, Ne-Yo, Lil’ Wayne and John Oates. I am happy to learn that K-OS from my hometown of Toronto will also be featured on the album, which is good for him – also props to GCH for the recognition. The article also goes on to talk about some of the tracks that will appear on the album including “Fly With Me”, a track Travie wrote to his deceased cousin and another one called “Live a Little” which apparently is inspired by his own reflection on life.

The article also talks a bit about the upcoming GCH involvement with the Vans Warped Tour, Travie’s guest appearance on Kelly Rowland’s “Daylight” and their past Billboard charting with As Cruel As School Children. I suppose Billboard is anticipating big things with The Quit, deciding to run a story on their site. Check out the entire article on Billboard.com here.

I, for one, am not familiar with this girl. Apparently she is a singer who is coming out with an album soon. All I know is she has popular video blogs on Youtube witch you can go see as she keeps you updated with her life and things going on in the studio. She just posed a new video on Youtube on Thurday, March 27 in which Travis of Gym Class Heroes is preparing to give her at tattoo. From the looks of things, she is in Travie’s Manhattan apartment. She promises more footage from this tat session in the future, but from what it looks like, she is getting a tat of Jerry from the cover of the As Cruel As School Children album. It doesn’t actually show Travie tatting her, but is shows the preparation of the tat as Patty talks a bit about getting it. It also shows Travie’s personal tattoo parlor and, from the looks of things, it looks like a pretty professional setup. It just goes to show how multi-talented this dude is. He’s got lots of ink and, hey, I wouldn’t mind getting some tats from him. The video also shows Patty snooping around his apartment and inside his little tatting area with his collection of stuffed animals and dolls. I would definitely like to go there and hang out for a bit and get some tats from Travie too.
Check out the video from Patty Crash below. For more of her video blogs, check out her Youtube page.

Young Hollywood recently caught up with Tyga on the filming of his new video for “Coconut Juice” featuring Travis of Gym Class Heroes. The interviews with Tyga are pretty cool and the video feature on the music video filming also features some footage of Travie on-set as well as Pete Wentz from Fall Out Boy. Travie is obviously having some hair issues and refuses to be interviewed on camera, though according to recent photo’s posted on Travie’s blog, apparently he has chopped a lot of it off. As Tyga explains, the whole concept of the video is built around Travie. It starts off with Travis leaving to go on tour with Gym Class and leaving Tyga the keys to his mansion. Tyga then decides to throw a party, which is pretty much the premise of the video. The footage of the video shoot looks like it’s filled with a bunch of sexy ladies as they dance around a pool. Of course, this is not actually Travie’s mansion, but it is definitely a good setup for the premise of the video. With Travie and Pete backing him, Tyga is definitely on the way to making moves in the music industry. Tyga also talks about Pete and how the two support each other even though they are both making completely different-sounding music. Tyga says music is music and Pete’s lyrics are amazing, though he is channeling them through a different musical style.
Check out the video interview with Tyga from Young Hollywood below:

Top 40 Charts.com recently posted news about the upcoming Samsung Sound Check concert series, spreading some info to the people about Gym Class Heroes as well as the other artists performing on the small club tour. As previously reported, the band will be playing one small show in Chicago as part of the nationwide club series.

If you want to check out the entire article head on over to Top 40 Charts. Here is an excerpt from the article where they talk about GCH:

GYM CLASS HEROES - Performing at Park West in Chicago, IL (April 10)
Melding elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk into one cohesive and melodic sound, upstate New York’s Gym Class Heroes have diverse appeal due to their impressive musical dexterity. With their music rooted in traditional hip-hop, the quartet’s music also features live instruments instead of looped samples or beats, and lyrics that are often socially conscious yet with a sense of humor. The formation of the band dates back to the late 90’s when MC Travis “Schleprok” McCoy and drummer Matt McGinley became friends during high-school gym class. The band was officially formed in 2001 with the two high school friends eventually teaming up with guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts. After several albums, and many concert tours, the Gym Class Heroes’ profile notably increased at the end of 2006 with the release of their Album “As Cruel As School Children” and the single “Cupid’s Chokehold/Breakfast in America,” which hit number four on Billboard’s Hot 100 and remained in constant rotation on radio and MTV during the spring of 2007. From the word go, Gym Class Heroes have defined themselves via a free-thinking philosophy, always breaking musical boundaries and changing perceptions of what hip-hop or indie or rock can be. With “As Cruel As School Children,” Gym Class Heroes make plain that they are proudly unified in their disorderly vision, confident that their integrity will pay off dividends in the end. For more information, go to http://www.gymclassheroes.com or http://www.myspace.com/gymclassheroes.

