Who is Bernie Allen?
Well, Bernie Allen is a couple of things. It is a saying that came about, derived from the classic “oh, burn!” that follows an insult. Bernie Allen is also a guy from the seventies who was in some kind of TV Show. He’s a funny guy. He looks silly. More importantly in my eyes at least is this one: Bernie Allen is the name of a side-project of Travis McCoy.
Yeah, thats right, no gym class status, just Travis. And also producer Sie1, who lends his beats to the mix. Their only release, “Who is…” is really nice. Here, Travis takes a step back from the rock inspired Gym Class Heroes, and shows off his talents as an MC. Of course, he doesn’t sell out to the current media standard of violence, drugs etc, he still keeps his character. On the album he raps about the simplicity and innocence of childhood, the pressure to succeed in the world, the need for companionship, and even the perils of being a fat kid. He keeps it witty and funny throughout.
Productionwise, the album is spot on. Sie1 is so nice behind the boards it makes me wonder why he seems to be invisible. He even lends some pretty decent skratching to an interlude or two. Overall this album is great, and keeps getting put on repeat. I highly reccommend it. It’ll be pretty difficult to find, but I have faith in you!
Bernie Allen on Myspace
-the judge
