Rapper, singer, and songwriter Travie McCoy first made a name for himself as the frontman for the versatile alternative rap group Gym Class Heroes. After releasing four albums, including 2006's chart-topping As Cruel as School Children, which featured the platinum-selling single "Cupid's Chokehold," McCoy embarked on a solo career, issuing the acclaimed hip-hop-, reggae-, and rock-influenced Lazarus in 2010. He continued to release singles and features as the years progressed and eventually inked a deal with Hopeless Records, who put out 2022 album Never Slept Better, his first full-length project in over a decade.

Born Travis Lazarus McCoy in Geneva, New York, Travie grew up in a biracial home and spent his formative years absorbing a wide array of influences that included hardcore punk, R&B, and hip-hop. Looking to put those sonic touchstones into play, he co-founded Gym Class Heroes in 2001, and the group's signature amalgam of rap, rock, R&B, and funk soon found a home in the increasingly diverse indie rock/pop-punk scene. The band discovered mainstream success in 2006 with the release of their third long-player, As Cruel as School Children, which yielded the international hit "Cupid's Chokehold," and continued to make a strong showing on the charts with subsequent efforts The Quilt (2008) and Papercut Chronicles II (2011).

McCoy released his debut solo LP, Lazarus, in 2010 and scored a hit with "Billionaire" (featuring Bruno Mars), which peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. Lazarus also featured guest appearances by artists like T-Pain, Young Cash, CeeLo Green, and others. McCoy stayed busy with a slew of features while also releasing his own singles, like 2013's "Rough Water" (featuring Jason Mraz) and "Keep On Keeping On" (featuring Brandon Urie). In 2021, he signed with Hopeless Records and issued his first single in six years, "Spoonful of Cinnamon." The song would be the first single from new album Never Slept Better, which arrived in July of 2022. McCoy shared several other singles in advance of Never Slept Better, including "Loved Me Back to Life" and the Elohim-assisted "The Bridge." ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi