Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes is an American rap rock band from Geneva, New York. Formed in 1997 when Travie McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during high school gym class, the group folds hip hop, rock, funk, and reggae into its sound. They released their debut album independently before adding guitarist Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo and bassist Eric Roberts in 2003, then signed to Fueled by Ramen and released The Papercut Chronicles in 2005. A move to Decaydance Records, Pete Wentz’s label, helped them build a devoted following through appearances at The Bamboozle and the Vans Warped Tour.

In 2006, the gold-selling As Cruel as School Children pushed them into the mainstream. “Cupid’s Chokehold” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and cracked the top ten in the UK; “Clothes Off!!” also hit the UK top ten. They won the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist in 2007. The Quilt arrived in 2008, followed by a 2009 hiatus. McCoy released the solo debut Lazarus in 2010, Lumumba-Kasongo worked on his side-project Soul, and McGinley drummed in Kill the Frontman. The Papercut Chronicles II (2011) produced “Stereo Hearts,” another No. 4 Billboard Hot 100 hit. In 2025, the group was inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

Discography

• The Papercut Chronicles (2005)
• As Cruel as School Children (2006)
• The Quilt (2008)
• VCast Collection (2008)
• Patches from the Quilt (2008)
• The Papercut Chronicles II (2011)
• Ass Back Home (feat. Neon Hitch) (2012)
• Summer Twist Mix (2013)