The Quilt
Gym Class Heroes
****

If OutKast's "Aquemini" album made hip-hop sound funny in the 90s, Gym Class Heroes' "The Quilt" completely made the same effect in 2008. When I first heard "Cupid's Chokehold" I almost screamed out "Ewww!" When I looked in the Arts and Leisure section of The New York Times, it read that Gym Class Heroes came out with a new album. I took one look at Travis McCoy's clothing and literally jumped out of my socks. But I'm a tolerant person. So one month later, I bought "The Quilt" on iTunes. "Peace Sign/Index Down" gave me the impression L'il Travvy wasn't thinking straight at that time. "Look ma, no hands/ Your little boy's a man/ Everything that you said is finally setting in/ Trainig wheels fell off and I kept peddling/ And now I'm riding wheelies on this industry/ Say the word and I'll ghostride this instantly/ Good looking pop all the strength that you're giving me/ If it weren't for you gym class would be history" And I was like, whoa, slow down! Crazy excellent song in my book, ladies and gentlemen. "Cookie Jar" and "Kissin' Ears" both feature The-Dream's scratchy falsetto on the chorus. Hmmm... The Prince of Silliness and The Duke of Dischord together for a bangin' time. Masterpieces all of them and nothing less. "Cookie Jar" is certainly, delectable (no pun intended). "Live A Little" gave us a glimpse of the reason why Gym Class Heroes is a multi-genre band. These lyrics are not hip-hoppy at all. They are emo, emo, EMO! I request hip-hop, not rock. Aargh, what is wrong with hip-hoppers thinking they can "rock the house" these days? But what better way to jumpstart an album than with a reggae song. Believe it or not, Sir Travis put a horny ska-driven track entitled "Blinded By The Sun", which follows a journey of a man wondering if he is his girlfriend's only lover. At the end of the song, it turns out his girlfriend was two-timing him. Blinded by lies, therefore blinded by the sun. This, along with "Cookie Jar" were used for remixing on the iTunes version, featuring a rapper who calls himself Stressed Out. The high reediness of his voice backed up against Travis McCoy's mouth makes a dent upon the musical world. If you liked Gorillaz, Gym Class Heroes are next in the alphabet and up on your playlist.