Gym Class Heroes release âGuilty As Chargedâ, the second single to be taken from their acclaimed third album The Quilt, on December 8th through Decaydance/ Fueled By Ramen Records.
The albumâs opener, âGuilty As Chargedâ is a stomping, bass and brass-propelled anthem, bouncing with dancefloor energy and infused with the sweet vocal charms of UK soul sensation Estelle. A box-fresh hybrid of neo-gospel and hip-hop with a twist of Latino, âGuilty As Chargedâ a fitting testimony to Gym Class Heroesâ perpetual ability to cross and blend genres with unparalleled skill.
If making killer tunes was a crime, then Gym Class Heroes and Estelle stand âguilty as chargedâ - âI guess Iâm guilty, âtil proven innocent, And Iâll be gone before they know what I hit emâ withâ sings Estelle on the bouncing chorus. âAnd the moment that we all feared,â Travis raps back â âGuilty on all charges for the dopest album of the year!â
Having just wrapped up a US co-headline tour with The Roots and Estelle, the band also played a string of rapturously-received UK dates in September, when Estelle joined the New York quartet onstage for a raise-the-roof rendition of âGuilty As Chargedâ.
Already receiving solid radio support (C-list at Radio 1, and B-List at Capital and Galaxy), the video â a story-telling tribute to the Blaxploitation movies of the â70s - was shot in Las Vegas, and hits UK TV on November 24. Singer Travis McCoy has also maintained a healthy presence in the UK, presenting the Rock Out Award to 30 Seconds To Mars at this yearâs MTV EMAs in Liverpool.
âGuilty As Chargedâ is taken from The Quilt, Gym Class Heroesâ first recording since 2006âs gold-selling As Cruel As School Children, which spawned such hits as âThe Queen And Iâ, âClothes Offâ and the incredible smash hit, âCupidâs Chokehold (Breakfast In America)â. It has always been Gym Classâ refreshing hybrid of styles that set them apart in an overcrowded scene, and the The Quilt has seen the band step up a creative gear or three â not only expanding on their unique blend of hip-hop, rock, soul and punk, but transcending it.
Gym Class Heroes are: Travis McCoy (lead vocalist), Disashi Lumumba-Kasongo (guitarist), Eric Roberts (bassist), and Matt McGinley (drummer).