Travie McCoy - Lazarus (2010)

His first official solo album away from Gym Class Heroes (though he has released some mixtapes), Travie McCoy's Lazarus finds the band's charismatic frontman as upbeat as ever on his summery debut. Right from the get-go the album opener, “Dr. Feelgood,” establishes the album as a top-down, good-time summer album, with a funky uptempo beat and a hook by none other than Cee-Lo Green, whose falsetto adds a nice touch of soul to the track. Further in, “Billionaire” has guest Bruno Mars and McCoy channeling Sublime on the laid-back reggae-inflected jam. The real highlight of the album comes from “Akidagain,” where McCoy does his take on Ahmad’s “Back in the Day,” reminiscing about being a kid with a flow that’s looser and more natural than anywhere else on the album. Even though every track on the album isn’t a keeper, like the Auto-Tuned “Superbad” or the Black Eyed Peas-style “We’ll Be Alright” (which borrows the hook from Supergrass' “Alright”), it has some solid additions to any summer playlist and will definitely please fans of Gym Class Heroes.

BIOGRAPHY:by Gregory Heaney
Born Travis Lazarus McCoy in Geneva, NY, rapper Travie McCoy first made a name for himself as the lead vocalist of the alternative rap group Gym Class Heroes. Outside of the band, McCoy is an accomplished rapper in his own right, having won the MTV Direct Effect MC Battle as well as having guest spots on tracks by Kelly Rowland and Tyga. After releasing four albums with Gym Class Heroes, McCoy began work on a solo record. In 2010, he released his first album without his band, Lazarus, on Fueled by Ramen.