Review Summary: Travis Barker pools the efforts of hip hop's best to produce an absolutely stellar album.
It's almost impossible to think of where to begin with this album. I guess I'll start with "wow" - which is about the only verbal sound I was able to conjure up after my first spin of Give The Drummer Some. Admittedly I was not in the slightest expecting much from this album. I wanted to hear it; considering Travis's stature in the industry and noting his collaborations that have had great effect (see Bun B : Late Night Creepin') but I wasn't entirely convinced that Travis could produce beats that fitted the unique ability of all of the artists featured on this record.
Boy was I way off. The moment Game comes on the mic in the opening track "Can A Drummer Get Some", I knew this album was for real. Immediately you are grabbed by insanely produced beats, distorted guitars and rap that takes you back to when rap was - well, actually any good. Somehow, Barker manages to make Lil Wayne sound impressive - and with what is arguably one of the worst verses in the entire album; Wayne isn't nearly as bad as he is in most other instances.
This album features a plethora of hip hop giants and the fact that Barker can seamlessly weave them all together on one record that flows so smoothly is even more impressive. These are rappers with entirely different styles - featuring verses from polar opposites such as Lupe Fiasco, Raekwon, and Tech N9ne; Travis produces beats that fits each style perfectly - leaving you salivating for more after each song. The only thing that prevents this from getting a 5 from me is the song "Knockin'" which features Snoop, Ludacris and E-40 - the song is very underwhelming and although it's not entirely terrible, it is very noticeably the worst song on the record (and sitting at track #4, it takes the train off the track pretty early).
Luckily, the rest of the album is near flawless - with everyone rapping at top form; and killer beats that need to be heard on a great system to truly appreciate, there is very little chinks in this album and it definitely deserves to be in the rotation of anybody who calls themselves a music fan. I recommend checking out the deluxe edition; which features an additional four tracks that really are worth hearing (which include features from Corey Taylor, Clipse, Steve Aoki and includes my personal favorite track "Don't *** With Me")
Don't let this album pass you by - it's an absolute must listen.
