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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, they signed to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz's Decaydance Records, an imprint of Fueled by Ramen, and released the album The Papercut Chronicles (2005). 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. 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

1997–2004: Formation and career beginnings

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.

The group began playing college parties, local events, nightclubs, and festivals which eventually led to larger venues throughout the northeast. In 2001, the group independently released the album …For the Kids. In 2002, McCoy won MTV's Direct Effect MC Battle and as a prize.

2004–2005: Signing to Decaydance and The Papercut Chronicles

Gym Class Heroes began recording their debut album independently and organized their first tour without assistance. During the tour in 2004, a friend approached them about designing T-shirts and received a CD of several songs to inspire his work. The designer, who knew Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, played the recordings for him. Wentz subsequently traveled to Buffalo with his bandmate Patrick Stump to meet the group. Wentz worked with John Janick to sign Gym Class Heroes as the first act associated with Decaydance Records, Wentz's imprint at Fueled by Ramen.

By the end of the year, guitarist Milo Bonacci (who went on to form Ra Ra Riot) parted ways with the band and was replaced with 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. McGinley recalled, "We just had intentions of working him in on old songs, but we ended up jamming on this Supertramp thing for a minute and got carried away and wrote a song." The group released the four-song Papercut Chronicles EP before finally releasing The Papercut Chronicles on February 22, 2005.

After Eric Roberts replaced Ryan Geise on bass, the group toured extensively in 2005 and performed at festivals including SXSW, The Bamboozle, and Warped Tour. They also opened for Fall Out Boy, reggae band John Brown's Body, and rapper Lloyd Banks of G-Unit. The band's genre-blending sound initially confused audiences, but McCoy said that crowds often warmed to their performances after a few songs. The group also struggled to find a place on radio. Wentz recalled that alternative stations considered them hip-hop, while pop and hip-hop stations were unsure how to categorize a live band.

During this period, McCoy used the stage name Schleprock but as the band achieved mainstream success he transitioned away from the moniker to perform under his real name Travis "Travie" McCoy.