Transplants

When rapper-singer Rob Aston joins forces with Rancid's Tim Armstrong and blink-182's Travis Barker, the result is Transplants, a breakneck collision of hip-hop, punk and hardcore that blazes trails and knocks down barriers. We were curious what the guys behind such a radical mishmash of sounds listen to at home, so we got Rob to give a few shout-outs to his all-time favorite albums.

	UGK Ridin' Dirty (1996)
"This is some classic sh*t right here. Bun B and Pimp C are two of the best. They always keep it trill. FREE PIMP C!!!"
	Run-D.M.C. Raising Hell (1986)
"If you dont have th*s shit, you're trippin."
	Pink Floyd Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd (2001)
"This is the best of Pink Floyd right here. Every song is great. I want 'Wish You Were Here' to be played at my funeral."
	DJ Quik Quik is the Name (1991)
"I remember buying this sh*t on cassette when it came out. I knew it was gonna be the sh*t before I even unwrapped it."
	Slayer Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
"One of the hardest metal albums ever, start to finish."
	Pantera Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
"Probably my favorite metal band. The f*ckin best."
	Brenton Wood Brenton Wood's 18 Best (1992)
"My favorite oldies CD. This is some old school west coast sh*t right here."
	Hound Foundation Hound Foundation (2002)
"This sh*t right here is hard as f*ck. Its also hard as f*ck to find. I suggest you start looking." [Ed. note: Or you can buy it from us!]
	Cypress Hill Cypress Hill (1991)
"This whole record is the sh*t. Definitely a classic."
	The Psycho Realm A War Story (2000)
"This sh*t is the SICKEST right here. Jacken and Duke ain't nothin nice. Sh*t's bangin."

Tim Armstrong and myself (Rob Aston) formed Transplants in December of 1999. I had just moved to Los Angeles and was hanging out with Tim when he played me this beat he had made on his Pro Tools System in his studio. It was incredible, like nothing I had ever heard before. He asked if I could write lyrics to it, and without hesitation I said yes. Honest, I was scared shitless because I had never been in a band before. Not to mention, I was dealing with Mr. Tim Armstrong from Rancid. Long story short, we recorded whenever we found time and gave it our all. But something was missing. Tim had played all the instruments by himself and the drums were samples and loops.

We realized we needed to find the best drummer we could. SO we called up Travis Barker from blink182 and Box Car Racer. We pitched him the idea and before even hearing the songs, he was on board. Travis came to the studio and laid down his drum tracks in five hours, and that was that. Now we have a record that we are proud of.

With topics that range from murder ('Quick Death') the passing ofloved ones ('Sad but True'), to failed friendships ('We Trusted You'). We wrote songs that I think everyone can identify with for the most part. There's even a party song on the album ('Tall Cans In The Air'). Don't jump to conclusions though. It's by no means a happy/fun song, you're more likely to make an enemy than a friend with this one. Anyways everyone goes through shit in life, some more then others. Some people choose to ignore it and think it will disappear. Not gonna happen. At least not while you're listening the the Transplants record.
- Rob Aston, Transplants

Punk rock veterans Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker, and Rob Aston formed Transplants in 2002. This supergroup was a friendly experiment, for Armstrong made a name for himself with Rancid and Barker was enjoying success with blink-182. Aston was a friend of theirs who moved to Los Angeles, but eventually music was at the center of their bond. Armstrong and Aston jammed for fun for the next two years, but recording made things more real. Transplants had something -- something good. Barker was ecstatic with the results, too. The band's hard-edged self-titled debut appeared from Hellcat in October 2002. Haunted Cities was the follow-up. Issued by La Salle in June 2005, it featured guest shots from Sen Dog, B Real, and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. A fall tour in support of the album, however, was subsequently canceled and the guys announced their dissolution in late 2005. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide