Gym Class Heroes rapper Travis McCoy has released a song on iTunes, in an effort to promote AIDS awareness and support MTV's Staying Alive Foundation.The rapper recently traversed South Africa, the Philippines and India, connecting with young people involved in grass-roots HIV and AIDS related projects.
Upon his return, he recorded the song, 'One At A Time,' the sales of which go towards the Staying Alive Foundation, which in turn funds AIDS-related projects around the world.
McCoy discussed his AIDS awareness work with XXL recently, explaining that a close friend died of AIDS when he was young, but due to his lack of understanding about the illness, he didn't know how to react to her death.
"There was a tremendous amount of guilt that comes with that situation because, at the time, I was so young and there's all these stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS, it was something that we kept under raps for a long time and I felt really guilty for it," Travis told XXL.
"So it was kind of a way for me to pay back and pay respects to her," he continued to explain. "Had it come out that this person died of AIDS that I'd been close to for so long, I could imagine what I would have went through at school... I feel like, being a part of this and doing what I've done with Staying Alive is almost closure on that situation. Not only that but being in a position where you are impressionable on your generation and they look up to you... if I can get kids to wear a certain type of sneaker or listen to a certain band or be up on a certain artist or what not I can get them to think twice before they make a dumb decision that could cost them their lives."
To that end, Travis has worked as the ambassador for the Staying Alive Foundation for 2009, and continues to build AIDS awareness around the world.
The song, "One at a Time," is currently available on iTunes.
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