Gym Class Heroes will be part of the Samsung Sound Check concert series, performing one show in Chicago, Illinois. While there are a few other concert dates in different cities that include performances by the likes of Ne-Yo and Sean Kingston, 1 Iota are giving away 300 tickets to the GCH show only. Tickets are free, and are mostly being given out through promotions and radio giveaways, though 1 Iota has 300 they are getting rid of. For more information on how you can get one of them, check out the 1 Iota web site here.

Here is the Gym Class Heroes concert info:

Samsung is back at it again this year bringing you the Samsung Sound Check !

Five Of Today’s Hottest Bands Perform Private Shows in Five Major Cities, Supported by Four Different Carriers –All United Through Samsung – For An Exclusive Music Experience!

We are looking for 300 people to be a part of the Samsung Sound Check concert series, one of the five exclusive events happening throughout the country this spring. This is a red carpet event featuring celebrities, cool new products and a special one hour set by GYM CLASS HEROES!

Tickets are FREE!

AGE: You and your guest must be at least 18 years old and have a valid state or government issued ID to attend the show. No Exceptions! Alcohol will be served at the venue for those people over 21.

DRESS: We ask that everyone dress like you are going out to a club. Please do not wear any solid white shirts, baseball hats, elaborate patterns or logos, as they are not camera-friendly.

Gym Class Heroes will be part of the Samsung Sound Check concert series, performing one show in Chicago, Illinois. While there are a few other concert dates in different cities that include performances by the likes of Ne-Yo and Sean Kingston, 1 Iota are giving away 300 tickets to the GCH show only. Tickets are free, and are mostly being given out through promotions and radio giveaways, though 1 Iota has 300 they are getting rid of. For more information on how you can get one of them, check out the 1 Iota web site here.

Here is the Gym Class Heroes concert info:

Samsung is back at it again this year bringing you the Samsung Sound Check !

Five Of Today’s Hottest Bands Perform Private Shows in Five Major Cities, Supported by Four Different Carriers –All United Through Samsung – For An Exclusive Music Experience!

We are looking for 300 people to be a part of the Samsung Sound Check concert series, one of the five exclusive events happening throughout the country this spring. This is a red carpet event featuring celebrities, cool new products and a special one hour set by GYM CLASS HEROES!

Tickets are FREE!

AGE: You and your guest must be at least 18 years old and have a valid state or government issued ID to attend the show. No Exceptions! Alcohol will be served at the venue for those people over 21.

DRESS: We ask that everyone dress like you are going out to a club. Please do not wear any solid white shirts, baseball hats, elaborate patterns or logos, as they are not camera-friendly.

Travie has recently been appearing on collaborations with hip-hop artists including Gillateen out of his homeland of Upstate New York as well as Tyga, his cousin out of Compton.

The track with Gillateen is called “Giants” and can be checked out by clicking the link here. I’m not too familiar with Gillateen or the rest of the guys on the track, but it’s pretty dope. Travie comes in towards the end over the laid-back yet kind of eerie instrumental. It actually kind of reminds me of an old Wu-Tang track with a looped instrumental and dudes just coming in spitting their verses. I’m sure collaborating with Travie will draw a lot of attention to these guys as well.

The track with Tyga is more of a club banger called “Coconut Juice”. It can be checked out on Tyga’s Myspace here.

Apparently a video for the song was filmed last weekend in Woodland Hills, California, and will not only feature Travis but also Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy. The upcoming Tyga album is titled “No Introduction” and is due out this spring. It will feature production from Patrick Stump (Lupe Fiasco), S*A*M/Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes) and Stress (Ghostface Killah). I am definitely interested in checking out the video. You can check out some photos from the video shoot by checking out Tyga’s blog here at Friends or Enemies.

Travie has been a busy dude lately with all these collaborations, video shoots and now an upcoming college tour. Check out more info on the upcoming East Coast tour here.

The Daily Pennsylvanian, the University of Pennsylvania University, recently posted a story on their upcoming concert here. As part of the newly-announced school tour by Gym Class Heroes, the Pennsylvania University stop will be headlined by Ludacris and a special unannounced artist to play before Gym Class. The concert, dubbed Spring Fling, will be on April 11th and begin at 8 p.m. at the university’s Franklin Field, which will be the first concert at the venue since 2004. The additional artist or band will also be part of the “triple bill” lineup and will be announced within the next two weeks. Each performing group and artist will go onstage for about an hour and there are about 8, 000 tickets being sold for the event to the public. Tickets for the concert will go on sale on Wednesday, March 25th at 10 a.m. Eight hundred wristbands granting access to the mosh pit will be distributed to Penn students through a lottery from March 21 to April 4 and through promotions. For students reluctant to shell out money, 200 FlingSafe volunteers - a group of students who help promote safe behavior during Spring Fling - will receive free tickets.

Go check out the entire article on the Daily Pennsylvanian. Also, if you are interested in checking out Gym Class Heroes while touring the East Coast on the college and university tour stint, check out the list of entire tour stops here. They’re doing a bunch of stops in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey and other places. Look for the one closest to you.

