Travie McCoy

Until recently, tatted up Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy was better known for being Katy Perry’s ex than he was for any of his musical endeavors. That may have changed with “Billionaire,” the first single off McCoy’s debut solo record, Lazarus. With a chorus featuring cool crooner Bruno Mars, “Billionaire” was a summer smash, taking Kiss FM stations by storm and even showing up on Glee. It’s tough for a record to have legs beyond a big single these days, but Lazarus is genuinely light and listenable. Stand out tracks include “We’ll Be Alright,” a playful riff on Supergrass’ “Alright”, and “Need You,” a dance-friendly plea produced by Lucas Secon, who had a big hit in his own right with 1994’s “Lucas With The Lid Off.” 

Updated 03/09/2011