GYM CLASS HEROES - As Cruel As School Children LP (FBR 25th Anniversary Silver Vinyl)

Label: Fueled By Ramen

Four friends from upstate New York, Gym Class Heroes have been playing around with fused elements of rap, rock, R&B, and funk since their self-released album in 2001.

That record was the product of plotting that began when MC Travis “Schleprok” McCoy met drummer Matt McGinley during their high-school gym class.

The tipping point for the band came in 2003 after Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz heard some work-in-progress material and became an immediate champion of the group. Wentz ultimately signed the guys to his Fueled by Ramen label imprint, Decaydance, in 2004.

Launching with the booty-shaking 'The Queen and I,' the Heroes prove straightaway that they've got enough confidence, catchy rhythms, and sense of melody amid all their tight grooves and emo hipster instincts to keep things moving right along.