Give the Drummer Some

A look at some influential percussionists in Black music.

Rising Up - The drum. The world's first-known musical instrument. It mimics the heartbeat. It's a call to war. And it spreads love with an ubiquitous sound that permeates throughout genres and cultures. Only the most committed have made it a craft.Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, for one, is the drummer and a frontman of the legendary hip hop band the Roots. He got his start on stage as early as 7 years old as a drummer, and became a musical director as young as 13. He's since banged out with and produced tracks for Bilal, Common, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jay Z, Jill Scott and more, and has parlayed his music into film appearances, a Nike shoe (the Questo), and an endorsement deal for the Breakbeats drum kit by Ludwig.As we celebrate Black Music Month, read on for more percussionists who have left their drum-patterned mark... before the music dies.&nbsp...

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Rising Up - The drum. The world's first-known musical instrument. It mimics the heartbeat. It's a call to war. And it spreads love with an ubiquitous sound that permeates throughout genres and cultures. Only the most committed have made it a craft.Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, for one, is the drummer and a frontman of the legendary hip hop band the Roots. He got his start on stage as early as 7 years old as a drummer, and became a musical director as young as 13. He's since banged out with and produced tracks for Bilal, Common, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Jay Z, Jill Scott and more, and has parlayed his music into film appearances, a Nike shoe (the Questo), and an endorsement deal for the Breakbeats drum kit by Ludwig.As we celebrate Black Music Month, read on for more percussionists who have left their drum-patterned mark... before the music dies. ...

Carlton Barrett - Carlton "Carly" Barrett, also known as "Field Marshal," was part of the rhythm section for Bob Marley and the Wailers. The stick-man also wrote Marley's hit singles "War" and "Talkin' Blues" with his brother Aston "Family Man" Barrett. Besides playing on all the Wailers' releases, Carly was the drummer for reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry's in-house band, the Upsetters, and popularized the one-drop rhythm sound.(Photo: Gems/Redferns)

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Carlton Barrett - Carlton "Carly" Barrett, also known as "Field Marshal," was part of the rhythm section for Bob Marley and the Wailers. The stick-man also wrote Marley's hit singles "War" and "Talkin' Blues" with his brother Aston "Family Man" Barrett. Besides playing on all the Wailers' releases, Carly was the drummer for reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry's in-house band, the Upsetters, and popularized the one-drop rhythm sound.(Photo: Gems/Redferns)

Will Calhoun - Living Colour broke through barriers and became one of the premier rock groups of the '90s, and the all-Black outfit featured William "Will" Calhoun on the drums. Some of Will's accolades include being voted "Best New Drummer of 1988" by Modern Drummer magazine's readers poll, and he took home the honor of "#1 Progressive Drummer” in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He was also named "Best Drummer of 1990" by Rolling Stone magazine's critics poll, and holds two Grammys with his group.An all-around musician, Will covers the gamut from rock to jazz and has also played with B.B. King, Herb Alpert and Public Enemy. In February, he released his new solo album, Life in This World.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Will Calhoun - Living Colour broke through barriers and became one of the premier rock groups of the '90s, and the all-Black outfit featured William "Will" Calhoun on the drums. Some of Will's accolades include being voted "Best New Drummer of 1988" by Modern Drummer magazine's readers poll, and he took home the honor of "#1 Progressive Drummer” in 1989, 1991 and 1992. He was also named "Best Drummer of 1990" by Rolling Stone magazine's critics poll, and holds two Grammys with his group.An all-around musician, Will covers the gamut from rock to jazz and has also played with B.B. King, Herb Alpert and Public Enemy. In February, he released his new solo album, Life in This World.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Sheila E. - Sheila Escovedo has blessed everyone from Prince and Lionel Richie to Beyoncé and Kanye West with her Latin rhythms. A product of the famed Escovedo musical tribe, Sheila E. grew up in a house of percussionist led by her father, Pete Escovedo. In 1984, she stepped from behind the drums and showed off her vocal ability with her debut album, The Glamorous Life.A long collaborator with the Purple One, Sheila E. is considered by many to be a child prodigy as she played with the likes George Duke, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross in her teens and early 20s, and the beat still pounds 'til this day. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)

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Sheila E. - Sheila Escovedo has blessed everyone from Prince and Lionel Richie to Beyoncé and Kanye West with her Latin rhythms. A product of the famed Escovedo musical tribe, Sheila E. grew up in a house of percussionist led by her father, Pete Escovedo. In 1984, she stepped from behind the drums and showed off her vocal ability with her debut album, The Glamorous Life.A long collaborator with the Purple One, Sheila E. is considered by many to be a child prodigy as she played with the likes George Duke, Marvin Gaye and Diana Ross in her teens and early 20s, and the beat still pounds 'til this day. (Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)

Art Blakey - Arthur "Art" Blakey was one of the most renowned drummers in the world and is credited as one of the pioneers of bepop drumming. Blakey was known for mentoring young musicians and having them play in his revolving group, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Terrence Blanchard, Kevin Eubanks, Benny Golson, Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis are just a few alumni from the Blakey school of music.Blakey also played with greats like Billy Eckstine, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker. In 1982, he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame, and in 2001, the Grammy Hall of Fame. He was also presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.(Photo: Bettmann/CORBIS)

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Art Blakey - Arthur "Art" Blakey was one of the most renowned drummers in the world and is credited as one of the pioneers of bepop drumming. Blakey was known for mentoring young musicians and having them play in his revolving group, Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers. Terrence Blanchard, Kevin Eubanks, Benny Golson, Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis are just a few alumni from the Blakey school of music.Blakey also played with greats like Billy Eckstine, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Parker. In 1982, he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame, and in 2001, the Grammy Hall of Fame. He was also presented with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005.(Photo: Bettmann/CORBIS)

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Jellybean Johnson - Garry George "Jellybean" Johnson has been holding down the drums for the coolest band of all time for over 30 years now. Besides rocking with his crew, the Original 7ven (formerly the Time) ,and banging out with Prince in numerous studio sessions, Jellybean also helped discover Mint Condition and co-produced their debut album, Meant to Be Meant, and the single "Pretty Brown Eyes."He also showed another side of Miss Jackson when he brought the funk and the rock on her classic hit "Black Cat" and gave New Edition another R&B hit with "Crucial."(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

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Jellybean Johnson - Garry George "Jellybean" Johnson has been holding down the drums for the coolest band of all time for over 30 years now. Besides rocking with his crew, the Original 7ven (formerly the Time) ,and banging out with Prince in numerous studio sessions, Jellybean also helped discover Mint Condition and co-produced their debut album, Meant to Be Meant, and the single "Pretty Brown Eyes."He also showed another side of Miss Jackson when he brought the funk and the rock on her classic hit "Black Cat" and gave New Edition another R&B hit with "Crucial."(Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

Max Roach - Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach is one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time and helped usher in the bebop movement. In 1940, a 16-year-old Max rocked out with Duke Ellington's orchestra and would eventually play alongside fellow jazz legends like Benny Carter, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.Roach was also vocal and used his music as a platform to address civil rights and racial equality, and supplied the drum backdrop for Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech "Cashing a Canceled Check," popularly known as "I Have a Dream."He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1982 and received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 1988, the first awarded to a jazz musician.(Photo: William Gottlieb/Redferns)

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Max Roach - Maxwell Lemuel "Max" Roach is one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time and helped usher in the bebop movement. In 1940, a 16-year-old Max rocked out with Duke Ellington's orchestra and would eventually play alongside fellow jazz legends like Benny Carter, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.Roach was also vocal and used his music as a platform to address civil rights and racial equality, and supplied the drum backdrop for Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech "Cashing a Canceled Check," popularly known as "I Have a Dream."He was inducted into the Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame in 1982 and received a MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant in 1988, the first awarded to a jazz musician.(Photo: William Gottlieb/Redferns)

Clyde Stubblefield - Clyde Stubblefield was the drummer for the Godfather of Soul and his drum beats are some of the most sampled in hip hop. Stubblefield banged on James Brown hits like "Funky Drummer," "I Got The Feelin,'" "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," "Ain't It Funky Now" and "Sex Machine," and was a focal point of Brown's band, the J.B.s(Photo: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

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Clyde Stubblefield - Clyde Stubblefield was the drummer for the Godfather of Soul and his drum beats are some of the most sampled in hip hop. Stubblefield banged on James Brown hits like "Funky Drummer," "I Got The Feelin,'" "Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud)," "Ain't It Funky Now" and "Sex Machine," and was a focal point of Brown's band, the J.B.s(Photo: Lloyd Bishop/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)

Benzel Baltimore - Benjamin "Benzel Baltimore" Cowan is the touring drummer for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. The son of P-Funk trumpeter Bennie "The General" Cowan, Benzel Baltimore grew up watching his father get down and was groomed by Parliament Funkadelic drummer Dennis Chambers to fill his spot.The young funkateer got his break playing one song with the band at Woodstock '99 in front of 50,000 people at 15, and has been touring with the P-Funk All-Stars for over 15 years now. (Photo: Benzel Baltimore via Instagram)

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Benzel Baltimore - Benjamin "Benzel Baltimore" Cowan is the touring drummer for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic. The son of P-Funk trumpeter Bennie "The General" Cowan, Benzel Baltimore grew up watching his father get down and was groomed by Parliament Funkadelic drummer Dennis Chambers to fill his spot.The young funkateer got his break playing one song with the band at Woodstock '99 in front of 50,000 people at 15, and has been touring with the P-Funk All-Stars for over 15 years now. (Photo: Benzel Baltimore via Instagram)

Michael Bland - Michael Bland was the stick man in Prince's New Power Generation band and played with Mr. Nelson for seven years on hits like "Diamonds and Pearls." Constantly in demand as a session drummer, he's worked with Clay Aiken and the Backstreet Boys and has toured with Chaka Khan and Maxwell. Providing rhythms for rock and R&B, he's also a member of the alternative rock band Soul Asylum. (Photo: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

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Michael Bland - Michael Bland was the stick man in Prince's New Power Generation band and played with Mr. Nelson for seven years on hits like "Diamonds and Pearls." Constantly in demand as a session drummer, he's worked with Clay Aiken and the Backstreet Boys and has toured with Chaka Khan and Maxwell. Providing rhythms for rock and R&B, he's also a member of the alternative rock band Soul Asylum. (Photo: Adam Bettcher/Getty Images)

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Sly Dunbar - Lowell "Sly" Charles Dunbar is one of the most revered reggae drummers and one half of the production duo Sly and Robbie. Sly and Robbie have played on or produced over 200,000 recordings and were also part of the reggae band Black Uhuru.With numerous contributions to reggae music, they are also responsible for mixing harsh rude boy vocals with melodic harmonies and scored hits like "Murder She Wrote" for Chaka Demus and Pliers, and aside from rocking with the likes of roots legends like Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Ini Kamoze and Beenie Man, Sly and Robbie have added their rhythms and production to mainstream artists including the Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Simply Red, Sting, Doug E. Fresh, Carlos Santana and Sinéad O'Connor. (Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

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Sly Dunbar - Lowell "Sly" Charles Dunbar is one of the most revered reggae drummers and one half of the production duo Sly and Robbie. Sly and Robbie have played on or produced over 200,000 recordings and were also part of the reggae band Black Uhuru.With numerous contributions to reggae music, they are also responsible for mixing harsh rude boy vocals with melodic harmonies and scored hits like "Murder She Wrote" for Chaka Demus and Pliers, and aside from rocking with the likes of roots legends like Peter Tosh, Gregory Isaacs, Ini Kamoze and Beenie Man, Sly and Robbie have added their rhythms and production to mainstream artists including the Rolling Stones, Grace Jones, Simply Red, Sting, Doug E. Fresh, Carlos Santana and Sinéad O'Connor. (Photo: Ebet Roberts/Redferns)

Dennis Chambers - Dennis Chambers has been delivering the funk for over 35 years now since he joined Parliament/Funkadelic at the age of 18 and rocked out with George Clinton until 1985. A major force on the jazz fusion scene, Chambers also supplied the beat for Carlos Santana, George Duke and John Scofield. He was also the house drummer for pioneering hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.  (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Dennis Chambers - Dennis Chambers has been delivering the funk for over 35 years now since he joined Parliament/Funkadelic at the age of 18 and rocked out with George Clinton until 1985. A major force on the jazz fusion scene, Chambers also supplied the beat for Carlos Santana, George Duke and John Scofield. He was also the house drummer for pioneering hip hop label Sugar Hill Records.  (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

John Steward - John Steward thumps it out for Black rock outfit Fishbone. Joining the group in 1999, he also starred in OutKast's Idlewild and was a drummer in the band led by Big's character, Rooster.(Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)

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John Steward - John Steward thumps it out for Black rock outfit Fishbone. Joining the group in 1999, he also starred in OutKast's Idlewild and was a drummer in the band led by Big's character, Rooster.(Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for NAMM)

Travis Barker - Travis Barker beat his way onto the scene as the drummer for rock band Blink-182 in 1992. A highly sought after talent, he's supplied his drumming also to the worlds of hip hop, alternative rock, pop and country. His solo album, Give the Drummer Some, was released in March 2011 and featured rappers like Lil Wayne, Yelawolf, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg spitting over his percussionist rhythms. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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Travis Barker - Travis Barker beat his way onto the scene as the drummer for rock band Blink-182 in 1992. A highly sought after talent, he's supplied his drumming also to the worlds of hip hop, alternative rock, pop and country. His solo album, Give the Drummer Some, was released in March 2011 and featured rappers like Lil Wayne, Yelawolf, Rick Ross, and Snoop Dogg spitting over his percussionist rhythms. (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)