Travie McCoy is probably best known as being the front man for rap rock group Gym Class Heroes (and being a Katy Perry ex-flame). But he has now decided to branch out on the solo tip. Having relocated to Miami, after recovering from his addiction to pain killers, The 32-year-old has started working on his solo project from a completely different aspect. He had initially wanted it to be an acoustic album discussing his drug addiction and break-up with Perry, but scrapped all the original material citing it as being too personal for his first solo effort.
On previous solo efforts he worked with Bruno Mars and Cee-Lo Green. This time around McCoy has paired his rhymes with Jason Mraz's sweet vocals. The new song is called "Rough Waters" and the Gym Class Heroes captain navigates "Rough Water" on his first solo effort since his 2010 debut album, "Lazarus," which spawned the platinum hit "Billionaire." Someone is bound to complain this isn't "Hip Hop," but oh well. McCoy shares some bars about surviving rough waters with Mraz on the hook on the guitar-driven number, produced by Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Wiz Khalifa).
The mid-tempo, acoustic ballad, which will be the lead single taken from McCoy's upcoming sophomore solo album is expected in 2014, begins with 36-year-old Mraz cooing a sugary intro before McCoy's trademark sing-along ready rapping. There's nothing here that will shock longtime McCoy fans, but if there are shades in the rap-plus-sung-chorus subgenre, it's fair to say that "Rough Water" sounds slightly more like Fort Minor than classic Gym Class Heroes. McCoy's voice just seems slightly more like Mike Shinoda's voice.
As for the Ethan Lader-directed video for rap/pop song "Rough Water," it was filmed in early-October and features McCoy teams with Mraz to kick up the romance on the streets of an upside-down New York City. The world is upside down and right side up and the city hits the sky with mirrored reflections and more for McCoy and Mraz, as McCoy trying to catch the attention of a wandering girl (played by Crystal Kay), while Mraz sporting one of his most mainstream looks ever as he chants the hooks.
On previous solo efforts he worked with Bruno Mars and Cee-Lo Green. This time around McCoy has paired his rhymes with Jason Mraz's sweet vocals. The new song is called "Rough Waters" and the Gym Class Heroes captain navigates "Rough Water" on his first solo effort since his 2010 debut album, "Lazarus," which spawned the platinum hit "Billionaire." Someone is bound to complain this isn't "Hip Hop," but oh well. McCoy shares some bars about surviving rough waters with Mraz on the hook on the guitar-driven number, produced by Benny Blanco (Katy Perry, Wiz Khalifa).
The mid-tempo, acoustic ballad, which will be the lead single taken from McCoy's upcoming sophomore solo album is expected in 2014, begins with 36-year-old Mraz cooing a sugary intro before McCoy's trademark sing-along ready rapping. There's nothing here that will shock longtime McCoy fans, but if there are shades in the rap-plus-sung-chorus subgenre, it's fair to say that "Rough Water" sounds slightly more like Fort Minor than classic Gym Class Heroes. McCoy's voice just seems slightly more like Mike Shinoda's voice.
As for the Ethan Lader-directed video for rap/pop song "Rough Water," it was filmed in early-October and features McCoy teams with Mraz to kick up the romance on the streets of an upside-down New York City. The world is upside down and right side up and the city hits the sky with mirrored reflections and more for McCoy and Mraz, as McCoy trying to catch the attention of a wandering girl (played by Crystal Kay), while Mraz sporting one of his most mainstream looks ever as he chants the hooks.
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