Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE

We all know Travis Barker as the strong but silent drummer from beloved pop punk band Blink-182, yet the inimitable musician isn’t content with just one label. He continuously reinvents himself, cementing his claim to the title of genre-blending, drum slamming, Hip-Pop mastermind. He’s endured a long and rocky road—from a divorce to a tragic plane crash, from Blink breakups to Eminem hookups, Travis has carved out a unique niche for himself, seamlessly blurring the lines between hip-hop, pop and rock, creating unique, engaging and kick ass music. 

His debut full length solo album, “Give The Drummer Some” is hitting stores this week and Travis has yet again pulled inspiration from Hip-Pop collaborators like Kanye West, Bruno Mars, Diplo, Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Yelawolf and Lil Wayne. Setting himself up as a purveyor of taste, Travis has been pulling out all the stops, recently performing on multiple television platforms with The Cool Kids, Cypress Hill and The Transplants. 

Travis has garnered attention for his inked up body, his 2005 MTV reality show with then-wife and Playboy model Shanna Moakler called “Meet The Barkers” and for the 2008 plane crash he was involved in with friend and musical collaborator Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein. He suffered second and third degree burns from the accident, while DJ AM died of an accidental drug overdose a year later. 

[pagebreak]

Travis came back stronger than ever, killing the drums on a remix of Drake’s “Forever” featuring Eminem, Kanye West and Lil Wayne, which they performed at the 2008 Grammy Awards. He worked with Mary J. Blige on a remake of the classic Led Zeppelin tune “Stairway To Heaven” and helped teach pop princess Rihanna how to beat the drums, even guesting on the remix of “Umbrella” and appearing in the music video. Travis also hooked up with Lil Wayne for Weezy’s rock album “Rebirth.” 

With “Give The Drummer Some,” Travis continues to test the musical limits. “It was such a science experiment, this whole thing, and when I’m in here, I have to not bug out because it is Slash, or it is Tom Morello, or it is Wayne — just try to create something and provide something that hasn’t been put out in front of everyone before,” he told MTV News of the album. “With these guys behind real instruments and acoustic drums…they’re just presented a little different, you know?”

Travis has lent his eye for style and sound to various other projects, including an apparel company he founded called Famous Stars and Straps, another clothing venture with skateboarder Rob Dyrdek called Rogue Status and his own label LaSalle Records. What’s more, Travis still hasn’t forgotten his roots. He’s returned to the studio with original Blink-182 bandmates Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus to record the guys’ sixth studio album for a Summer 2011 release. 

As Travis takes the Hip-Pop world by storm with “Give The Drummer Some,” GlobalGrind sought to pay tribute to the drummer who can play with anyone, anywhere, all the while making it seem effortless. Heck, he even collaborated with Britney Spears on her new record “Femme Fatale.” For his part, Travis is never going to stop, regardless of what the critics say. “The punk rock police have a habit of barring things unless that’s what they’re used to” he told MTV, “And that’s not what punk rock is about. Punk rock is doing what you want to do and you don’t give a f**k what anyone thinks about it.” 

[pagebreak]

Travis Barker is the mastermind of genre-bending hip-pop music.

[pagebreak]

Travis Barker is the mastermind of genre-bending hip-pop music.

[pagebreak]