Travis Barker Told His Son Landon to Turn Down The Voice: "You're Way Too Cool for That"

Travis Barker told his 22-year-old son Landon Barker to turn down an offer to appear on The Voice, delivering the verdict in five words: "Dude, you're way too cool for that."

Barker made the remarks during an August 8 appearance on The New York Times' Popcast podcast, in a video segment titled "Travis Barker Gets Vulnerable" Billboard. E! News independently reported the same account on August 10 E! News.

According to Barker, Landon had been offered a spot on the singing competition. Rather than simply saying no for him, Barker said he asked his son to consider what kind of artist he wants to be and whether the opportunity fits that vision. He told Landon to think about whether his musical idols would have taken such a spot, citing Kurt Cobain as someone who would not have.

The advice was to "stay on your own trajectory" rather than rush to capitalise on every platform that comes available.

What makes the moment catch attention is the apparent contradiction: Barker himself has appeared on American Idol several times, another singing-competition show. He did not address that overlap during the podcast segment.

Landon Barker has been building his own path in music. He joined The Fray on tour, and has spoken warmly about his father's involvement in his career. In a 2022 interview with Billboard, Landon said Travis is "always in my corner" and that "I feel like he's really just doing what makes him happy" Billboard.

On the podcast, Barker also reflected on his own history with public attention. He said he "used to almost get in fights with paparazzi" and "used to have a temper," but now considers it "just all noise." The remark came as part of a broader conversation about navigating fame and the music industry as a parent.

The Voice is one of the longest-running talent-competition shows on US television, featuring coaches who mentor contestants through elimination rounds. Whether Landon might have appeared as a contestant, a guest performer, or in another capacity was not specified in the reporting.

For now, Landon appears to be following his father's guidance — building a touring resume and his own catalogue rather than taking a televised shortcut.