Adding to the list of upcoming shows Gym Class Heroes are doing before Warped Tour and the release of “The Quilt”, the band recently announced a short East Coast college tour. Announcements of other college shows have been popping up lately, and only recently did they include other concerts to form a little mini-tour thing. Apparently you can only currently order tickets for the Washington College and Ohio Wesleyen University shows through Ticketmaster. Not sure about any of the other schools, though I bet they would be available at the door. If you live in the area and don’t want to risk not getting in, check with the school web site in advance.

Here is the complete list of dates:

Apr 1 2008 8:00P
UMass-Lowell - Lowell, MA

Apr 2 2008 8:00P
College of William and Mary - Williamsburg, VA

Apr 3 2008 8:00P
College of Charleston - Charleston, SC

Apr 4 2008 8:00P
Embry Riddle Daytona - Beach, FL

Apr 5 2008 8:00P
George Washington University - Washington, DC

Apr 11 2008 8:00P
University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia, PA

Apr 12 2008 8:00P
Rider University - Lawrenceville, NJ

Apr 13 2008 8:00P
Washington College - Chestertown, MD

Apr 16 2008 8:00P
University of Missouri-St. Louis - St. Louis, MO

Apr 17 2008 8:00P
Wayne State University - Detroit, MI

Apr 18 2008 8:00P
Ohio Wesleyan University - Delaware, OH

Apr 19 2008 8:00P
Lock Haven University - Lock Haven, PA

Apr 20 2008 8:00P
Millersville University - Millersville, PA

Apr 24 2008 6:00P
George Mason University - Fairfax, VA

Apr 24 2008 8:00P
Wooton High School - Rockville, MD

Apr 25 2008 8:00P
Niagara University - Buffalo, NY

Apr 26 2008 6:00P
University of Hartford - Hartford, CT

May 1 2008 8:00P
Fitchburg State College - Fitchburg, MA

May 2 2008 8:00P
Cornell University - Ithaca, NY

May 3 2008 8:00P
Manhattan College - Riverdale, NY

With the amount of sporadic Gym Class Heroes concerts popping up all over the States, Billboard recently announced yet another one scheduled for early this April. The band will be playing as part of the first Samsung Sound Check free concert series, with a free show at Park West in Chicago on April 10. Only select tickets will be made available thought radio promotion and online registration from a web site that isn’t even up yet. Not sure what the deal is with that, but check in with Samsung as early as this week, because according to the Billboard article the site should be up very soon.
Also performing throughout the Samsung Sound Check concert series will be Ne-Yo on March 27 in New Orleans, Jimmy Eat World in Charlotte, N.C., on March 30, Paramore in Houston on April 29, and Sean Kingston in Las Vegas on May 14. Check out the entire article on Billboard.com and if you live in any of those areas, perhaps local radio stations are promoting the events.

The news of the Gym Class Heroes concert should be no surprise to fans, as the band has scheduled a bunch of free shows and college performances lately. It is undoubtedly to help spread the word about their upcoming full-length “The Quilt”, due this summer. At which point, the band will be heading out on the Vans Warped Tour for most of the summer. It can be speculated they will tour again after that, though this is just an educated guess on my part.

Gym Class Heroes guitarist Disashi posted a new blog on his Myspace page last Tuesday, talking about some upcoming GCH concerts. One, in particular will be held in Disashi’s hometown of Ithica, New York, which will be their first performance in the upstate New York town. He also says something to the effect of May 2nd at the end, which I believe is the official release date of the next Gym Class album entitled “The Quilt”. Check out the entire blog posing below and visit Disashi’s Myspace page here.

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

Washington College recently announced Gym Class Heroes will be performing on their campus on April 13th. The concert will take place in the LFC at Washington College and doors will open at 6 p.m. According to Washington College, the show will start at 7 p.m. with two unnamed opening acts before Gym Class Heroes take the stage, and everything is supposed to wrap up at about 10 p.m. Good luck.

It’s funny because the article mentions how the Student Events Board originally tried to get Flight of the Concords but couldn’t schedule them to play because they’re involved in some sort of TV show. So I guess they figured the next best thing was GCH. It is expected that the audience will increase from the 900 people who came last year to 1,500 this year. They hope to achieve this through a better promotion of the event and advertising the concert at other schools as well as on local radio to get people out. I’m sure GCH diehards will come in droves as well, depending on how close they live to the school.

For those interested in possibly attending the concert, tickets will be on sale starting March 20. They’ll be going for $19 for Washington College students, $21 for staff and faculty, and $25 for non-students. So if you know someone who goes to Washington College – steal their card for the discount. There should be plenty of tickets at the door, however, which will go for $25 to everyone.

Check out the entire article here from the Washington College student paper.