Travie McCoy & Jason Mraz debut "Rough Water"

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.

Travis McCoy Releases "One At a Time" Video

Travis McCoy, the lead vocalist of alternative hip hop collective Gym Class Heroes, has teamed up with MTV and released a new charity track "One at a Time" and debuted a music video in support of the inspired track on MTV channels around the world in honor of World AIDS Day. When he is not jamming out to sold out arenas, McCoy takes his job as MTV Staying Alive Ambassador very seriously as seen in his all new documentary. The singer/activist shares his message and experiences and he tries to help do his part by educating the masses.
McCoy's unbeaten track, "One at a Time" was produced and co-written by The Smeezingtons, as the first single from his upcoming solo album via T-Pain's Nappy Boy label. The video was inspired by the emotions and the people the cheeseball "rapper" McCoy met during his 10-day journey through the Aids-stricken third world in June, include the Philippines, South Africa, and India, as the spokesman for MTV's very own Staying Alive Foundation (since 1988) to meet and experience the bravery of these local heroes face to face, and find out about the work done around the world to prevent the spread of the disease. "They gave me a challenge to write a song about what I saw," said McCoy.
Each step of his journey was documented by MTV. The rapper told us: "This track comes straight from the heart. It encompasses everything that I saw and felt on the trip," the ex-boyfriend of pop star Katy Perry shared. "I met some amazing and inspiring young people, and this track is dedicated to them and their tireless and selfless commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS." The charity track can be purchased on iTunes for 99 cents. McCoy is hoping to raise $100,000, with 100% of the proceeds from the song will benefit global HIV/AIDS prevention projects. "let's change a life," which is basically "Man in the Mirror" minus any semblance of a show-stopping performance.